Session 1

Session Name: Automotive Starting System Author Name: Satyajit R. Patil

Session Objectives
At the end of this session, the learner will be able to: Understand need of automotive starting system. Write requirements of starting system. List various components of starting system. Understand working of the same. Draw schematic of the same. Justify type of motor used. Identify probable faults in the starting system.

Teaching Learning Material

White Board and Markers Overhead projector

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Automotive Starting System Satyajit R. Patil, KESRIT

Session Plan
Time (in min) Content Learning Aid and Methodology Faculty Approach Typical Student Activity Skill and Competency Developed

05

Introduction: Automotive Starting System

Chalk & Talk

Explains

Comprehends

Knowledge Intrapersonal

15

Need for Automotive Starting System

Chalk & Talk Numerical Examples

Facilitates Explains

Comprehends Participates

Comprehension Intrapersonal Linguistic Application Knowledge Intrapersonal Spatial

20

Starting System: Layout and Components

OHP

Facilitates Explains

Observes Comprehends

06

Types of Motors

Chalk & Talk

Explains

Comprehends

Knowledge Intrapersonal

10

Probable Faults

Group Discussion

Facilitates Moderates

Participates Observes Comprehends

Application Intrapersonal Interpersonal Linguistic

04

Conclusion

Question and Answer

Questions

Answers

Comprehension Intrapersonal Linguistic

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Session Inputs
Introduction: Automotive Starting System
We may recall the classification of automotive electrical systems that we learnt in earlier session, one out of which is the starting system. Then we may tell the learners about hand crank method, used in the earlier days. The Automotive Electrical systems are classified as follows: Automotive storage and generation system Automotive starting system Automotive lighting system Automotive ignition system Automotive Auxiliaries We have already learnt about storage and generation system. The electric energy is stored in the battery and generated using a generator or alternator. When the generator is generating the current, demand of electrical load will be met by this current. However, if the vehicle is not moving or moving at very low speed, the generator will not be operational and the current will be extracted from the battery; and the battery will be drained. Today, we will see how a vehicle gets started. Earlier days, initial cranking was provided by using hands. The driver would crank the engine shaft by revolving the handle, the engine would get started and then he would come and occupy his seat to drive the vehicle. This is called hand cranking and was very inconvenient and time consuming. Ultimately, the need was felt for more sophisticated means to start the vehicle. The system should be convenient to the driver and efficient.

Need for Automotive Starting System

Before going into the system, the need for Automotive Starting System should be explained. We can explain the need with the help of a numerical demonstration.

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Suggested Activity: Numerical Examples The need can be demonstrated with the help of a numerical example. This example will illustrate the need for a starting system required in a vehicle. The minimum cranking speed required to crank a petrol engine can be taken as 100 rpm, while the motor speed can be taken as 1600 rpm. Hence the reduction of the order of 16:1 is required. This shall also help in providing the torque at the flywheel which will help starting the engine. These facts are to be explained to the learners. Finally the learners can be asked to come up with more examples on similar lines. An I. C. engine cannot be started on its own. It uses an electric motor, called the cranking motor or the starting motor which provides the initial drive to the crankshaft of an engine. As the crankshaft starts rotating, the engine will start running and combustion of the air fuel mixture will take place in the combustion chamber. This will further provide power to the engine. However, an electric motor will be required for cranking the engine. Here, an electric motor uses current to produce the mechanical energy. Lets try to understand the need for a starting system with the help of an illustration. Lets take a minimum cranking speed of an engine to be 100 rpm, i.e. the engine can be cranked at 100 rpm or more than that. The cranking motor speed will be 1600 rpm. Also, in order to start the engine, a heavy torque is required. This torque is much more than the torque required to keep the engine running. We know that the torque is inversely proportional to the speed. Thus, in order to get a heavy torque, the speed should be low. If we apply this relationship to our motor engine case, we will have to have a speed reduction mechanism, since the motor speed is 1600 rpm and the engine cranking minimum speed is 100rpm. Thus, we should have a provision for reduction of the order of 16:1 so that the motor speed of 1600 rpm can be converted to 100 rpm of engine. This is made possible by a gear pair whose reduction ratio generally varies from 8:1 to 16:1; in our case it has to be 16:1. This speed reduction also helps to provide the torque at the flywheel which is mounted on an engine crankshaft.

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But when the engine starts running, its speed will go on increasing and then it will try to drive the motor. The important thing to be understood here is that, instead of speed reduction, now speed increment will occur. Thus, if the engine has reached upto 2000 rpm, it will try to drive the cranking motor at 2000*16=32000 rpm. The motor, off course, will not be able to withstand this high rpm owing to the resulting high centrifugal forces and will fail. Thus, there has to be a mechanism with the help of which we should be able to disengage the gears mounted on the engine shaft and the motor output shaft when the engine speeds up. At the same time, it will be essential to bring these gears in mesh when we want to start the engine. Thus, the starting mechanism connects and disconnects the engine from the cranking motor when required.

