Lecture-16

Pre

QIP-CD

Internal Combustion
Engine

Ujjwal K S
Department of Mechanical E

Indian Institute of Technology

Introduction
The combustion in a spark ignit engine is
initiated by an electri discharge across the
electrodes of spark plug, which usually
0

occurs from to 30 before TDC depending

upon chamber geometry and operat
conditions.

The ignition system provides a spar sufficient

intensity to ignite the air-mixture at the

predetermined positio the engine cycle under

all speeds load conditions.

Introduction contd.

In a four-stroke, four cylinder eng operating at

3000 rpm, individual cylind require a spark at
every second revolut and this necessitates the
frequency of f to be (3000/2) x 4 = 6000 sparks
per min or 100 sparks per second. This shows t
there is an extremely short interval of t
between fring impulses.

Introduction contd.
The internal combustion engines not capable
of starting by themselv Engines ftted in
trucks, tractors and ot industrial applications
are usu cranked by a small starting engine or
compressed air.
Automotive engines are usu cranked by a
small electric motor, wh is better known as a
starter motor, simply a starter. The starter
motor for and CI engines operates on the sa
principle as a direct current elec motor.

Ignition System -Requirements

It should provide a good spark betwe electrodes of
the plugs at the correct timing

The duration of the spark must be long e with

sufficient energy to ensure that ignition mixture
has a high chance of occurring
The system must distribute this high volta each
of the spark plugs at the exact ti every cycle, i.e.,
it must have in it a distri device

It should function efficiently over the range of

engine speed
It should be light, effective and relia service

Glow plug ignition

One of the early ignition system empl was the
glow plug ignition used in s kinds of simple
engines like model aircr

A glow plug is a coil of nichrome wire will glow

red hot when an electric curr passed through
it. This ignites the ai mixture upon contact.
The coil is electri activated from engine
starting, and on runs, it will retain sufficient
residual he each stroke due to heat generated

o previous stroke. Glow plugs are also us aid

starting of diesel engines.

Contact ignition
The other method used was the cont ignition.
It consisted of a copper or br rod that
protruded into the cylinder, a was heated
using an external sour Heat conduction kept
the end of the r hot, and ignition takes place
when t combustible mixture comes into
contact. Naturally this was very ineffici as the
fuel would not be ignited in controlled
manner. This type arrangement was quickly
superseded spark ignition.

Modern ignition systems

The development of high speed, compression
internal combustion en requires a reliable
high-speed ign system. This is met by a hightension ign system that uses a spark plug as
the so of ignition. The electrical energy to the
s plug is supplied by one of the follo systems
and is termed accordingly.

Battery ignition system

Magneto ignition system

Electronic ignition system

Battery ignition system

Coil
Secondary

winding

ignition
Primary
Distributor contacts
switch

winding

1
Ammeter
Contact

breaker

capacitor

Distributor
Spark p

Contact-breaker

Battery

operating cam

Battery ignition system

The primary circuit consists of the bat

ammeter, ignition switch, primary winding,
capacitor, and breaker points. functions of
these components are:

Battery

: provides the power to run the system

Ignition switch

: allows the driver to turn the system on a

Primary coil

: produces the magnetic feld to cre

high voltage in the secondary coil

Breaker points

: a mechanical switch that acts

triggering mechanism
Capacitor : protects the points from burning out

Battery ignition system

The secondary circuit converts mag induction into
high voltage electricity to across the spark plug gap,
fring the mixture a right time. The functions of the
components ar

Secondary
: the part of the coil that creates the high
coil
electricity
Coil wire
: a highly insulated wire to take the high vol

the distributor cap

Distributor
: a plastic cap which goes on top of the dis
cap
to hold the high tension wires in the right ord
Rotor
: spins around on the top of the distributo
and distributes the spark to the right spark pl
Spark

plug

: another highly insulated wire that takes t

leads
voltage from the cap to the plugs
Spark plugs
: take the electricity from the wires, and gi

air gap in the combustion chamber to jump

to light the mixture

Magneto ignition system

The high powered, high speed s ignition

engines like aircraft, sports racing cars use
magneto ignition sys The basic components of
a magneto ign system consist of a magneto,
breaker po capacitor, ignition switch,
distributor, s plug leads, and spark plugs.
Magneto can either be rotating arma type or
rotating magneto type. In the for the armature
consisting of the primary secondary windings
all rotate between poles of a stationary

magneto, while in second type, the magneto

revolves and windings are kept stationary.

