THE STARTING SYSTEM

(Engine Cranking System)

Purpose of the starting system

 To crank the engine at an adequate speed for fuel

ignition system to take up.
 To overcome the inertia of the engine components
during cranking
 To suck and compress the air-fuel mixture or just the
air for diesel engines
 To facilitate the opening and closing of key valves.`
 Components
 Battery
 Ignition switch
 Fuse
 Starter relay
 Starter motor
• Hold-in or hold-on winding
• Pull-in winding
• Field windings
• Armature (rotor)
• Brushes and commutator
 The battery
 Supplies the needed electrical
energy to spin the starter
motor and generally power the
starting circuit.
 Ignition Switch

 This is the switch that is closed to

allow current to flow from the
battery, after passing through
the fuse, to the starter relay and
finally to the starter assembly.
 Fuse
 The 15 Amp starter
relay fuse protects
the starter relay
from excessive
electrical energy.
 Starter relay

 It feeds current to the starter motor after passing

through the security feature.
 Starter Motor
 The first
component of the
starter motor
assembly to
receive the current
from the battery is
the starter
solenoid. Once the
coil has been
activated, the two
heavy contacts are
closed via some
magnetic
attraction
 Starter motor field windings

 The windings of a
starter motor are
connected in series
to form two sets of N S
strong
electromagnets as
illustrated in the
diagram. The series
S N
connection helps in
creating a strong
magnetic field.
 Starter Solenoid

 The solenoid consists

of two coils:
- The pull-in coil or
winding and,
- The hold-on coil
- Once energized, the
pull in coil’s
magnetism operates
the fork or lever while
the hold-in coil keeps
the pinion engaged to
the flywheel.
 Starter solenoid operation

 The pull-in winding is connected

in series with the starter motor
windings before being
grounded. But the hold-in
windings are grounded on the
casing of the motor.
 Overrunning Clutch

 This prevents the motor from

running with the engine after
ignition because the high
speed of the running engine
would damage the field
windings. The clutch uses the
difference in speed between
the motor and the engine to
disengage or unlock the
pinion from the shaft with
the help of rollers
End of Part 1
 Starting System Operation
The starter motor
 If current flows through a conductor (wire),
magnetic fields are generated around the
conductor. The magnetic flux is also
generated when magnetic poles are facing
each other. The magnetic flux between the
two poles behaves like elastic bands. When
a current carrying conductor is placed
between the two poles, the generated
magnetic flux around the conductor will
interfere with the flux from the magnets.
The flux will increase on one side of the
conductor and decrease on the other side.
The unequal concentration of the flux
causes the conductor to move. A motor
uses many conductors for smooth running.
 Continuous motor rotation

 The movement occurs because when current flows through the

conductor, the flux around it will move in the same direction as that of
the magnetic flux on one side and in the opposite direction on the other
side. When the conductor is bent into a loop, the magnetic forces will
cause the loop to rotate.
 The use of commutator and brushes makes possible continuous rotation
of the loop as long as it continues receiving current. The loop segments
interchange contact with the brushes at the point that the interaction of
the magnetic force starts losing effect. At this instance, the two sides of
the loop conductor will receive reversed current hence changed
direction of magnetic flux. This action causes the loop conductor to
continue rotating in the same direction.
 Work load on the starter

To start the engine, the starter motor must overcome the

following:
 Inertia of engine components such as the piston, piston rod,
crankshaft and flywheel;
 The compression pressures
 Bearing friction
 Other accessories driven by the engine
 In order to overcome the above;
 starter motor must be supplied with a large electrical power from the battery with low resistance
cables. Power = VI

To Reduce resistance in the motor:

 The field and armature windings are made from strips of copper or aluminium, which have low
resistance.
 The brushes are made of a mixture of copper and carbon, which are highly conductive.
 The cables between battery and motor must be of adequate size for the high current without over
heating or losing voltage.
 The cable must be as short as possible.
 On heavy diesel engines go up to 500 Amps to start the engine, but petrol engines reach 100 to 200
amps during cranking.
 The cranking speed must be as high as 100 – 200 rpm or more depending on engine requirements.
 The use of four brushes instead of two reduces resistance, increasing current flow. The four-brush
design is made in either series or series-parallel wound field windings arrangement.
The starting system circuit

Clutch
(M/T)

Hold-in
winding

Pull-in
winding
 Operation

 When the ignition switch is turned to the start position,

current flows to the solenoid and the two windings will be
energized, since the two windings are connected in parallel.
The magnetic effect in the coil pulls the plunger closing the
battery/motor contacts. When the contacts are closed, the
pull-in winding circuit is short-circuited causing it to be
irrelevant because the current is now earthing through the
motor. The hold-on winding remains operative because
current through this circuit is grounded through the
solenoid casing.
 Pull-in and Hold-on coils

 At this stage, a small current required to hold the solenoid plunger

in the closed position is passed through the hold-on winding.

 With the starter switch closed, current flows from the battery and
passes through the field windings, the insulated brush to the
armature windings and through the earth brush to earth. Current
flowing through the field windings produces magnetic fields,
which move from one pole shoe to the other i.e. North pole to
South pole. And, current flowing through the armature windings
produces magnetic fields around each winding. The interaction of
the two types of magnetic field causes the armature to rotate
with a high torque, starting the engine.