Chapter 7 : Ignition Systems

Introduction
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An ignition system is a system for igniting a

air-fuel mixture. It is main element for the operation of internal combustion engines.

The earliest internal combustion engines used a flame, or a heated tube, for ignition but these were replaced by systems using an electric spark. Generally, ignition system is creating a electric spark at the correct timing in the correct cylinder.

Main Task of Ignition System

First, it must create a high voltage (20,000+) to arc across the gap of a spark plug, thus creating a spark strong enough to ignite the air-fuel mixture for combustion. Second, It must control the timing of that the spark so it occurs at the exact right time and send it to the correct cylinder.

IGNITION SYSTEM FUNCTION

1.

Produces 15,000-30,000 volt spark across spark plug. Distributes high voltage spark to each spark plug in correct sequence Times the spark so it occurs as piston is nearing top dead center (TDC) Varies spark timing with engine load, speed, and other conditions

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BASIC IGNITION SYSTEM COMPONENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

BATTERY IGNITION SWITCH IGNITION COIL DISTRIBUTOR SPARK PLUG IGNITION SYSTEM WIRES

Battery supplies power to entire system. Ignition Switch turns engine on or off Ignition coil transforms volts Switching device triggers ignition coil Spark Plug to create spark. Distributor and wires to distribute spark

Ignition System Circuit Components

Divided to 2 main circuit; 1.Primary Circuit Components
      Battery Ignition switch Ballast resistor (older systems) Ignition coil primary winding Triggering device Switching device or control module

2. Secondary Circuit Components

    Ignition coil secondary winding Distributor cap and rotor (DI systems) High tension (HT) cables (some systems) Spark plugs
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Primary and secondary circuit

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PRIMARY CIRCUIT
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Consists of low voltage wiring and components Uses conventional type automotive primary wires Controls when ignition will take place. (When coil fires)

SECONDARY CIRCUIT

Distributes current to individual cylinders to jump spark plug gap

Must have thicker, heavier insulation onWires High-voltage from the coil secondary winding passes through an ignition cable running to the distributor and in to the rotor. The rotor then distributes the high voltage to the individual spark plugs through a set of ignition cables that are arranged in the distributor cap according to the engine firing order.

Type Of Ignition System

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Conventional (Contact point) Electronic (ECU switching) Programmed (ECU Programmed switching) Distributorless (Waste spark) Direct Ignition (Coil for each cylinder)

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1. Conventional (Contact Breaker) Ignition System

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1. Conventional (Contact Breaker) Ignition System

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Conventional Ignition Components

1. Ignition switch y Provides driver control of the ignition system and is usually also used to cause the starter to crank. 2. Ignition coil y Consists of primary and secondary windings act as step-up transformer. y As current flows through the primary coil a strong magnetic field is built up. y When the current is shut off, the collapse of this magnetic field to the secondary windings induces a high voltage which is released through the large center terminal. y This voltage is then directed to the spark plugs through the distributor.

2. Ignition coil (induction principle)

Current passing through the coils primary winding creates magnetic lines of force that cut across and induce voltage in the secondary windings.

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Conventional Ignition Components

3.
Distributor y Distributes spark to the right place at the right time y Directs the spark from the coil to each cylinder in a pre-set sequence.

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Conventional Ignition Components

4. Contact breakers (breaker points) y Switches the primary ignition circuit on and off to charge and discharge the coil.
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The contact breaker is operated by an engine-driven cam

5. Capacitor (condenser) y Suppresses (prevent) the arcing as the contact breakers open by absorbing the back EMF in primary coil. y This allows for a more rapid break of primary current and hence a more rapid collapse of coil magnetism, which produces a higher voltage output.

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Conventional Ignition Components

6. Centrifugal advance y Changes the ignition timing with engine speed. As speed increases the timing is advanced. 7. Vacuum advance y Changes timing depending on engine load. On conventional systems the vacuum advance is most important during cruise conditions.

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Ignition Components
8. Plug cable (HT)

HT, or high tension (high voltage) cable is to deliver high voltage from coil to distributor thus to spark plug. y Must meet or exceed stringent ignition product requirements, such as: 1) Insulation to withstand 40 000 V systems. 2) Temperatures from 40 C to 260 C 3) Radio frequency interference suppression. 4) 160 000 km (100 000 mile) product life. 5) Resistance to ozone, corona, and fluids. 6) 10-years durability
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Ignition Components
9.