Magneto ignition system

(with rotating magnets)
Distributor
Spark plugs

Coil

Cam

Primary winding Secondary winding

Rotating magnet (two-pole)

Contact- breaker

Ignition

Capacitor

switch

Electric Circuit

Uses a changing magnetic feld to generate

current in primary and secondary circuits

Magnetic Flux

As magnet approaches, induces magnetic

flux in armature

Breaker points close and current

dissipates through primary circuit

Spark Fires

After magnet rotates past armature flux

reverses direction, and the breaker
points open
Change in magnetic flux produces 170
volts in primary circuit
Induces 10,000 volts in secondary
circuit, fring spark plug

Breaker Points

Crankshaft rota causes mecha

actuation of br

Electronic ignition system

The disadvantage of the mechanic system is

that it requires regu adjustment to
compensate for wear, a the opening of the
contact breake which is responsible for spark
timing, subject to mechanical variations.

In addition, the spark voltage is al dependent

on contact effectivene and poor sparking may

lower the engi efficiency. Electronic ignition

system h solved these problems.

Electronic ignition system

Ignition coil
Electronic

control unit
Switch
Spark pl

2
Sensor coil
3

Battery
4
Armature
Distributor

Electronic ignition system contd.

In this system, the contact breaker po are

replaced by an angular sensor of so kind - either
optical, where a vaned r breaks a light beam, or
more commo using a hall effect sensor, which
respond a rotating magnet mounted on a suita
shaft.

The sensor output processed by a suitab circuitry

is then used to trigger a switchi device such as a

thyristor, which switches large flow of current

through the coil.

Electronic ignition system contd.

The rest of the system (distributor and sp plugs)

remains the same as that of mechanical system.
The lack of moving p compared with the mechanical
system le to greater reliability and longer serv
intervals. In some older cars, it was usu possible to
retroft an electronic ignition syst in place of the
mechanical one.
Ignition coil
Electronic

control unit

Switch
Spark plugs

Sensor coil
3

Battery
4

Armature
Distributor

Spark Plugs

The spark plug ignites the

air-fuel mixture inside the
cylinder. This occurs when
high voltage, triggered at
precisely the right
instant, bridges the gap
between the center and
the ground electrodes. It

also provides a
secondary
purpose of
helping to
channel some
heat away from
the cylinder.

Terminal

Shell

Insulator
Reach
Electrode

Gr
ele

A
cold
plug

has the advantage of quicker heat

transfer. It has a shorter insulator,
and thereby allowing heat to
travel a shorter distance.

A hot plug has a longer insulator,

and therefore, heat travel path
from fring tip to electrode is
longer. This enables it to operate
at higher temperature to
compensate for the cooler
running engine.

(a) Cold

(b) Hot p

Firing Order
Firing order indicates the sequence order in
which the fring impulses occur multi-cylinder
spark ignition engine. I chosen to give a
uniform torque, hence a uniform distribution of
fring revolution of the engine.

This is naturally dictated by the eng design,

the cylinder arrangement and crankshaft
design. The fring order be s that there must

always be a pro balance so as to minimize the

eng vibration.

Firing Order

As for example, in a four-stroke, fo cylinder

engine, the fring or the ignitio all the
cylinders has to be complete two revolutions
0

of the crankshaft. crank throws at 180 , the

cylinders 1 4 will reach TDC at the same
0

time. No the fring interval is made by 180 ,

fring in cylinder-1 cannot be followed
cylinder-4. For the same reason, the fr of
cylinder-2 cannot be followed cylinder-3. As

such, the possi sequence is 1-2-4-3 or 1-3-42.

Firing Order
Consider another example of fo stroke, sixcylinder inline engine, whe cranks are set at
0

120 , and with t cylinders 1-6, 2-5 and 3-4

will reach T simultaneously. Here, the possib
sequence is 1-5-3-6-2-4 or 1-4-2-6-3 For
radial engines, the cylinders a usually
numbered consecutively. Th for a sevencylinder radial engine, t sequence is
1,3,5,7,2,4,6.

References
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Eastop TD, and McConkey A, (1993), Applied Thermodynam

Technologists, Addison Wisley.
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Web Resources
http://www.mne.psu.edu/simpson/courses
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http://www.howstuffworks.com
http://www.me.psu.edu
http://www.uic.edu/classes/me/ me429/lecture-air-cyc-web%5B1

http://www.osti.gov/fcvt/HETE2004/Stable.pdf
http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid457.php
http://www.tpub.com/content/engine/14081/css

http://webpages.csus.edu
http://www.nebo.edu/misc/learning_resources/ ppt/6-12
http://netlogo.modelingcomplexity.org/Small_engines.ppt
http://www.ku.edu/~kunrotc/academics/180/Lesson%2008%20D

http://navsci.berkeley.edu/NS10/PPT/
http://www.career-center.org/ secondary/powerpoint/sge-parts.
http://mcdetflw.tecom.usmc.mil
http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm
http://www.eng.fsu.edu/ME_senior_design/2002/folder14/ccd/Co

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http://online.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys140
http://widget.ecn.purdue.edu/~yanchen/ME200/ME200-8.ppt -