SECTION G2j
Lucas A.C. Lighting-Ignition System
1. General
The Lucas A.C. Lighting-Ignition System
comprises seven main components
(1) Alternator with magnet rotor.
(2) Bridge-connected rectifier.
(3) Ignition coil.
(4) Distributor with automatic timing control.
(5) Lighting switch.
(6) Ignition switch.
(7) 6-volt battery (see Section G4a).
Under normal running conditions, electrical
energy in the form of rectified A.C. passes
through the battery from the alternator, the rate
of charge depending on the position of the
lighting switch. When no lights are in use, the
alternator output is sufficient only to trickle
charge the battery. When the lighting switch is
turned to the "Pilot" or "Head" positions the
current increases proportionately.
STATOR AND ROTOR OF ALTERNATOR RM15
Fig. 1
2. Alternator Models RM14 and RM15
Early models are fitted with type RM14
alternator, which has an outside diameter of 5.7/8
in. Later models are fitted with type RM15 (see
Fig. 1) with an outside diameter of 5 in. They
give a high output at low r.p.m. The alternator
comprises two main components, a stator and a
rotor. The stator is built up from iron laminations
and carries three pairs of series-connected coils
insulated from the laminations. The rotor has a
hexagonal steel core, each face of which carries a
permanent magnet keyed to a laminated pole tip.
The pole tips are riveted circumferentially to
brass side plates, the assembly being cast in
aluminium and machined to give a smooth
external finish. The stator and rotor can be
separated without the need to fit magnetic
keepers to the rotor poles.
As the rotor turns, rapid and repeated
reversals of flux take place in the coil cores.
These lines cut through the turns of the coil and
induce alternating voltages in that coil. External
connections are taken to these coils from a
bridge connected rectifier (see Fig. 2).
3. Circuit Detail
The alternator stator carries three pairs of
series
connected
coils,
one
pair
being
permanently connected across the rectifier bridge
network. The purpose of this latter pair is to
provide some degree of charging current for the
battery whenever the engine is running.
GENERAL VIEW OF RECTIFIER
Fig. 2
Connections to the remaining coils vary
according to the position of the lighting and
ignition switch controls, as shown schematically
in Fig. 3.
When no lights are in use the alternator
output is regulated to its minimum value by
interaction of the rotor flux and the flux set up
by current flowing in the short-circuited coils.
www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com
Summary of Contents for CONSTELLATION 1958
Page 5: ...1959 CONSTELLATION w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 7: ...w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 12: ...1956 SUPER METEOR w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 13: ...w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 19: ...1957 SUPER METEOR w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 21: ...Section C4 Page 2 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 39: ...1959 SUPER METEOR w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 43: ...1961 SUPER METEOR w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 45: ...Section E4 Page 2 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 52: ...Section E7 Page 5 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 55: ...Section F3 Page 2 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 60: ...Section F4 Page 3 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 63: ...w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 67: ...1961 CONSTELLATION w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 80: ...Section H5 Page 1 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 98: ...Section M6 Page 2 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 99: ...Section M6 Page 3 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 100: ...Section M6 Page 4 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 101: ...Section M6 Page 5 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 103: ...Section P1 Page 2 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...
Page 104: ...Section P1 Page 3 w w w h i t c h c o c k s m o t o r c y c l e s c o m ...