US3406672A - Spark ignition systems - Google Patents

Spark ignition systems Download PDF

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Publication number
US3406672A
US3406672A US532712A US53271266A US3406672A US 3406672 A US3406672 A US 3406672A US 532712 A US532712 A US 532712A US 53271266 A US53271266 A US 53271266A US 3406672 A US3406672 A US 3406672A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
switch
transistor
winding
current
resistor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US532712A
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English (en)
Inventor
Phillips Brian Leslie
Adams Derek Stanley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ZF International UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Lucas Industries Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lucas Industries Ltd filed Critical Lucas Industries Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3406672A publication Critical patent/US3406672A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P3/00—Other installations
    • F02P3/06—Other installations having capacitive energy storage
    • F02P3/08—Layout of circuits
    • F02P3/0876—Layout of circuits the storage capacitor being charged by means of an energy converter (DC-DC converter) or of an intermediate storage inductance
    • F02P3/0884—Closing the discharge circuit of the storage capacitor with semiconductor devices

Definitions

  • This invention relates to spark ignition systems for internalcombustion engines.
  • the invention makes use of a semi-conductor device known as a gate controlled switch.
  • a gate controlled switch This device is similar to the semi-conductordevice called a controlledrectifier, but has theadditional property that it can be switched off by a negative current flowing between its gate and cathode, whereas a conventional controlled rectifier can only be switched off by a reverse voltage between its anode and cathode.
  • the gate controlled switch can handle currents of the same magnitude as the controlled rectifier, and should not, be confused with devices such as the trigistor' which operates in a similar manner, but can handle only very small anode-cathode currents.
  • the gate controlled switch is one example of a.
  • semi-conductor switch which term is hereby defined to means a semi-conductor device having a control terminal, and a pair of main terminals, signals applied to the control terminal determining whether or not the switch conducts.
  • the main terminals are the anode and cathode and the control terminal is the gate. If a transistor is used, the collector and emitter constitute the main terminals and the base the control terminal.
  • the definition excludes, for example, a controlled rectifier, even though a controlled rectifier has the necessary three terminals, because although the gate signal applied to a controlled rectifier initiates conduction, turning off of the controlled rectifier can only be effected by reversing its anode-cathode voltage.
  • a spark ignition system includes a semi-conductor switch controlling the production of the required sparks, and a pair of transformers providing signals to the control terminal of said switch for turning the switch on and off respectively.
  • the accompanying drawing is a circuit diagram illustrating one example of the invention.
  • the switch 15 is a semi-conductor device having the properties of a controlled rectifier with the addi- "ice tional property that anode-cathode current can be switched off by a negative gate-cathode current.
  • the transistor 24 has its emitter connected to the line 12, its collector connected to the line 11 through a resistor 25 and its base connected to a terminal 26, through a resistor 27 to the line 11, through a resistor 28 to the collector of the transistor 23, and through a resistor 29 and the resistor in series to the line 12.
  • the gate and cathode of the switch .15 arefurther interconnected through the secondary winding 31 of a transformer 32 having its primary winding connected between the line 11 and the collector of a transistor 34 having its emitter connected to the line 12 through a resistor 35 and its base connected to the collector of a transistor 36.
  • the transistor 36 has its emitter connected to the line 12, its collector connected through a resistor 37 to the line 11, and its base connected to the line 12 through a resistor 38 and the resistor 35 in series, and to the line 11 and the collector of the transistor 23 through resistors 39 and 41, respectively.