Starting System: Layout and Components

The layout of the starting system components can be shown with the help of a transparency or diagram on blackboard. The role of the individual components and overall functioning of the system is then explained. The components of a typical automotive starting system are: Battery Starter switch Electric motor Pinion on motor shaft Flywheel ring gear Solenoid switch Battery The battery provides the heavy current required for the cranking motor. One battery terminal is connected to the motor terminal and the other is earthed. When the switch is closed, the current from the battery will be delivered to the motor. Heavy current of the order of 200-400 amperes can be extracted from the battery when the starter switch is closed. Starter Switch It has two positions, open and closed. When the switch is closed, the circuit is made and when it is open, the circuit is broken.

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Electric Motor The function of a motor is to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. As the current stored in the battery is dc, the cranking motor should be of dc type. Generally a four pole, series motor is used for engine cranking. Pinion on Motor Shaft This is a small gear mounted on the motor output shaft and revolves with the motor speed. Flywheel Ring Gear This ring gear is mounted on the engine crankshaft and aside to the flywheel. It takes drive from the pinion gear and makes the crankshaft revolve. Solenoid Switch This will look after the engagement and disengagement of the motor pinion with the ring gear. As the current flows through the solenoid, it energizes so as to push the pinion into mesh with a ring gear. As the current stops flowing, it de-energizes and the pinion will be brought out of the mesh with the ring gear due to the spring pressure. (The details of the driving mechanisms are out of scope of this lecture.)

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Starting system: layout and components

Type of Motors
The types of motors, usually preferred for automotive starting purposes are to be explained. The sketches showing the series shunt and compound type of motors may be drawn on the blackboard. In this segment the reasons for the use of the series motor as the cranking motor is explained. The choice to be made is dc or ac motor. Since the battery is being used as an energy storage device, which provides dc; the motor to be used will also be of dc type. The next choice is to be made between the series, the shunt or the compound motor types. In the series motor, the field windings and the armature windings are in series with each other; whatever amount of current flows through the field winding, the same amount of current flows through the armature windings. In the shunt motor, these windings are parallel to each other. Part of the current flows through the field windings and part of the current flows through the armature windings. The compound motor uses both i.e. the series and the parallel connections for field and armature windings.

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The series motor, owing to its highest cranking torque is usually preferred for the motor vehicles. Since the armature and the field windings are wound in series, it draws maximum current, may be of the order of 200-400 amps, which results in more torque as compared to the shunt motor. This motor may be a two pole motor or a four pole motor. With the four pole motor, the distribution of magnetic flux will be more uniform, hence these are preferred over the two pole motors. The compound motor is widely used for industrial applications. However, the large starter motors are often compound wound and operated in two stages. The first stage involves the shunt winding being connected in series with the armature. This connection allows for low meshing torque due to the resistance of the shunt winding. When the pinion of the starter is fully in mesh with the ring gear =, a set of contacts causes the main supply to be passed through the series winding and armature giving full torque. The shunt winding will now be connected in parallel and will act in such a way as to limit the maximum speed of the motor. Nowadays, owing to their simple construction and compactness, permanent magnet motors (PMDC) motors are also used in vehicles as cranking motors.

Probable Faults
We want the learners to come up with the probable faults that may appear in the starting system. Since, they already know the various components and their functions; we would expect them to come up with reasons behind the cause of the faults. Suggested Activity: Group Discussion Two groups of learners will be formed and they will be given a situation. The situation is as follows: The vehicle is not getting started though sufficient fuel is available and there is no problem with the ignition system. The learners will need to list out various causes due to which it is not getting started. Group formation will take around 3 minutes and 5 minutes would be given for discussion. Last 2 minutes are meant for conclusion of discussion.

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The group of learners will deliberate on the situation. The problem may be attributed to the battery, the starting switch or the cranking motor itself. The battery voltage and terminals need to be checked. If the battery is drained, the voltage would have reduced and it may not be sending current to the motor. Also, the terminals should be cleaned as unclean terminals may not establish proper contact. The starter switch also needs inspection. If the windings of the motor get short circuited, the motor will not run and thus will be unable to start the engine. The motor terminals also should be checked for proper contact. The drive mechanism also should be checked for open circuit or engagement of pinion and flywheel ring gear. If the meshing doesnt take place, the drive from motor will not get transmitted to the engine and it will not start. At least one of the learners is expected to come up with reasons/faults due to which the vehicle is not getting started.

Conclusion
For conclusion, a question-answer session will be conducted to seek the correct answers from the learners. The faculty may require to refine and reinforce the answers given by the learners. Suggested Activity: Question and Answer The following questions can be asked to the learners: 1. What is the range of the minimum cranking speed for SI and CI engines? 2. Why pinion flywheel reduction is arranged in the starting system? 3. Which type of motor is preferred and why?

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Summary
In this session, we learnt to: Understand need of automotive starting system. Write requirements of starting system. List various components of starting system. Understand working of the same. Draw schematic of the same. Justify type of motor used. Identify probable faults in the starting system.

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Assignment
1. Draw the schematic of typical automotive starting system. 2. List elements of typical automotive starting system and write role of the same in overall functioning of the system. 3. The learners can be divided in groups of 5 each. They are supposed to visit any garage/service station nearby and observe starting system of any three vehicles of preferably different categories. They are also required to write the specifications of the stating system of the said vehicles.

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References
P. L. Kohli, Automotive Electrical Equipment, Tata McGrawHill Tom Denton, Automobile Electrical and Electronics Systems, SAE International

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