Experiment-5

Aim: Study of fuel injection systems.

Ignition Circuit and System: The purpose of an ignition system is to provide a spark that will
ignite the air-and-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. The spark must be timed to occur at
a precise point relative to the position of the piston as it reaches top dead center (TDC) on the
engine’s compression stroke.

For running a gasoline engine, the compressed mixture of air and petrol needs to be ignited in
the cylinder with the help of spark. The spark is provided by the spark plug. In order to create a
spark in the spark plug very high voltage is required (up to 40,000 Volts). Ignition coil provides
this high voltage to the spark plug.

Basically Conventional Ignition systems are of two types:

(a) Magneto Ignition System, and

(b) Battery or Coil Ignition System.

Magneto Ignition System: The most basic form of an ignition system is the magneto. Although
it was one of the first styles built, it remains in use today. A basic magneto consists of a hub
containing magnets which are attached to the crankshaft. As the crankshaft turns these
magnets spin past a primary coil of wire to produce a current similar to a generator. The faster
the engine runs the more power is generated by the magneto. A set of contact points, with a
condenser to reduce contact arc wear, switches the current on and off in the primary coil. This
process induces a pulse of a few hundred volts into a secondary coil each time the contacts
open. The secondary coil has a much higher number of wire turns (typical ratio of 100:1) which
acts to multiply the voltage into tens of thousands of volts to produce a spark. The points are
activated by a lobe on the crankshaft to produce the spark at the right time (ignition timing).
Newer type magnetos use electronic controls instead of points and can offer better timing
control. Since magnetos generate their own electricity they are suitable for products that do not
have room to carry and recharge batteries, such as motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws,
outboard motors etc. The schematic of magneto ignition system is shown in Fig.I-1.

Battery Ignition System: It is generally used in four wheelers, but now-a-days it is more
commonly used in two wheelers also like like Pulsar, Kinetic Honda; Honda-Activa, Scooty, etc.
In this case 6 V or 12 V batteries will supply necessary current in the primary winding as shown
in Fig.I-2.

The ignition system can be divided into 2-circuits:

(i) Primary Circuit: It consists of 6 or 12 V battery, ammeter, ignition switch, primary winding,
contact breaker and capacitor.

(ii) Secondary Circuit: It consists of secondary winding, bottom end of which is connected to
bottom end of primary and top end of secondary winding is connected to spark plug which is
fitted in cylinder head. In case there is more than one cylinder, distributer is required and the
secondary winding is connected to the centre of distributor rotor which rotate and make contacts
with contact points and are connected to spark plugs which are fitted in cylinder heads.

Working: When the ignition switch is closed and engine in cranked, as soon as the contact
breaker closes, a low voltage current will flow through the primary winding.
When the contact breaker opens the contact, the magnetic field begins to collapse. Because of
this collapsing magnetic field, current will be induced in the secondary winding and voltage may
reach up to 40000 volts (the value may vary with the manufacturer and model of the
motorcycle/vehicle) which is enough to jump the gap in the spark plug.

One main advantage of this type of ignition over a magneto is that it can produce strong sparks
at low rpm as it doesn't rely on a generator as a primary power source. A condenser used in the
circuit limit the arc current across the points reducing wear. The condenser also helps in
discharging the coil faster allowing the magnetic field to more fully transfer into the secondary.
Engines having more cylinders, a distributor is required to distribute the spark to the correct
cylinder.

Fig.I-2 shows a simplified drawing of a basic ignition system. The main components of the
system are: (1) Power source (2) Ignition coil (3) Spark plug and spark plug wire (4) Triggering
switch (breaker point and condenser) and (5) Ignition switch. All ignition systems contain these
components.

Ignition Coil: The ignition coil is a simple device essentially a high-voltage transformer made
up of two coils of wire. One coil of wire is called the primary coil. The primary winding of the
ignition coil is wound with a small number of turns and has a small resistance. Wrapped around
it is the secondary coil. The secondary coil normally has hundreds of times more turns of wire
than the primary coil.

Current from the battery flows to the primary winding of the ignition coil. The secondary coil has
a much larger number of turns and therefore acts as a step-up transformer. The ignition coil is
designed to produce a large voltage spike when the current in the primary coil is interrupted.
Since the induced secondary voltage is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic field
through it, opening a switch quickly in the primary circuit to drop the current to zero will generate
a large voltage in the secondary coil. The large voltage causes a spark across the gap of the
sparkplug to ignite the fuel mixture. The ignition coil is shown in Fig.I-3.

