Module 3 Charging system

3.1. Automotive battery – types (only concept).

3.2. Purpose of charging system.
3.3. Operation of charge indicator light circuit.
3.4. General construction & operation of automotive alternator.
3.5. Initial excitation and self-excitation. Cut out Relay.
3.6. Regulation- Voltage and current regulation. Regulator for Alternators.
3.7. Advantage and disadvantages of dynamo and Alternator drives
3.8. Charging system troubleshooting.
Automotive battery – types (only concept).
Our car’s battery is one of its most important components. Without it, as you may know, your car simply
will not start. When you turn the ignition key, the battery fires a burst of electrical energy that puts the
electrical components of the car to work. It converts chemical energy to electrical energy that will power
your car and deliver voltage to its starter and other components.

Different Types of Car Batteries

Reliable
Maintenan Higher electrical pow Non Spillabl Life
Types Starting Safety
ce er demands e Span
Power

Lead Acid Topping up 3-5 Thermally

Yes No No
SLI (NMF) required years Stable

Lead Acid 3-5 Thermally

None Yes No No
SLI years stable

Deep 3-5 Thermally

None Yes Yes Yes
Cycle years Stable

VRLA Gel 3-5 Thermally

None Yes Yes Yes
Cell years Stable

VRLA 3-5 Thermally

None Yes Yes Yes
AGM years Stable

Protection
Lithium
None Yes Yes Yes 8 years Circuit
Ion
mandatory

Sodium Not Non

None Yes Yes Yes
Ion Known Flammable

Not Non
Solid State None Yes Yes Yes
Known Flammable
1. Lead Acid Battery

Lead Acid Battery Diagram

These types of car batteries work with a liquid component that is the electrolyte. Since evaporation is a
factor, they need to be topped up with distilled water from time to time. The newer less maintenance or
zero maintenance car battery types are sealed, contain a semi solid electrolyte and require no topping
up leading to one less maintenance headache for the driver.

There are two versions of the wet cell battery used in car battery types:
SLI Car Battery

SLI Car Battery

The first is an SLI (starting, lighting, ignition) battery which will start your car with a short burst of energy
and also powers the lights and ignition. However, once the car has started, the power that it needs to
keep running is provided by the alternator. Most vehicles have these types of car batteries. The new cars
generally come with a generic SLI battery from the factory.

Deep Cycle Battery

Deep Cycle Battery

The second version is a deep cycle battery which can also be called a marine battery. These types of car
batteries are sealed and will not only last longer but are able to deliver energy over a longer period.
These types of car batteries are designed to be discharged repeatedly without getting ruined (which
would destroy an SLI battery), and can provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time.

.VRLA batteries
A VRLA battery, or valve-regulated lead-acid car battery are among sealed types of car batteries with no
venting of gases. These types of car batteries are ideal for use in small spaces with no ventilation and
since they’re sealed, they can be easily stored. These types of car batteries don’t leak or release
hydrogen gas and are considered the safest wet cell lead-acid car battery types. The only drawback to
these car battery types is that they’re sealed, leaving them unserviceable.

There are two different types of car batteries that are classified as VRLA, the gel cell battery and the
AGM battery:

Gel Cell Battery

Gel Cel
l Battery

Instead of containing a liquid electrolyte like a wet cell battery, these types of car batteries contain a
“gelified” electrolyte. They’re extremely resistant to hot temperatures, spillage, physical shock, and
electrolyte evaporation. These types of car batteries are [Link] batteries function just like wet cell
car battery types, except they’re sealed and dry.

They have a larger cycle life, are maintenance free, have an extended battery life, are safer and
corrosion resistant.
Absorbed Glass Mat Battery

AGM Car Battery

These types of car batteries (AGM batteries) are designed with the electrolyte held in glass mats, as
opposed to freely flooding the plates. The glass mats are very thin fibres

in the battery and are meshed together to form the electrolyte absorbed glass mat. These types of car
batteries work just like wet cell car battery types , without the potential for spilled battery acid.

