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Automobile
Electrical System |
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Automobile electrical
system has gradually evolved over the years and today it assimilates
automatic computer control of the automotive mechanics. In the early
days, automobiles electrical system comprised of only basic wiring
technologies that were used for distributing power to other parts of
a vehicle. It had only switches, wires, relays and controlled motors
as its key components but todays electrical system includes
sensors, actuators, alternators, battery, oxygen sensors, generator,
starter solenoid, starter drive, high power electrical system and
other devices.
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Components
of Automobile Electrical System 
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Armature are the moving parts of an electric machine generally
alternators, generator or motors of a vehicle, which vibrates when
electromotive force is produced. The armature used in automobile
comprises of a series of coils and groups of insulated conductors
circumscribed around a core of iron. Also known as the rotating part
of a dynamo, armatures are generally fixed on ball bearings and are
mostly made of copper wire coiled around an iron core.
The major functions of armature
are:
Firstly, to produce an electromotive force.
Secondly, to transmit current in a rotating machines and force in a
linear machine.
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Automobile Battery refers to an
electrochemical device comprising of primary and secondary cells
that are used for transforming chemical energy into mechanical
energy. Most of the vehicles today uses lead acid
batteries. Batteries are mostly of two types i.e. non-rechargeable
and rechargeable. Often called as disposable batteries,
non-rechargeable batteries are used once and then dumped. While
rechargeable batteries are those devices that can be easily
recharged by applying electrical current that turns or reverses a
chemical reaction. A normal battery has an initial voltage of about
1.6 volts and produces between 500-1000 amps. The market size of
automobile battery industry is worth US $ 48 billion a year. China,
Hong Kong, United States, India and Taiwan are the major battery
manufacturing countries on the global platform.
Classification of various
components of a battery includes:
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Automobile Starting System
is considered to be the heart of automobile electrical system. The
starting system of an automobile includes those devices, which are
used for initiating an engine of a vehicle. Once the key is put into
the ignition switch then the current pass through battery cables to
starter motor. After this, starter motor turn the engine and the
downward moving piston create suction where air and fuel mixture is
burned and then the engine starts.
The chief components of
automobile starting system are:
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Automotive Computer Chips
also known as super chip, automotive computer chips are basically
the integrated circuits made of semi conducting material that are
used for storing a new engine management program in the electronic
control unit of the vehicle. These chips stores the data used by
engine control unit, for managing and controlling the engine
functions. Oxygen
sensor is one of the types of automobile computer chips
that form an important part of the engine fuel control feedback
loop.
Other automobile computer chips
include:
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The electrical wiring
system of an automobile incorporate different types of devices,
flexible electrical wires, electrical fuses, connectors, fuse blocks
used for fastening one end of an automobile component to the power
source device. These electrical wiring components are used for
bearing mechanical loads and transmitting communication signals or
electrical energy.
Apart from
electrical wiring components mentioned above, there are other parts
used in an automobile electrical system like:
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The charging system of an
automobile has three basic components such as alternator, regulator,
and the interconnecting wiring. The main function of automobile
charging system is to control and regulate the charge in the battery
of a vehicle. Automobile charging system generally generates a
voltage between 13.5 and 14.4 volts when the engine is working. It
produces electrical current for operating automobile lights, music
systems, heater, engine electrical system and other electrical
components.
Other components of charging
system of the vehicle are:
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A spark plug is a small electrical
device that is implanted into internal combustion engine cylinder
for burning the mixture of air and fuel. A typical spark plug
consists of a center electrode, metal casing and a ground electrode
as illustrated in the figure. These plugs are used in many machines
such as trucks, buses, tractors, boats, aircraft, motorcycles,
scooters, industrial and oil field engines, and oil burners. The
basic raw materials used for manufacturing spark plugs are aluminum
oxide, steel, silver, gold, platinum, copper and other high nickel
alloys. These spark plugs are available in different configurations
and heat ranges to adapt to any type of engine.
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