This plasma ignition system can increase engine efficiency by 20%

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It make sense - dropping exhaust temps and still being able to create the burn over a longer duration would allow for a more complete combustion cycle. Sadly our old engines don’t have an egr to do that. But for us the 6% more power would be big on engine that are stroked or just large. I’m interested in more detail once they release.
Thanks for sharing.
 
How is 'engine efficiency' defined in the statement? Uses 20% less fuel? Makes 20% more HP? Both?
I do believe there is extra HP to be made from ign systems, but not double digit.
 
Bewy said:
How is 'engine efficiency' defined in the statement? Uses 20% less fuel? Makes 20% more HP? Both?
I do believe there is extra HP to be made from ign systems, but not double digit.
Click to expand...

"Across the drive cycle, that is a really good engine. And what we were able to do was drop [the plasma ignition system] on, put a slightly different spark plug in the hole but still a spark plug and then our power supply, and they were able to get up to 6 percent increase in fuel economy. This, with the stock engine pulled out of a crashed car, with just being able to open up that EGR valve a bit more and adjust the timing, and then we were able to get that benefit," he said.

"Essentially, if you were to open the EGR valve more with the stock ignition system, you would start to lose combustion efficiency and so you no longer get the overall benefit. Whereas with us they were able to open up that valve more and preserve the combustion efficiency and, therefore, that translates into better fuel economy because you have a lower temperature of combustion. You're reducing heat losses," Singleton told Ars.

6% ain't nothing, but it's also not 20%. I think they're extrapolating to where they think the tech could go.

Sounds like they're using higher temperature and more energetic ignition for super lean mixtures and they're leaning it with egr, mostly to reduce heat loss.
There's lots of ways to reduce heat loss and with the increase in hybrid drive systems I could see power recovery generators doing more good from waste heat than this. Especially since starting and stopping is where the highest specific consumption happens. For fleet vehicles, this type of igniton might help some, but somehow I doubt it's going to become mainstream.
 
Another lame idea. They have been experimenting with various spark plugs for 80 years. Lots of claims were made. Smoke and mirrors. Some lessons learned but 90* fail in the real world, not in a "lab".
 
Yes, they have been experimenting with spark plugs for 80 yrs. And thank goodness they have!!!!!!!!
Because now we have plugs that last for 100,000 miles with copper centres & projected nose tips.......that are more reliable, make more power & economy than the two piece 18mm plugs we had 80 years ago...
 
I love those long-life copper plugs.
IMO lowering the combustion temperature is counter-productive to both power and economy. The stinking heat is what makes the power in the First Place.
However, EGR, being inert, and occupying physical space, I suppose can artificially increase your EFFECTIVE compression ratio at Part Throttle, at a time when the engine is not very sensitive to detonation, so ................. I guess it could work, but why not just increase the cranking pressure in the first place, which increases BOTH power and economy.
Yes I know this increases Nox. Ask me if I care about that in my "Classic car", that only rolls on a few hundred miles per year, and that is already all EGRed up at low-rpm, by the 276/286/110 cam.
It's called "overdrive", and 65=1600 rpm.
 
Cool topic! I have experimented with Plasma Discharge Ignition (PDI) for over a decade. I have read lab research papers on it, and have actually USED it. IT WORKS!

However, let's define "works". It indeed intensifies the spark beyond belief. Whereas a standard spark cannot even be seen in the sunlight, the PDI spark looks like a camera flash -- even in direct sunlight! As for what does it do in the Real World? It is a tool, nothing more. The article mentioned increasing EGR, but also mentioned using leaner AFRs. Robert Krupa developed the Firestorm Spark Plugs. He told me he tested a '96 T-Bird with the 4.6 V-8 and had it running at 30:1 AFR -- AT WOT!! -- AND PICKED UP 125 HP!!!!



I experimented with AquaPulser Plasma Ignition System. On one hand, I absolutely love it! You can feel a massive power increase. The downside it I couldn't get even aircraft spark plugs ($18 each Brisk) to last more than about 7k miles.

On a more practical level, I found Pulstar Plugs to last a long time, and make a noticeable improvement. This is what I run on our DD Jeep GC.

I have published my take on ignition systems at www.MPGenie.com, and did a video many years ago on the subject.

 
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