Ignition Coil Resistance Check

1. Remove all the wires from the ignition coil.

2. Set the meter for ohms, and measure across the plus (+) and minus (-) terminals. It
should be between 1.5 and 2.0 ohms. Measure from each terminal to the coil's case
also. The meter should not read anything here.
3. Measure from the coil's minus (-) to the central high tension terminal. It should be
several thousand ohms, and at least 4,000 minimum (normally 10,000 to 11,000
ohms). If it measures more than 40,000, the coil is bad. (unless it's a special high
output coil) Measure from the terminal to the coil's case also. The meter should not
read anything.
The resistance check is shown in Fig.I-4 .

Ignition Coil Bench Test:

1. Disconnect the ignition coil output wire connected to spark plug.

2. Connect a new spark plug to the end of the ignition coil output wire which you just
disconnected.
3. Connect a ground wire to the threaded portion of the spark plug.
4. Disconnect the ignition coil ground wire from the negative terminal on the coil (green wire,
the colour may be differ with make).
5. Connect one end of a ground wire to the ignition coil negative terminal.
6. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position.
7. Tap the other end of the ignition coil ground wire jumper on an good grounding point (for
example the battery negative terminal) and look for sparks at the spark plug that correspond
to the frequency of your tapping of the ground wire.
8. If you have a good spark at the spark plug, the ignition coil is good.
9. If you don't get a good spark, check for approximately 12V DC from the coil positive terminal
(black wire) to ground with the ignition switch in the ON position. You should also get
approximately 12 VDC from the coil negative terminal (Green wire) to ground
Spark Plug: An internal combustion engine requires three key ingredients to operate: air, fuel
and spark. A spark plug is a critical engine component which provides the spark, ignites the air-
fuel mixture that drives an engine. The spark plug also removes heat from the combustion
chamber by acting as a heat exchanger.

A spark plug operates by directing electrical current to flow through a centre electrode,
forming a spark across an electrode (or air) gap, completing the circuit to a ground
electrode. The centre electrode is surrounded by a ceramic insulator which is non-
conductive preventing current leakage and ensuring electricity flows in the desired
direction. The spark plug is shown in Fig.I-5.

Testing of Spark Plug with Multimeter:

Testing of the spark plug involve checking continuity and resistance of centre electrode
and its short circuit with ground.
 Remove the spark plug using spark plug socket and a ratchet or box spanner. It is
important to do this with the engine cold.
 Clean the spark plug thoroughly including carbon deposits, threads and electrodes. Inspect
the plug for mechanical damage, pitting of electrode points and in case of any fault replace
it.
 Connect test leads to the multimeter by plugging them into the jacks.
 Set your multimeter to the "Ohms" position.
 Touch the test leads together. The meter should read zero Ohms.
 Move the test leads apart. The meter should read infinite. Note the reading.
 Adjust the multimeter to the lowest ohm setting. Touch one probe of the meter to the center
electrode of the plug and the other probe to the threads of spark plug. The multimeter
should read infinity. If there is any reading or any resistance, the plug is faulty and should be
replaced.
 Touch one side of the middle electrode of the spark plug with one probe of the multimeter
and the other side of the plug with the other probe. Record the resistance reading, it should
be according to the manufacturers specifications. In case the resistance is more, the spark
plug is faulty and should be replaced.
Capacitors: Capacitors also called condensers stores electric power just like a battery. It
consists of two metal plates placed near each other and separated by insulating material such
as paper. Capacitors used in the ignition system are usually two long strips of aluminum foil
about 25 mm wide sandwiched between layers of waxed paper, rolled up and placed in a metal
case. One plate is connected to the case and the other to a lead out wire.

Capacitor is used in the ignition system with ignition coil and breaker point as shown in Fig.I-6.
Each time the breaker points closes, current flows through them. When the breaker points move
apart a spark occurs between them, which needs to be controlled to prevent burning or pitting of
points. Burnt points reduce the output voltage of the coil. Therefore, a condenser is used to
control the current as it flows through the breaker points. A condenser absorbs the current and
stores it like a miniature battery. In an ignition circuit, the condenser is connected across or
parallel to the breaker points. As the breaker points begin to separate, the condenser absorbs
the current created by the collapsing magnetic field around the primary winding of the coil so
that it can’t jump between the points and make a spark. When the circuit is broken by the points,
the condenser releases its charge back into the primary circuit.

Testing capacitor: Check the capacitor as follows:

1. Disconnect the capacitor lead, and remove the capacitor out from its place.
2. Insert the black test lead in the COM jack and red test lead in the capacitance function jack
of the multimeter.
3. Hold one test lead to the capacitor case and the other to the terminal. (See Fig.I-7 ).
4. A typical range of good readings would be .015 µF to .030 µF (micro farad). A reading of OL
(overload) in the capacitance function means the capacitor is shorted.
5. A very low capacitance reading probably means the capacitor is open.
6. If your multimeter does not have the capacitance function, use ohms function.
7. This test is best performed with the capacitor removed from the engine.
8. With the black test lead in the COM jack and red test lead in the ohm function. Start by
shorting the capacitor by touching the lead to the case.
9. Touch one probe to the lead and one to the case. Watch the meter reading as the capacitor
charges up. A reading of OL in the ohms function means the capacitor is not leaking or
shorted, i.e., it’s probably good.
10. Now reverse the test leads and repeat the test. The results should be the same.