Lithium Ion Battery

Lithium Ion Battery

These types of car batteries have a high power-to-weight ratio, high energy efficiency, good high-
temperature performance, and low self-discharge. The parts of these types of car batteries are
recyclable making them an effective green option though there is a high cost involved in recovering the
materials.
 Lithiu
m Ion Battery Pack in Electric Vehicle
Most of today’s electric powered vehicles and PHEVs use lithium-ion batteries over different types of car
batteries. Research and development are ongoing to reduce their relatively high cost, extend their
useful life, and address safety concerns in regard to overheating.
[Link] Ion Battery
This is the new standard of car battery types being developed today.
Lithium is an expensive and scarce metal; so is the cobalt that is also used in lithium-ion types of car
batteries. In addition, a huge amount of groundwater is required to produce lithium.
Sodium, on the other hand, is the sixth most plentiful element on the planet and hence is plentiful and
easy to extract.
Sustainability of production, prevention of groundwater loss and safety concerns thus are factors
pushing the development of Sodium ion car battery types.
These types of car batteries are the ones of the future and extensive Research and Development is
underway to make them the industry standard, first by partially complementing Lithium-Ion batteries
and then by replacing them altogether.
Solid State Battery

Solid state car battery in concept electric vehicle

A solid-state battery is among the different types of car batteries. These car battery types use
technology that make use of solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid or polymer gel
electrolytes commonly used in traditional lithium ion types of car batteries.

These are also being developed for electrical cars. Research and Development into them are ongoing.
This is in order to make them more affordable and competent.

Solid-state car battery types promise fast, ubiquitous charging, and enough power to outrun ICE cars.

But the problems inherent in their manufacture and adoption mean that these car battery types will not
be seen in our automobile markets for the next ten years at least.

Different Types of Car Batteries Summary

But, why is all this important to know? If you haven’t noticed yet, your battery is the pulse of your
vehicle. Without it, your car won’t run. The battery also stores a lot of electricity, and if it can’t properly
contain that power it can cause damage to the charging system or starter. Not only does this render
your engine useless, but it also adds to the cost of getting your car up and running again.

Let us say that you sprain your ankle. Your body compensates by shifting more weight to the other foot.
The same thing happens if your battery gets damaged or weak, the alternator and the starter try to take
up the slack to keep the engine going. This leads to the possibility of them malfunctioning as well
because they are withdrawing excess voltage to compensate for the lack of stored energy in the battery.
This not only makes your engine much less efficient, but will also lead to an expensive repair.

And please, do give it a second thought before you have someone jumpstart your battery. If your battery
died on you because of a short in your electrical system, your friend runs the very real risk of having his
own battery getting drained or killed.

Make sure to drive with your vehicle’s health in mind and keep it parked somewhere warm during the
winter and cool in the summer, if possible. The extreme changes in temperature can cause damage and
shorten the life of your battery.

Remember, with all types of car batteries, prevention not reaction is the key.

Purpose of charging system.

The charging system is what keeps your car battery charged. Without the ability to recharge it, your
car battery would die, and your vehicle would not be able to perform crucial functions, including
starting the engine, turning on lights (headlights, interior lights, etc.), viewing and interacting with
screens or simply listening to the radio.

The Parts of a Car Battery Charging System

A battery charging system consists of 4 main parts: the battery, alternator, wiring and electronic
control unit.

1. Battery
Rechargeable, your car’s battery houses the electrical energy to start your car. It also powers all your
vehicle’s electronic systems and functions when the engine is not running. Battery voltage is
measured in Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). Every vehicle has a minimum CCA requirement for proper
function.

2. Alternator
Driven by a belt, your alternator converts the mechanical energy from the engine into electrical
energy, recharging your battery and powering the majority of your car’s electronic components when
the engine is running.
3. Wiring
Wiring provides the path for electricity to flow to different electronic components of your vehicle,
delivering power to them. This includes the dashboard, interactive screens, mechanical seats,
mirrors, windows, lights and more. Wiring also enables the battery to be recharged by the electrical
energy generated by the alternator.

4. Electronic Control Unit (ECU)

The electronic control unit (ECU) is the “brain” of the vehicle, controlling most of your car’s
functions. The ECU detects when your battery needs to be charged and tells the alternator when to
recharge it. Since this computer requires electricity to operate, it’s important to make sure your
entire battery charging system is working properly.

5. Fuse Boxes
Your vehicle has two fuse boxes, one under the hood and one by the driver’s seat. These boxes
contain fuses that fail if amperage gets too high, allowing you to replace a fuse instead of the more
expensive component it was protecting.

