How do magnets work? 

How do magnets work? 

The magnet is a reliable device that provides electrical energy independent of the battery and is used to power the spark plugs inside the piston engine. Two magnets are found in reciprocating engines, with each magnet supplying power to one of the two spark plugs in each cylinder. 

How does a magnet work? 

A magnet consists of five main parts: Armature: The armature is a U-shaped iron rod.

Primary coil: Primary coil refers to a thick wire that wraps around one side of the armature in a “U” shape about 200 times.

Secondary coil: The secondary coil refers to a thick wire that wraps around the other side of the "U" shaped armature about 20,000 times. A set of circuit breakers and a capacitor. Capacitors are used to provide faster and more predictable magnetic field attenuation when the ends of the circuit breaker are in contact. A pair of powerful permanent magnets. The purpose of the magnet is to generate a high voltage pulse of up to 20,000 volts, which is enough to generate the spark required by the spark plug to ignite the fuel inside the piston.  

This high voltage pulse is generated using a pair of strong magnets. A magnetic field is generated in the armature when the magnet passes through the U-shaped armature (iron rod). When the magnetic field in the armature reaches its maximum capacity, a switch (circuit breaker) interrupts the current flowing through the primary coil and causes a voltage spike of about 200 volts.

The secondary winding amplifies this voltage to about 20,000 volts and this voltage is sent to the spark plug. The spark plug then creates a spark small enough to ignite the fuel inside the piston. 

Magneto timing is controlled by a cam connected to the crankshaft. This cam opens and closes circuit breakers as needed. 

Benefits of Magneto 

Magneto has many advantages over battery-powered ignition systems. 

The first advantage of the magnetic system is its reliability. Because the system is completely self-contained, it does not depend on any external systems such as batteries to function.

This makes it perfect for aircraft use, as a power failure won't cause engine failure. This feature is less important for cars, such as where the vehicle can be simply stopped, but is important for aircraft, where engine failure can cause serious damage. important. 

A magnet, and especially modern versions, is very compact and relatively light. Modern magnets are made from cobalt steel and nickel aluminum magnet metal, which are lighter than traditional iron and steel. 

Disadvantages of magneto 

While the magnet ignition system is certainly useful, it is not without its downsides. First, battery-powered ignition systems can be used to provide better sparking to the spark plugs when starting the engine.

Although modern magnet systems compensate for this by using electronic starters or pulse coupling, the magnets themselves cannot provide a more efficient voltage to the spark plugs when starting the engine. . 

Second, the magnet is an expensive system and is therefore only used in specific applications, such as aeronautics, where its reliability and independence from other systems are required.  

Another disadvantage is the maintenance requirement of the magnetic system. Because the system is carefully designed and compact, it is difficult to maintain and often cannot be repaired when damaged.