Project - Analysis of a practical automotive wiring circuit

1. Some of the major elements in the above diagram are:

• Battery
• Ignition switch
• Starter
• Distributor
• Generator
• Current and Voltage regulator
• Ammeter
• Fuse

2. Working of some of the components:

1. Battery: It contains the necessary power to drive the automotive electronics, like starter, spark plugs (petrol engine), light switch, etc. Commonly used battery in conventional cars are lead-acid battery. There are 2 electrodes; cathode(+) and anode(-) and a conducting medium called electrolyte. While discharging the positive ions get attracted from anode to cathode inside the electrolyte. Inside the conductor, the current flows from cathode to anode but the electrons move from anode to cathode.
2. Distributor: It is a current distribution system which is timed according to the strokes of the IC engine. At a particular time certain spark plug is acivated when the cylinder has to burn the content inside it, and the remaining spark plugs remain inactive at that time.
3. Generator: It is a power producing device. The generator shaft is connected to the engine crank with some gear ratio. When the crank rotates the generator produces AC current by electromagnetic induction. This power is then converted to DC and stored in te battery.

3. If the current, each element in the circuit can allow is 10A, then the fuse must be rated at 11A to 12A current. If we rate it at 10A then the fuse will meltdown right after we close the circuit, and it will never turn on. If we insert a fuse rated at 20A, then the electrical components cannot withstand such high current and gets damaged.

4. Power consumption = 500W

>> P = V*I

500 = V*I

thus, I'd recommend to go with 48V battery

i.e. 500 = 48*I

I = 10.41 ~ 11A

so keep the battery backup high, choosing a battery of 40Ah capacity with a C rate of 0.275 would be suitable. It will run for 3.6 hours.

5. In the above circuit diagram, as we can see that the tail light, dome light and plate light are connected in parallel with the light switch. They are connected in parallel because the power they consume will be the same. By the relation of voltage, current and resistance, they will be having same resistance as well, thus the potential drop will be the same and equal current will be flowing through them.

6. In the above circuit diagram, the generator, current and voltage regulator and ammeter are connected in series. The generated power must be stabilised and converted to suitable voltage and current before supplied to other parts. The ammeter is always connected in series in any circuit, so that there is no drop in current.