The Law of Induction

13-02 Explain how the law of induction applies to the ignition

system.

Remember the principle of magnetism, which is that it creates

electricity, and electricity creates magnetism. Any time current flows
through a conductor, it creates a magnetic field that surrounds the
conductor. Also, any time a magnetic field cuts across (through) a
conductor, it produces an electrical current in the conductor. This
creation of current is the standard for alternator operation. It is also the
basis used for permanent magnet (PM) generator (inductive sensor)
operation (FIGURE 13-6).

FIGURE 13-6 Induction-type PM generator. As the moving reluctor tooth

approaches the stationary coil, the air gap narrows, altering the
magnetic field and thus inducing the positive portion of an AC voltage.
When the reluctor tooth moves away from the stator, the polarity
changes, producing a negative voltage. The induced voltage signal is
 the trigger input to the module that turns the coil on and off.

The stator is a coil of wire that wraps around a weak PM, which
provides a stationary field. As the reluctor spins, the teeth interact with
the stator, changing the magnetic field, which triggers the ignition
module. The stator may have only one projection with a stationary coil
of fine enameled wire wound around it; or it may have a circular PM
wrapped in fire wire, with a number of projections that matches the
number of engine cylinders. If the lines of force do not cut across the
magnet, then no current has been induced. As the armature (reluctor)
rotates, the teeth on the reluctor approach and pass the stator teeth,
changing the air gap between them. When a tooth approaches the
magnet, it reduces the reluctance near the field, pulling the magnetic
field out of position, causing the lines of force cutting across the
windings of the coil (known as exciting) to generate a positive voltage.
When the teeth are in alignment, the magnetic field is at its strongest,
but at that point, it is not changing. Voltage and current now fall to
zero. After the tooth passes the coil, it detours the magnetic lines of
flux from the PM in the pickup coil, generating a negative voltage. The
negative voltage is caused by the magnetic field collapsing back into
its original position. Since polarity changes every time the teeth
approach and leave the stator teeth, the voltage produced is an
alternating current (AC) voltage, and current flow is also alternating
(FIGURE 13-7). The voltage is sent to the ignition module, where it is
converted and amplified to a digital signal. The module then uses the
signal to control current flow through the ignition coil primary.
 FIGURE 13-7 A typical ignition pickup coil scope pattern. Here the
technician is looking for a crisp, clean waveform that can trigger the
ignition module precisely.

With engine rotation, the reluctor teeth on the distributor shaft

approach the stator teeth or pickup coil, and a voltage of positive
polarity is induced in the winding. This voltage signals the control
circuit to turn the primary current on, and a voltage is applied to the
base/emitter of the switching transistor. The switching transistor acts
as a relay. When activated, it allows current to flow through the
ignition coil’s primary winding and through the collector/emitter of the
switching transistor to ground. The magnetic field is built up in the
ignition coil. Any further rotation of the reluctor will cause the teeth to
align with the stator teeth or pickup coil and then move away.
Simply stated, the primary winding in the ignition coil is continuously
turned on and off as the reluctor teeth spin past the stator. When
turning the coil primary current flow off, the magnetic field surrounding
the primary coil winding collapses back into the coil windings. The
collapsing magnetic field causes the secondary windings in the
ignition coil to generate a high voltage that is used to create a spark at
the end of the compression stroke of each cylinder. The speed of the
magnetic field’s collapse increases the induced voltage. The faster
and more abruptly the magnetic field collapses (current flow stops) the
greater the voltage induced in the primary coil. Primary voltage can
exceed 400 volts on modern coils.
In use, an ignition coil has one side of the primary winding
connected to system (battery positive) voltage. The other end of the
coil winding is connected to an ignition coil driver transistor to ground,
either through a module/igniter or the PCM, forming part of an internal
module control circuit (FIGURE 13-8). With the ignition switched on and
the engine stationary, battery voltage is applied to the coil’s positive
terminal. However, there is no current flow through the primary
winding, because the switching transistor is in the off state. Battery
voltage, therefore, can also be read at the coil’s negative terminal.
When the driver turns on, current flows in the primary circuit. Voltage
read at the negative terminal while the engine is running will be
switching high (system voltage) and low (0 volts), which can be
measured by using a DMM or test light. A test light will flicker on and
off while the engine is running.
 FIGURE 13-8 The ignition control (IC) circuit includes a lot of dual-
purpose sensors and pickups, to eliminate excess components. These
 sensors help synchronize between systems since they all use the
same inputs.

