Piston Engine Propulsion

Ignition

Ignition in a piston engine requires:

Spark plugs
Magneto
Condensers
Distributor
Contact breakers electronic systems

Magneto
The Rotating Armature Magneto - The
assembly of the primary and secondary coils
on a soft iron core is known as the armature.
In the rotating armature magneto this is
mounted on a shaft driven from the engine
and rotated between the poles of a
permanent magnet.
As only two sparks are produced for each
revolution of the armature, this type of
magneto is normally used only on engines
with up to six cylinders.

 The Rotating Magnet Magneto The most usual type of rotating

magnet magneto is the polar
inductor magneto where the
permanent magnets are actually
stationary and soft iron inductors,
mounted on a non-magnetic shaft
driven from the engine, are used to
guide the magnetic flux through the
armature.
Four sparks are produced for each
revolution of the inductor shaft,
making this type of magneto suitable

Magneto Operation
Secondary
Windings

Coil

Primary
Windings

Soft Iron
Core

Engine
Driven Rotor
and Magnets

IGNITION SYSTEM

 The magneto is a completely self-contained

ignition generating device.
Typically, two magnetos are installed on each
engine for redundancy.
When the aircraft engine rotates, gears located
in the engine accessory case turn the magneto
rotor shaft containing permanent magnets.
With the rotating shaft, a magnetic field is
produced that is transformed into high tension
current through primary and secondary coil
windings.
The high tension current is disturbed to the
appropriate cylinder through a distributor block
assembly and ignition cables.

 One of the primary limitations of

magnetos is that, when the magnet
inside a magneto turns at a slow
speed, the magneto produces
relatively little voltage.
However, as magneto speed
increases, the amount of current
induced into the primary circuit
increases and the magneto produces
a higher voltage spark.
In most cases, the voltage generated
at low magneto speeds is insufficient
to fire a spark plug.

Principal -

Coil
Windings

Each time the magnetic field washes through wires

An electrical current is produced
Called an EMF Electro Motive Force

IGNITION SYSTEM Faraday Law

Volt
Meter

Magneto Operation
EMF produced in
the coil windings

The magnetic
field passes
through soft
iron core

IGNITION SYSTEM

No EMF produced
in the coil windings

No magnetic
field in soft iron
core

IGNITION SYSTEM

EMF produced in
the coil windings
again

The magnetic
field passes
through soft
iron core again

IGNITION SYSTEM

Rotor Arm

Magneto Unit
Spark Generation
Condenser

Power
Generation
Coil
Distribution
Magneto

Contact
Breaker

Ignition
Switch

IGNITION SYSTEM Magneto System

Distributor
Condenser
Coil
Secondary
Windings

Primary
Windings

Ignition
Switch

Contact
Breaker

Dynamo/
Alternator

Battery

IGNITION SYSTEM Dynamo/Alternator System

Distributor
The distributor basically distributes
the ignition spark between cylinders.

Typical
Distributor

Vacuum Advance
Adjustable
Plate

Diaphragm
Vacuum
Chamber
Cap

Points
Body

Inlet
Pressure

Cam

Adjuster

Centrifugal
Advance
Input
Shaft

Centrifugal
Weights

IGNITION SYSTEM Distributor

Magneto Timing
There are two different timing requirements on
most magnetos, internal timing and timing of the
magneto to the engine.
Internal timing is necessary to make sure that the
voltage is delivered to the proper contact in the
distributor block at the correct time. Since internal
timing procedures vary between different
magnetos, you should always follow the
manufacturers instructions, but in all cases the
magneto has to be stripped down to complete
internal timing.

 When timing the two magnetos to an

engine, the engine manufacturer can
specify either synchronized or staggered
ignition timing.
Different procedures are used for timing
flange and base mounted magnetos, but in
nearly all cases magnetos are timed to fire
between 20 and 25 degrees before top
dead centre.
As well as in the maintenance manuals the
timing figures can be found on the engine
data plates.

Engine Speed Sensing Unit

Timing
Sensor

Timing
Disc

Control Unit

Ignition
Switch

Coil
Packs

Alternator

Battery

IGNITION SYSTEM Electronic Systems

Ignition Switch
Whenever a magneto is rotated sufficiently to
open the contact breaker points, a spark will
occur.
All magnetos are therefore provided with an
earthing wire, which is connected to the
contact breaker end of the primary coil and
through a suitable switch to earth.
Since this switch is connected in parallel with
the contact breaker, with the switch closed the
effect of the opening and closing of the contact
breaker is by-passed and no spark can occur.

Spark Plugs
The end result in any ignition system is the
spark plug that ignites the fuel/air mixture
in a cylinder.
Spark plugs transmit the short impulses of
high voltage current from the ignition
harness into the combustion chamber.
The construction and operation of a spark
plug is simple in concept but the demands
placed on this part of an ignition system
are high.

 Each ignition event

begins with a 20,000
volt spark that jumps
the air gap between a
spark plugs electrodes,
and the spark plug
must be able to operate
in temperatures of
3,000 degrees or
higher, with gas
pressures as high as
2000psi.

Cap Connector

Ceramic Body

Hexagon
Outer Casing
Copper Sealing Gasket
Securing Thread
Gap
Outer
Electrode

IGNITION SYSTEM Spark Plug

Cap Connector

Ceramic Body
Seal

Hexagon
Centre Electrode
Change Spark Plugs
at specified times

Outer Casing
Copper Sealing Gasket
Securing Thread

Make sure the correct

Spark Plug is fitted

These surfaces must be

kept clean

IGNITION SYSTEM Spark Plug

Outer
Electrode