Automotive Electrical Systems Charging system

Lecture by : Jagwant Singh Assistant Professor Department of Automobile Engineering Gulzar College of Engineering , Khanna

Principle of generation of direct current

Whenever a conductor cuts magnetic flux, dynamically induced e.m.f. is produced in it according to Faraday's Law's of Electromagnetic Induction. This e.m.f. causes a current to flow if the conductor circuit is closed. the basic essential parts of an electric generator are :
1. 2.

A magnetic field A conductor or conductors which can cut the magnetic flux.

Basic DC machine is that of commutator type, i.e. it is an AC machine furnished with a commutator such that it converts the AC to DC. In this respect we can say that the commutator segments act as mechanical rectifiers.

The charging system must meet the following criteria:

Supply the current demands made by all loads. Supply whatever charge current the battery demands. Operate at idle speed. Supply constant voltage under all conditions.

Should be efficient.
Require low maintenance.

Shunt Generator

A shunt generator is a method of generating electricity in which field winding and armature winding are connected in parallel, and in which the armature supplies both the load current and the field current. A direct current (DC) generator, not using a permanent magnet, requires a DC field current.

The field may be separately excited by a source of DC, or may be connected to the armature of the generator so that the generator also provides the energy required for the field current.

Externally Grounded Field Vs. Internally Grounded Field

Armature reaction in a DC Generator

In a DC machine, the main field is produced by field coils. In both the generating and motoring modes, the armature carries current and a magnetic field is established, which is called the armature flux. The effect of armature flux on the main field is called the armature reaction.

Cutout Relay

Sometimes called the circuit breaker, this device is a magnetic "make-andbreak" switch. It connects the generator to the battery circuit when the generator's voltage builds up to the desired value. It disconnects the generator when it slows down or stops. The relay has an iron core that is magnetized to pull down a hinged armature. When the armature is pulled down a set of contact points closes and the circuit is completed. When the magnetic field is broken (like when the generator slows down or stops) a spring pulls the armature up, breaking the contact points.

Voltage Regulator

The voltage regulator keeps the voltage at a constant value and therefore controls the output in accordance with the requirements of the battery and any accessories operating. When the battery is low or power consuming items such as headlights are on, the generator output is near maximum. But when the demand for power is very low, the voltage regulator limits the generator output so as to protect the battery from over charging and protect the electrical system from high damaging voltages.

Voltage Regulator

When the points are closed the field circuit takes the "easy" route to ground but when the points are open the field circuit must pass through the resistor to get to ground.
When the generator is operating (battery low or a number of devices running) its voltage may stay below that for which the control is set. Since the flow of current will be too weak to pull the armature down the generator field will go to ground through the points. However, if the system is fully charged the generator voltage will increase until it reaches the maximum limit and current flow through the shunt coil will be high enough to pull the armature down and separate the points.

Current Regulator

Even though the generator's voltage is controlled it is possible for its current to run too high. This would overheat the generator, so a current regulator is incorporated to prevent premature failure. Similar in appearance to the voltage regulator's iron core, the current regulator's core is wound with a few turns of heavy wire and connected in series with the generator's armature.

In operation, current flow increases to the predetermined setting of the unit. At this time, current flow through the heavy wire windings will cause the core to draw the armature down, opening the current regulator points. In order to complete the circuit the field circuit must pass through a resistor. This lowers current output, points close, output increases, points open, output down, points close, and so on. The points, therefore, vibrate open and closed much as the voltage regulator's points do, many times every second.

THIRD BRUSH Regulator

This type of generator uses three brushes instead of two. As a way of controlling the generator output, the field circuit is connected so the current sent to the field coil windings is taken off of the commutator by this third brush. The third brush is laced between the two main brushes and is adjustable. The closer the third brush is to the main brush, the more output the generator will have. And as you have figured out by now, the further away from the main brush the third brush is moved, the less output the generator will have. This third brush system works similarly to a voltage regulator. When the third brush is moved away from the main brush, the current to the field windings is reduced and the output drops. Third brush generators were used a lot on farm tractors and cars of the early days. The advantage was that they did not need a voltage regulator. In car, for instance, when you turned on the lights at night, you also turned up the third brush in the generator to increase the output. The Disadvantage side was if you forgot to return the third rush to its original setting the next morning, it would overcharge during the day and boil all of the water out of he battery.

