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The Art of the Helicopter John Watkinson - Karatunov.net

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202 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Helicopter</strong><br />

Fig. 6.7 <strong>The</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>o generates its own electricity and so is potentially more reliable than an ignition system<br />

using <strong>the</strong> aircraft’s electrical supply.<br />

When maximum current is reached, <strong>the</strong> cam opens <strong>the</strong> contacts. <strong>The</strong> inductance<br />

attempts to keep <strong>the</strong> current flowing, but it cannot pass <strong>the</strong> open points. <strong>The</strong> only place<br />

<strong>the</strong> current can go is through <strong>the</strong> capacitor. As <strong>the</strong> capacitor charges up, <strong>the</strong> current<br />

reduces. This reduces <strong>the</strong> inductor flux and increases <strong>the</strong> induced voltage. When <strong>the</strong><br />

current finally stops flowing, <strong>the</strong> capacitor is charged to a high voltage. <strong>The</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>ic<br />

energy has been exchanged for electrical energy stored in <strong>the</strong> capacitor. <strong>The</strong> voltage on<br />

<strong>the</strong> capacitor now reverses <strong>the</strong> current, which builds up in <strong>the</strong> inductance. <strong>The</strong> current<br />

keeps flowing after <strong>the</strong> capacitor voltage has fallen to zero and charges <strong>the</strong> capacitor up<br />

in <strong>the</strong> reverse direction. <strong>The</strong> inductor and capacitor form a resonant circuit where <strong>the</strong><br />

energy repeatedly exchanges between <strong>the</strong> inductor and <strong>the</strong> capacitor and an alternating<br />

current flows in <strong>the</strong> windings. <strong>The</strong> same effect is achieved mechanically in a tuning fork.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> capacitor is quite small, <strong>the</strong> frequency <strong>of</strong> oscillation is quite high, and <strong>the</strong> rate<br />

at which <strong>the</strong> current changes is also high. Thus a high rate <strong>of</strong> flux change is achieved in<br />

<strong>the</strong> inductor. A secondary coil consisting <strong>of</strong> many turns <strong>of</strong> fine wire is wound on top <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> first coil. <strong>The</strong> rapidly alternating flux induces a very high alternating voltage in <strong>the</strong><br />

secondary coil, and this results in a rapid succession <strong>of</strong> sparks at <strong>the</strong> plug electrodes.<br />

<strong>The</strong> sparks continue until <strong>the</strong> mag<strong>net</strong>ic energy is dissipated. In a multi-cylinder engine,<br />

this high tension (HT) current is directed to <strong>the</strong> appropriate cylinder by a rotary switch<br />

called a distributor on <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> shaft. <strong>The</strong>re is no mechanical contact in <strong>the</strong><br />

distributor; <strong>the</strong> metal parts come close enough for <strong>the</strong> HT to jump across <strong>the</strong> gap, so<br />

in fact <strong>the</strong>re are two sparks in series, one at <strong>the</strong> plug and one at <strong>the</strong> distributor.

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