Common Battery Charging System Problems

Here are some of the top signs your car’s battery charging system may require service:

 Engine will not start

 Blinking or steady battery light on your dashboard

 All/some electronic components are not working

Want to get your battery and charging system checked? Schedule a charging system check or an
alternator test at your local Big O Tires store today.

3.3. Operation of charge indicator light circuit.

Battery Level Indicator Circuit using LM3914
The main component of this circuit is the LM3914 IC, which can take input analog voltage and
drive ten LEDs in a linear order depending on the voltage of the input analog.

Here’s the best part.

For this circuit, you won’t need to connect resistors in series with the LEDs. Why? Well, the IC is
capable of regulating current on its own. Check out the circuit diagram below:
 Battery Indicator With LM3914 Circuit Diagram

Components Required
For this circuit, you’ll need the following materials:

 LM3914 IC (1)
 SPST switch (1)
 Battery (1)
 LEDs (10) - (3 red, 4 yellow, and 3 green)
 Resistors (2) - (3.75KΩ and 1.25KΩ)
 Few connecting wires
Circuit Design
The LEDs (D1 to D10) show the battery’s capacity in display or dot mode. You can select your
preferred mode via the SW1 (external switch), which you should connect to pin 9 of the IC.
 Battery LED Status

Also, connect pin 6 and 7 to the ground via a resistor. For this reason, the resistor will control
how bright the LEDs will be. Additionally, resistor (R2) and POT RV1 will form a potential divider
circuit. Here, the POT RV1 will handle calibration, so an external power supply isn’t required.

Furthermore, you can use different LED colors to show the battery status. So, connect the red
LEDs (D1 - D3) to show when you have a low battery. Then, connect the green LEDs (D8 - D10) to
show when the battery is 80% or fully charged. While the yellow LEDs will indicate the other
power status. Thus, each LED in this circuit shows a 10% battery level.

How to Test and Use

First, connect the 12v battery to the circuit’s input and adjust the POT RV1 until D1 starts emitting
light.

Next, gradually increase the DC voltage input and watch the LEDs glow. The first LED will shine at
1.2v, while the second will glow at 2.4v. When you reach 12v, all 10 LEDs will light.

However, this circuit only works for small voltages and might need a few tweaks to work
correctly.

3.4. General construction & operation of automotive alternator.

An automotive alternator is a vital part of a vehicle's electrical system that converts mechanical energy
from the engine into electrical energy. It works on the principle of electromagnetic induction, which
requires a conductor, a magnetic field, and mechanical energy.
 What is Alternator?
An alternator is an electrical machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy in the form
is alternating current AC. It is also known as a synchronous generator or AC generator (there are other
types of AC generators). It generates a specific voltage at a specific frequency.
Construction of Synchronous Generator
Unlike DC generator that has rotating armature winding and a stationary magnetic field. The alternator
is made of a stationary armature winding and a rotating magnetic field. The field windings are placed in
the rotor while the armature windings are placed in the stator.
The rotor field windings are connected to an external DC supply with the help of slip rings and brushes.
A prime mover rotates the rotor using a pulley and belt. The rotating rotor generates changing magnetic
field. This varying field generates end in the armature windings and supplies it to the load or circuit
through its terminals.


The different components of the alternator are explained in detail down below.
Components of Alternator or AC Generator
The alternator is made of different stationary and moving components each serving its own purpose.
The components of the alternator are given below
Rotor
The rotor is the rotating part of the alternator. It is made in a cylindrical shape that has copper windings
also known as field winding. The field windings are electromagnets that generate the necessary rotating
magnetic field when rotated. Rotor has a shaft that is rotated using a drive belt pulley system. The
source that rotates the rotor is called a prime mover. It can be anything such as an engine, water
turbine, wind turbine, etc.
There are two types of rotors used in alternators or synchronous generators.
 Salient Pole Type
 Cylindrical Pole Type
Salient Pole Type: it is a type of rotor that has a large number of protruding or projecting poles
mounted on a core made of magnetic laminated steel or cast iron. The term salient refers to protruding
or projecting as shown in the figure below.