Third Brush Regulator

Dynamo

A dynamo is an electrical generator that produces direct current with the use of a commutator. Dynamos were the first electrical generators capable of delivering power for industry, and the foundation upon which many other later electric-power conversion devices were based, including the electric motor, the alternating-current alternator, and the rotary converter. Today, the simpler alternator dominates large scale power generation, for efficiency, reliability and cost reasons. A dynamo has the disadvantages of a mechanical commutator. Also, converting alternating to direct current using power rectification devices

Alternator

Without a commutator, a dynamo becomes an alternator, which is a synchronous singly fed generator. Alternators produce alternating current with a frequency that is based on the rotational speed of the rotor and the number of magnetic poles. Automotive alternators produce a varying frequency that changes with engine speed, which is then converted by a rectifier to DC. By comparison, alternators used to feed an electric power grid are generally operated at a speed very close to a specific frequency, For the benefit of AC devices that regulate their speed and performance based on grid frequency. Some devices such as incandescent lamps and ballast-operated fluorescent lamps do not require a constant frequency, but synchronous motors such as in electric wall clocks do require a constant grid frequency.

Principle of working

Alternators generate electricity using the same principle as DC generators, namely, when the magnetic field around a conductor changes, a current is induced in the conductor. Typically, a rotating magnet, called the rotor turns within a stationary set of conductors wound in coils on an iron core, called the stator. The field cuts across the conductors, generating an induced EMF (electromotive force), as the mechanical input causes the rotor to turn. The rotating magnetic field induces an AC voltage in the stator windings. Often there are three sets of stator windings, physically offset so that the rotating magnetic field produces a three phase current, displaced by one-third of a period with respect to each other. The rotor's magnetic field may be produced by induction (as in a "brushless" alternator), by permanent magnets (as in very small machines), or by a rotor winding energized with direct current through slip rings and brushes. The rotor's magnetic field may even be provided by stationary field winding, with moving poles in the rotor. Automotive alternators invariably use a rotor winding,[citation needed] which allows control of the alternator's generated voltage by varying the current in the rotor field winding. Permanent magnet machines avoid the loss due to magnetizing current in the rotor, but are restricted in size, due to the cost of the magnet material. Since the permanent magnet field is constant, the terminal voltage varies directly with the speed of the generator. Brushless AC generators are usually larger machines than those used in automotive applications. An automatic voltage control device controls the field current to keep output voltage constant. If the output voltage from the stationary armature coils drops due to an increase in demand, more current is fed into the rotating field coils through the voltage regulator (VR). This increases the magnetic field around the field coils which induces a greater voltage in the armature coils. Thus, the output voltage is brought back up to its original value. Alternators used in central power stations may also control the field current to regulate reactive power and to help stabilize the power system against the effects of momentary faults.

Brushless alternators

A brushless alternator is composed of two alternators built end-to-end on one shaft. Smaller brushless alternators may look like one unit but the two parts are readily identifiable on the large versions. The larger of the two sections is the main alternator and the smaller one is the exciter. The exciter has stationary field coils and a rotating armature (power coils). The main alternator uses the opposite configuration with a rotating field and stationary armature. A bridge rectifier, called the rotating rectifier assembly, is mounted on a plate attached to the rotor. Neither brushes nor slip rings are used, which reduces the number of wearing parts. The main alternator has a rotating field as described above and a stationary armature (power generation windings). Varying the amount of current through the stationary exciter field coils varies the 3-phase output from the exciter. This output is rectified by a rotating rectifier assembly, mounted on the rotor, and the resultant DC supplies the rotating field of the main alternator and hence alternator output. The result of all this is that a small DC exciter current indirectly controls the output of the main alternator.

Brushless alternators

Bridge Rectifiers

A bridge circuit is a type of electrical circuit in which two circuit branches (usually in parallel with each other) are "bridged" by a third branch connected between the first two branches at some intermediate point along them. A diode bridge Rectifier is an arrangement of four (or more) diodes in a bridge circuit configuration that used for conversion of an alternating current (AC) input into a direct current (DC) output.