The Lucas Electrical Company Limited

Paul Anthony Harris

A spark ignition system includes a variable reluctance pick-up producing output pulses when sparks are required. A capacitor is connected across the pick-up in series with a resistor and stores the integral of the pick-up output. Two voltage comparators compare the voltages on the capacitor and the resistor with threshold levels and a spark is only produced when both voltages exceed the threshold levels, so as to minimise the risk of spurious signals in the pick-up producing a spark.

Spark ignition systems for internal combustion engines

A battery charging system for a road vehicle has a permanent magnet alternator with at least three separate single phase windings, as distinct from the usual three-phase winding. Each of the separate windings is connected to a pair of supply lines through a pair of diodes and a pair of thyristors, each winding having its own pair of diodes and pair of thyristors. The thyristors are controlled in accordance with the battery voltage.

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Walsall, United Kingdom

Paul Anthony Harris