  • the anode and cathode of the switch 15 are interconnected through a capacitor 42 in series with the primary winding 43 of an ignition transformer 44, the secondary winding 45 of which is connected through a distributor 46 to the plugs 47 of the engine in turn.
  • the winding 43 is bridged by a diode 48.
  • any convenient known means operated by the engine causes a negative signal to appear at the terminal 26.
  • This signal turns the transistor 24 off, and so the transistor 23 is turned on, and current builds up in the winding 22.
  • the rising current produces an in the winding 19, but this is blocked by the diode 17.
  • the transistor 36 tends to switch oif and the transistor 34 tends to switch on.
  • the transistors 34, 36 act in conjunction with their associated components to cause a pulse to be applied to the winding 33 until the transistor 23 is turned off in a manner to be described.
  • this pulse will have an amplitude independent of the battery voltage, and so a substantially constant current is fed by the winding 31 to the switch 15 to turn it on.
  • the Zener diode 18 prevents the turn-on current from flowing through the winding 19.
  • the capacitor 42 discharges through the winding 43 to produce the required spark.
  • the switch 15 While the switch 15 is on, current builds up in the series circuit 13, 14, 15, 16 until, when a predetermined current is reached, the voltage across the resistor .16 turns the transistor 24 on.
  • the transistors 34, 36 now revert to their original state, so removing the forward drive to the switch 15, and the transistor 23 is turned ofi to break the current in the winding 22.
  • the resultant E.M.F. in the winding 19 provides a negative gatecathode current to turn the switch off.
  • the resistors 27, 29 provide compensation for changes in battery voltage, and the windings 13, 22 are chosen to have a high inductance-resistance ratio. Inthiswa'y', the current flowing through the winding 13 when the switch 15 is turned oif is rendered substantially independent of battery voltage.
  • the Zener diode 18 dissipates energy remaining in the winding 19 after the'switch 15 is turned off V
  • the resistors 25,27 are connected to the line 11' through an additional resistor, and a point intermediate the additionalresistor and the resistors 25, 2 7 'is connected to the line .12 through a Zener diode.
  • a transistor can be used in place of a gate controlled switch, it then being necessary to ensure that the transistor remains saturated whileit is on. This can be done by ensuring that sufficient base 'current is provided to saturate the transistor at any expected collector emitter current, or by incorporating a transformer to increase the base drive with increasing collector-emitter current. In the drawing current is provided to turn off the gate controlled switch, and it will be understood that where a transistor is used the removal of the drive current is sufiicient to stop the transistor conducting.
  • the use of the circuit shown is advantageous even with a transistor, because the reverse base-emitter bias ensures that the transistor switches ofi rapidly.
  • an ignition system for an internal combustion engine which system has an ignition coil for supplying high voltage firing pulses to the internal combustion engine and pulse means in synchronism with the internal combustion engine and having an electrical source; a firing circuit for providing intermittent current flow in the ignition coil to produce firing pulses therein, including in combination, a capacitor; a gate controlled semiconductor switch connected in series with said capacitor and the ignition coil; said semiconductor switch having a gate region responsive to a pulse of a given polarity to turn on said semiconductor switch and responsive to a pulse ofopposite polarity to turn off saidsemiconductor switchj an 11136615566 aiida diode connecte d in series with said semiconductor switch and said capacitor in parallel so that current flows through said inductance and diode and the semiconductor switch when said switch is on and flows into said capacitor when said switch is said d od f t dnact 1' s si r s t .19?

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
US532712A 1965-03-10 1966-03-08 Spark ignition systems Expired - Lifetime US3406672A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB10110/65A GB1106923A (en) 1965-03-10 1965-03-10 Spark ignition systems

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3406672A true US3406672A (en) 1968-10-22

Family

ID=9961681

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US532712A Expired - Lifetime US3406672A (en) 1965-03-10 1966-03-08 Spark ignition systems