The salient poles are made of laminated steel or iron cast of good magnetic properties to reduce the
Eddy current losses. The pole shoes have multiple slots for damper winding that helps in preventing
haunting. The field coils are wounded across the poles and then connected in series. The field coil is
energized by connecting its ends to a separate DC source through a pair of slip rings. The slip ring and
brushes are mounted on the shaft of the rotor.
The salient pole rotor has a large diameter and small axial length. They are used in low and medium-
speed alternators such as in hydropower stations. They are not suitable for high speed due to the
increased windage loss at high speed due to their design (salient poles). Its design does not have enough
mechanical strength to handle high speed.
Cylindrical Type: such type of rotor has very few 2 or 4 poles. It is made up of a laminated steel cylinder.
The cylindrical rotor has slots for field winding that is connected in series. The poles are left unslotted as
shown in the figure below. Since the poles are not protruding out of the core, it is also known as a non-
salient pole or round rotor. it has very few and non-salient poles, therefore its rotor diameter size is
small while its axial length is longer than the salient pole rotor.
The cylindrical design provides mechanical strength, robustness and uniform distribution of magnetic
flux. It has lower windage loss. Therefore it is suitable for high-speed, noise-less operation. They are
designed for high-speed alternators such as in thermal power stations
Stator
A stator is the stationary part of an electrical machine. In an alternator, it is used for holding the
armature winding that generates the induced emf. The core itself is made of laminated steel or cast iron
of good magnetic quality to reduce Eddy current losses. The rotor that carries the field windings rotates
inside the stator without physically touching it.
 On the contrary, the DC generator’s stator holds the magnets to generate the necessary magnetic field.
The alternator’s stationary armature winding has huge advantages over the DC rotating armature as
given below
 Rotary armature requires brushes that have a larger voltage drop at high voltage.
 The fraction and sparks from brushes damage and reduce their life span as well as require
frequency maintenance.
 The stationary armature has no moving parts, thus output current is directly drawn from its
terminal without the brushes and the included losses.
 It is simpler to design and insulate stationary armature winding for high voltages.
 The armature winding can be braced mechanically better to withstand the electromagnetic and
centrifugal forces.
 Small DC voltage can be used to safely energize the rotor field winding using slip rings.
Yoke
The yoke is the outermost part of the alternator that is used to provide mechanical support and protect
the inner parts from environmental conditions that can damage it.
Slip Ring and Brushes
A slip ring is a component that transfers electrical power between stationary and rotating parts of a
machine. In an alternator, it is used to transfer DC power to the rotor field windings from a DC battery
using brushes that slide over the slip ring. It is made of concentric discs placed on the shaft of the rotor.
As it supplies DC, the alternator only requires two slip rings.
The DC current flow through the field winding generating the magnetic field that varies with the rotation
of the rotor.
Diode Rectifier
Diode rectifier is two terminal semiconductor component used for the conversion of alternating current
AC into unidirectional direct current DC. There are 6 diodes used two per phase to convert into smooth
DC. Remember, it is only used in alternators that require DC output such as in automobiles and
submarine
Voltage Regulator
A voltage regulator (AVR) is used to monitor the output of the alternator and adjust its voltage by
adjusting the energizing current to the rotor. The alternator’s output is feedback into the rotor through
the voltage regulator. It maintains constant output voltage regardless of the rotor speed of the
alternator.
Pulley and Belt
A pulley and belt are used to connect the rotor with the prime mover such as the engine or turbine. It
rotates the rotor at high speed to create a varying magnetic field.
Drive End Bearing
Bearing is used to reduce friction and transfer maximum energy to the shaft from the pulley. It enables
smooth rotation.
Working of Alternator
An alternator or synchronous generator works on the principle of the Faraday law of electromagnetic
induction just like in other AC generators. It states that whenever a conductor moves in a magnetic field,
an EMF (electromotive force) or current is induced in the conductor which can be found using the EMF
equation of an alternator. In other words, a conductor placed in a varying magnetic field also
experiences EMF and it is used in alternators.
The direction of the induced current is determined by Fleming’s right-hand rule. If we arrange the
thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the right hand, the thumb direction of motion, the forefinger
represents induced current and the middle finger represents the direction of magnetic field lines.
Therefore, they are all mutually perpendicular.