11.
Breaker Points

Breaker points are mechanical contacts that are used to stop and start the flow of current
through the ignition coil. The points are usually made of tungsten, a hard metal and high
resistance to heat. One breaker point is fixed, and the other point is movable and is mounted on
a spring-loaded arm to hold the points together as shown in Fig.I-8.

When the two breaker points touch, the ignition circuit is completed and the primary winding of
the ignition coil is energized. When the points are apart it opens the circuit and the flow of
current stops. Each time the breaker points move apart, the spark plug fires. The movable
breaker point is moved to the open position by a turning cam with multiple lobes.

Testing of Breaker Points: Refer to the Fig.I-9 and note that the points are in parallel with the
primary coil. When the points are open the resistance across the coil and points in parallel will
be about 1.0Ω (the coil’s wire resistance). When the points (with clean contacts) are closed the
resistance will fall to a value of 0.1 to 0.2 Ω . Any oil or corrosion on the point contact surfaces
will raise the resistance and reduce the primary coil current. Measure the contact resistance as
follows:

1. Adjust the multimeter in the Ω function and touch the probe tips tightly together to obtain a
reference reading with the tips shorted. The reading should show between 0.0 and 0.3
ohms. This is reference reading.
2. Place the probe tips on opposite sides of the point contacts when the points are in the
closed position. The meter should read 0.1Ω greater than the reference reading.
3. Higher readings indicate contaminations on the contact surfaces or the surfaces are pitted.
Clean the point surfaces and check the resistance again. If the contact surfaces are pitted,
replace the points.

Comparison between Battery and Magneto Ignition System

Battery Ignition Magneto Ignition

Battery is a must No battery needed.

Battery supplies current in primary circuit. Magneto produces the required current for
primary circuit

A good spark is available at low speedalso. During starting the quality of spark is poor
due to slow speed.

Occupies more space. Very much compact

Recharging is a must in case battery gets No such arrangement required.

discharged.

Mostly employed in car and bus for which it is Used on motorcycles, scooters, etc.
required to crank the engine.

Battery maintenance is required. No battery maintenance problems.

Electronic Ignition Systems

There are many drawbacks of the conventional ignition system which include pitting of contact
breaker points, poor starting after some time, poor performance at high engine speed due to
inertia effects of moving part, fouled spark plugs etc.

To enhance the efficiency of the ignition system and trouble free working of the system,
electronic ignition systems have become more common in the present motorcycles. In
these systems there are no moving parts, in more advanced fully electronic system
contact breaker points are not required (In the simplest inductive discharge system and
the transistor-assisted contacts (TAC) type, there is also a normal contact breaker.), life
of the spark plug increases by more than 50%, better combustion of air fuel mixture is
achieved in addition to more fuel efficiency and more power output.
Type of Electronic Ignition Systems: These are as below:-

(a) Capacitance Discharge Ignition system (CDI)

(b) Transistorized system

(c) Piezo-electric Ignition system

(d) The Texaco Ignition system

The CDI and Transistorized systems are more common.

Capacitance Discharge Ignition System (CDI): It mainly consists of battery, ignition switch,
DC to DC convertor, charging resistance, tank capacitor, silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), SCR-
triggering device, step up transformer and spark plugs as shown in the Fig.I-10. The battery is
connected to DC to DC converter through the ignition switch, which is designed to increase the
voltage to 250-350 volts.

This high voltage is used to charge the tank capacitor (or condenser) through the charging
resistance. The charging resistance controls the required current in the SCR. Depending on the
firing order the SCR triggering device, sends a pulse, and the current flowing through the
primary winding is stopped, and collapses the magnetic field. This collapsing magnetic field
induces or step up high voltage current in the secondary, and produces a spark in the spark
plug.

Transistor Assisted Ignition system (TAC): The TAC system uses a power transistor to
switch the low-tension current to the coil. When the breaker points are connected to the
transistor, as shown in Fig.I-11, it nearly eliminates arcing across them since the current flow
is small (about one-half ampere). However, the current flow in the primary windings of the coil is
about 6 amperes. This amount is enough to saturate the coil completely at high engine speeds,
and results in a higher output to the secondary circuit. Therefore, the transistor ignition system
is superior to the conventional system at high engine speeds because there is less arcing
across the breaker points and higher and steadier voltage in the secondary circuit.

Fig 1-11: Transistor Assisted Ignition system (TAC)