Ignition System

Introduction

Ignition System, as the name describes is a system that is responsible for the ignition or in the context of an automobile it we will interpret it as a system that is used to generate a spark.

This spark so generated as in for a gasoline engine and heating up of an electrode as in the case of diesel engine is responsible to carry out the combustion chamber and can be considered as the very starting point for and engine.

The application of the ignition system is not merely just for in the case of the automobiles, rather this very system is used and finds its application in nearly all sort of system where the combustion process takes, for instance in Rockets, Aircrafts, and etc.

Now, you must be wondering that why is there a case that a spark in the case of a gasoline engine and a heating rod in the case of the diesel engines.

The answer to this is that, Spark Engines or Gasoline engines uses gasoline as a fuel and because of the reason that gasoline fuels have high ignition temperatures ie they burn in a quite high range of temperature, so in order to achieve high temperature ranges, a spark is created from a 12V battery through a process able to generate 20000volts for the spark that makes it possible for the gasoline to burn.

On the other hand, the diesel as a fuel burns at a comparatively lower temperature and thus a simple heated rod is enough to initiate the combustion process.

Main Components

• Battery
• Ignition Switch Coil
• Contact Points
• Condenser
• Distributor
• Sparking Plugs and Cables

Battery

As self explanatory, it is the very initial source to any ignition system. Usually a 12V battery is employed in a conventional passenger cars.

Ignition Switch Coils

The ignition coil is generally employed in the engine cabin near the distributor and functions well to transfer the electric input from the 12V battery into a 20000V (approx.) output spark source.

Contact Points

These are nothing special components, just a contact establishing and a medium for the electricity to pass entity.

Distributor

The distributor is a major mechanical component to an automobile. It is located in the engine cabin and constitutes a central shaft powered from the cam shaft and rotates half the rotation of the cam shaft.

It functions as the central shaft rotates it establishes a new closed circuit with each succeeding contact point each for separate spark plugs, thus the timing, order all for each spark plug depends upon the distributor.

Spark Plugs

The Spark plugs are the last component to an ignition system of an automobile. They produces a spark to ignite the fuel in the combustion chamber that succeeds as a combustion process, thus producing the power.

These spark plugs are are situated at the top center of a cylinder.

Types of Ignition Systems

Magneto Systems/Mechanical Ignition System

These are the simplest form of an ignition system.

It uses a magnet that is coupled to the crankshaft and as the crank shaft rotates, the magnet surrounded by the coils also rotates, thus introducing the flux and the electricity to power the spark plugs is generated.

This type of system is usually employed in to wheelers.

Electronic Ignition System

This system is somewhat to the mechanical Ignition System but the difference is that they uses electronic timing devices instead of ignition points.

Distributor less Ignition System

In this system, the applicated of the distributor is completely waived off and rely on vehicle’s internal computer instead.

Originally published at https://www.carengineered.com on October 19, 2020.