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3406672A (de)
DE (1) DE1539222B1 (de)
GB (1) GB1106923A (de)
NL (1) NL6603119A (de)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3646926A (en) * 1969-11-06 1972-03-07 Mallory Electric Corp Breakerless ignition system
US3682150A (en) * 1970-09-03 1972-08-08 Lumenition Ltd Ignition systems for internal combustion engines
US3844266A (en) * 1972-10-10 1974-10-29 D Peterson Capacitor discharge ignition circuit
US3851628A (en) * 1968-11-12 1974-12-03 Lumenition Ltd Fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines
US3853107A (en) * 1973-01-11 1974-12-10 Eltra Corp Capacitive discharge ignition system
US3893438A (en) * 1972-12-22 1975-07-08 Autoelektronik Ag Capacitor ignition device for internal combustion engines
USRE29561E (en) * 1968-11-12 1978-03-07 Lumenition, Ltd. Fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines
US4173961A (en) * 1977-02-22 1979-11-13 Delta Systems, Inc. Inductive solid state magneto ignition system
USRE30858E (en) * 1968-02-29 1982-02-02 Lumenition Limited Ignition systems for internal combustion engines
US5379745A (en) * 1991-05-31 1995-01-10 Robert Bosch Gmbh Ignition system for internal combustion engines with high-tension switches

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5245252A (en) 1988-11-15 1993-09-14 Frus John R Apparatus and method for providing ignition to a turbine engine
US5754011A (en) 1995-07-14 1998-05-19 Unison Industries Limited Partnership Method and apparatus for controllably generating sparks in an ignition system or the like
US6670777B1 (en) 2002-06-28 2003-12-30 Woodward Governor Company Ignition system and method
US7602597B2 (en) 2003-10-07 2009-10-13 Taser International, Inc. Systems and methods for immobilization using charge delivery
US7355300B2 (en) 2004-06-15 2008-04-08 Woodward Governor Company Solid state turbine engine ignition exciter having elevated temperature operational capability

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2847489A (en) * 1958-08-12 Ignition system
US3150286A (en) * 1964-09-22 Ignition system for internal
US3271593A (en) * 1963-12-05 1966-09-06 Vilbiss Alan J De Internal combustion engine ignition system
US3306275A (en) * 1964-11-09 1967-02-28 Motorola Inc Electronic apparatus
US3318296A (en) * 1965-02-01 1967-05-09 Motorola Inc Electronic apparatus

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1328266A (fr) * 1962-07-10 1963-05-24 Lucas Industries Ltd Dispositif d'allumage par étincelles pour moteur à combustion interne
FR1352646A (fr) * 1963-04-05 1964-02-14 Gen Motors Corp Système d'allumage de moteur à combustion interne

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2847489A (en) * 1958-08-12 Ignition system
US3150286A (en) * 1964-09-22 Ignition system for internal
US3271593A (en) * 1963-12-05 1966-09-06 Vilbiss Alan J De Internal combustion engine ignition system
US3306275A (en) * 1964-11-09 1967-02-28 Motorola Inc Electronic apparatus
US3318296A (en) * 1965-02-01 1967-05-09 Motorola Inc Electronic apparatus

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE30858E (en) * 1968-02-29 1982-02-02 Lumenition Limited Ignition systems for internal combustion engines
US3851628A (en) * 1968-11-12 1974-12-03 Lumenition Ltd Fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines
USRE29561E (en) * 1968-11-12 1978-03-07 Lumenition, Ltd. Fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines
US3646926A (en) * 1969-11-06 1972-03-07 Mallory Electric Corp Breakerless ignition system
US3682150A (en) * 1970-09-03 1972-08-08 Lumenition Ltd Ignition systems for internal combustion engines
US3844266A (en) * 1972-10-10 1974-10-29 D Peterson Capacitor discharge ignition circuit
US3893438A (en) * 1972-12-22 1975-07-08 Autoelektronik Ag Capacitor ignition device for internal combustion engines
US3853107A (en) * 1973-01-11 1974-12-10 Eltra Corp Capacitive discharge ignition system
US4173961A (en) * 1977-02-22 1979-11-13 Delta Systems, Inc. Inductive solid state magneto ignition system
US5379745A (en) * 1991-05-31 1995-01-10 Robert Bosch Gmbh Ignition system for internal combustion engines with high-tension switches

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1539222B1 (de) 1971-10-07
NL6603119A (de) 1966-09-12
GB1106923A (en) 1968-03-20

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