The conductor is formed into a coil of multiple turns called armature winding. In the alternator, the
armature is stationary. Therefore, it is placed inside the stator. The field windings are used for
 generating a magnetic field. Since the field is moving, field windings are placed inside the rotor. The field
windings are energized through slip rings to form an electromagnet having north and south poles.
The rotor rotates with the help of a prime mover. The magnetic field poles also rotate at the same speed
as the rotor. Thus the varying magnetic flux cuts the armature winding inducing current in the windings.
The induced EMF depends on the alignment of the magnetic field and armature winding. It is maximum
when the armature winding and the magnetic field lines are perpendicular and it is zero when it is in the
same alignment. As the magnetic field rotates, the output swings between zero and maximum as in
alternating current AC.
The stator has separate armature windings for each phase placed at exactly 120° displacement.
Therefore the induced EMF is 120° apart as in a 3-phase alternating current as shown below.

The frequency of the induced EMF depends on the speed as well as the number of poles. It is given by
f = NP/120
Where
 f = frequency of induced EMF
 N = rotor speed in RPM
 P = number of poles

3.5. Initial excitation and self-excitation. Cut out Relay.

Here's some information about initial excitation and self-excitation in alternators, as well as the cut out
relay for loss of excitation:
 Self-excitation: Self-excitation is a type of excitation system that uses a permanent magnet to
create a field that rotates the rotor. Self-excitation alternators are electric motors that use self-
generated electricity to power the machine.
 Shunt or self-excited excitation system: This system is standard on many AC alternators and
takes power for the AVR from the main stator winding. However, this method can cause the terminal
voltage to dip when loads are applied to the alternator.
 Loss of excitation (LOE) protection: The most commonly used relay for LOE protection is the
mho based relay.
Here are some other things to know about excitation systems:
 The excitation system provides the required field current to the rotor in a synchronous
machine.
 The excitation system produces the required flux by passing current in the field winding.
 The control system that regulates field current is called the excitation control system (ECS).
 The output of a generator is usually controlled by controlling the current in the generator's
field.
 Various excitation systems are possible, and all usually include some system of sensing and
controlling the generator output voltage

3.6. Regulation- Voltage and current regulation. Regulator for Alternators.

ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE REGULATION

Voltage Regulators

The purpose of automatic regulator equipment is to:

1. Control the system voltage within prescribed limits.
2. Regulate the division of reactive power shared between machines running in parallel.
3. Control the field circuit closely to keep the machine in synchronism with the system when operating at near unity or
leading power factor.
4. Boost the excitation under system fault conditions to keep the machine in synchronization with the system.

Voltage regulators serve the purpose of automatically controlling the terminal voltage of the generating machine. It’s important to
note that AC machines inherently possess a higher internal reactance in comparison to DC machines. To achieve this voltage
control, most regulators incorporate magnetic amplifying components.

The output voltage can only be maintained approximately constant, and this regulation is determined by two key measurements:
 Load regulation, which signifies the change in output voltage for a given change in load current.
 Line regulation, or input regulation, denotes the extent to which the output voltage varies in response to changes in the
input (supply) voltage, expressed as a ratio of output change to input change.

 Initiating DC field. Enhancing the field strength results in higher AC output voltage, while reducing the DC field strength
lowers the output voltage. As the generator load grows, it becomes necessary to increase the field strength to maintain a
steady output voltage.
 

Restoration of Voltage as a Function of Response Time

 [Link]
3.7. Advantage and disadvantages of dynamo and Alternator drives
For same output, the alternator is much smaller in size as compared to dynamo.
For same current output the alternator is lighter weight.
Alternator can produce more current output at low, engine speeds, even at idling. But dynamo can’t do that.
Alternator requires lesser maintenance It is more reliable No cut-out unit is required in alternator.
Maximum driving speed of alternator is comparatively higher (20000 rpm) than dynamo (9000 rpm).
Alternator requires smaller size of driving pulley as compared to dynamo.
3.8. Charging system troubleshooting.

Alternator Output test

1. Start vehicle and adjust engine speed to approximately 2,000RPM.

2. Check voltage at alternator and at battery voltage should be between 13 and 15 volts.
3. Turn on vehicle loads (headlights, blower motor, defrosters) and repeat test.
4. Refer to vehicle service manual for correct specifications.
[Link]