käivitajat

Käivitajat, often translated as "starters" or "igniters," are devices or mechanisms used to initiate a process, particularly in combustion engines or electrical circuits. In the context of internal combustion engines, a käivitaja is a motor that cranks the engine's crankshaft, providing the initial rotation necessary to start the combustion cycle. This motor is typically powered by the vehicle's battery and engages with a flywheel or starter ring gear on the engine. Once the engine begins to run under its own power, the käivitaja disengages.

In electrical applications, a käivitaja can refer to a component that initiates the flow of current in a circuit or activates a specific function. For example, in fluorescent lighting, a starter is a small, often cylindrical device that preheats the electrodes and helps to establish the arc necessary for the lamp to illuminate. These starters contain a glow discharge tube and a bimetallic strip that, when energized, closes a circuit, heats the electrodes, and then opens the circuit, creating a voltage surge that ignites the gas in the lamp. The term can also be used more broadly to describe anything that triggers a sequence of events or sets a system into operation, such as a software program that initiates a larger application.