The turn on dwell signal is sent from the triggering device to the
module. After the positive pulse has been received, the dwell control
section of the ignition module determines when the primary circuit will
be switched on and for how long current will flow in the primary
winding. The module, or PCM on later systems, determines when to
fire the coil based on system voltage, internal coil temperature, engine
rpm, and other input sensor data. The goal is to begin the dwell period
soon enough in advance of the spark event that the coil’s primary
current flow is sustained enough to fully saturate the coil, reaching its
full energy potential. To protect the coil, many coil electronics include
a current-limiting device within the control circuit that limits maximum
current flow to a safe value. After reaching the desired current level,
the module maintains the target current by partially turning the coil
driver transistor off. Partially turning the driver off prevents any
additional rise in current flow to the coil. Limiting current flow through
the coil causes heat buildup in the coil driver transistor. To control
damaging heat buildup the module’s goal is to keep the current limit
time as brief as possible.
Current limiting is visible on an oscilloscope waveform as the trace
flattens at the top of the waveform after the ramp. The current level is
maintained until the transistor completely turns off, completely
releasing the ground, causing the coil to fire. The transistor release is
the vertical drop-off in the trace just before the firing line from high
amperage to near 0 amps. The vertical line is as important as the
current ramp. If the vertical drop is sloping or not “clean,” it indicates
that the transistor may be failing to reduce the induced voltage into the
coil secondary.
Ignition coils used in electronic ignition systems are referred to as
low-inductance coils because their primary winding resistance and
number of turns are low. When using a lower inductance coil, the
current flow is much higher, and it reaches its optimum level sooner
than with contact breaker-point systems. A standard electronic ignition
coil’s primary resistance ranges from 0.5 to about 2.0 ohms.
According to Ohm’s law, the calculation suggests that the current flow
in the primary circuit approaches 28 amps. The math is 14 volts
divided by 0.5 ohms, which equals 28 amps. Actual current flow in a
properly operating circuit, however, is much less, for several reasons.
The first reason is the inductance of the primary coil windings
(FIGURE 13-9). The reduction or slowing of current flow in a circuit or
coil of wire due to induction is called inductive reactance. Like
resistance, inductive reactance reduces the flow of current in a circuit.
The definition of inductance is the property of a component that
opposes the change of current flowing through it. Several laws explain
why reactance slows current flow. Oersted’s law states that a
constant electric current flow generates a magnetic field around the
conductor. Faraday’s law of induction states that a magnetic field
induces a current in a conductor within that field. The final law to apply
to coil operation is Lenz’s law, which states that the induced current
flows in the opposite direction from the initial change in current that
produced the magnetic field. This phenomenon is called self-
inductance. Therefore, ignition coils work off the principles of mutual
induction and self-induction.
FIGURE 13-9 Current flowing in a coil of wire produces a magnetic field
that forms concentric circles surrounding the conductor that join to
form larger loops that surround the coil. When the current increases in
one loop, the expanding magnetic field cuts across some or all of the
nearby loops of wire, inducing a voltage in these loops when current
flow changes. This induced voltage is then transferred to the
secondary windings when current flow stops.

Inductance is naturally occurring when current flows in a coil of wire;

even a straight piece of wire will have some level of inductance.
Current flowing in a coil of wire produces a magnetic field that circles
the conductor, generating a self-EMF. Lenz’s law states that an
induced EMF generates a current in a direction that opposes the
change in the magnetic flux that created the EMF in the first place. In
other words, a coil winding is an inductor that resists the rate of
change of current flowing through it, due to the buildup of self-induced
energy within its magnetic field (FIGURE 13-10). Simply stated, this is
the principle of action and reaction. The amount of magnetic energy
the coil stores depends on the number of turns of the coil of wire, the
inductance, and the length of time, measured as dwell, during which
the current flows. Under most operating conditions, it takes about one
and a half to four milliseconds to store enough magnetic energy to
produce the required voltage output. Dwell is visible when checking
either the primary or secondary voltage waveform.

FIGURE 13-10 Inductive reactance builds as the number of winds in the

coil increases because the magnetic field from one coil has more coils
to interact with.

Use an oscilloscope and amp clamp to test the inductance of an

ignition coil. Known as a coil ramp test, the coil’s internal resistance to
current flow is viewable on the oscilloscope. A properly operating coil
will show a gradually curving line between about a 45-degree and a
60-degree angle, indicating the speed of coil saturation. The amount
of magnetic energy the coil stores depends on inductance and the
length of time, measured as dwell, during which the current flows.
Under most operating conditions, it takes about one and a half to four
milliseconds to store enough magnetic energy to produce the required
voltage output. Dwell is visible when checking either the primary or the
secondary voltage waveform.