Spark Plug It forces electricity to arc across a gap. The electricity must be at a very high voltage in order to travel across the gap and create a spark. Voltage at the spark plug can be anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 volts. The spark plug must have an insulated passageway for this high voltage to travel down through the electrode and jump the gap to be conducted into the engine block and grounded. The plug also has to withstand the extreme heat and pressure inside the cylinder.
A. Terminal B. Ceramic Insulation C. Center Electrode D. Gap E. Ground electrode

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Ignition System Components

9. Spark Plug Design Factors Size ; 14 mm or 18 mm Reach ;Where the spark is placed in the cylinder Electrode material x Copper and platinum

A Platinum-Tipped Spark Plug

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2. Electronic Ignition (EI) System

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Started since1970's untill today. The contact points and condenser were replaced by electronics. Current switching in primary circuit controlled by ECU triggered by pick-up coil in distributor.

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Electronic Ignition System

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Several methods used to replace the contact points and condenser in order to trigger the coil to fire. One method used a metal wheel with teeth, usually one teeth for each cylinder. This is called an armature or reluctor. A magnetic pickup coil senses when a tooth passes and sends a signal to the control Chapter 24 module to fire the coil
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Types of Engine Position Sensors

Magnetic pulse generator Consists of a reluctor and pickup coil

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Types of Engine Position Sensors

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Metal detection sensor

The electromagnet is in the pickup coil.

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Types of Engine Position Sensors

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Hall-effect sensor
Produces a square wave signal. Is most commonly used.

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Types of Engine Position Sensors

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Photoelectric sensor
Uses an LED and moving slotted disc.

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Advantages of EI Systems
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

No moving parts Cylinders individually controlled Longer parts life Flexible mounting locations Less radio frequency interference No timing adjustments More time for coil saturation

Ignition Timing
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Ignition timing is the time that a spark occur in the combustion chamber during the compression stroke relative to piston position and crankshaft angular velocity. For optimum efficiency the ignition advance angle should be occur about 10 after top dead centre (TDC) to get maximum combustion pressure. The ideal ignition timing is dependent on two main factors, engine speed and engine load. The ideal advance angle may be further refined by engine temperature and any risk of detonation.

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Spark timing control is achieved in a number of ways; 1. Centrifugal advance 2. Vacuum advance 3. Electronics advance control
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Ignition Timing Advanced /Retarded

Advanced Timing:

1. An increase in engine speed requires the ignition timing to be advanced. y At higher engine speeds the time taken for the piston to travel the same distance reduces. y The cylinder charge, of airfuel mixture, requires a certain time to burn (about 2 ms). y Advancing the time of the spark ensures full burning is achieved. y The ignition occur at angle about 30o-40 before top dead centre (TDC) 2. A change in timing due to engine load is also required as the weaker mixture used on low load conditions burns at a slower rate y In this situation, further ignition advance is necessary.

Ignition Timing Advanced/Retarded

Retarded Timing:
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Greater load on the engine requires a richer mixture, which burns more rapidly. In this case some retardation of timing is necessary. The ignition occurs at angle after top dead centre (TDC) Overall, under any condition of engine speed and load an ideal advance angle is required to ensure maximum pressure is achieved in the cylinder just after top dead centre.

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Factors That Affect Timing

1. Engine speed (rpm)
At higher rpms, the crankshaft turns through more degrees in a given period of combustion time. If combustion is to be completed by 10 ATDC, ignition timing must occur sooner or be advanced.

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Factors That Affect Timing

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Factors That Affect Timing

2. Engine load
Under light loads a high vacuum or low pressure exists and less air/fuel mixture drawn into the cylinders producing less combustion pressure and combustion time is slow. To complete combustion by 10 ATDC, ignition timing must be advanced. Under heavy loads, the vacuum is low and a larger mass of air/fuel mixture can be drawn in. High combustion pressure and rapid burning results and the ignition timing must be retarded to prevent complete burning before 10 ATDC.
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Factors That Affect Timing

3. Number of cylinders Firing order
Examples of typical firing orders

DETONATION (engine knock)

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While not advancing the timing, would result in power loss, advancing the time too far ahead is even worse. If spark occurs too early, the piston is still moving upward before TDC compressing the combustion instead of air-fuel mixture, resulting high pressure and detonation/ knocking occurs. This is BAD! Detonation in any form is destroying the piston head.

Summary
1.

The ignition system supplies high voltage to ignite the air/fuel mixture. The ignition system has two interconnected electrical circuits: a primary circuit and a secondary circuit. The secondary circuit carries high voltage surges to the spark plugs. Ignition timing is directly related to the position of the crankshaft. Ignition timing change is dependent on two main factors, engine speed and engine load.

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THE END

Any question?

Quiz
1. 2. 3.

List THREE (3) type of ignition system. What is the function of ignition coil. List FOUR (4) the advantages of Electronic Ignition compare to Contact Breaker Ignition system.