New Laser Plugs Could Improve Engine Efficiency
Friday, 20. May 2011
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There aren’t many components on a car that have pretty much stayed the same since its invention. Whilst a car still consists of a set of major components to make it work, engine, gearbox, differential, suspension, wheels etc. most have gone through some major developments to make them more reliable, safer, more efficient and so on, except a key component at the heart of any petrol car, the spark plug. It has for years been considered to be inefficient because the spark ignites the compressed fuel and air mixture at the point of spark causing the fire to spread unevenly.
A better explosion would occur if the mixture could be uniformly exploded through the whole area. Manufacturers have experimented over the years with multiple plugs placed in different positions with little success.
As a result the humble plug looks pretty much the same as it did in our great grandfathers’ cars. But that could be about to change with the development of a laser plug that will improve efficiency and decrease pollution according to the inventors.
The laser plugs have a number of beams that allow the compressed mixture to be ignited at various points. This would produce a hotter and more precise ignition which would improve fuel efficiency.
The team from Romania and Japan are in discussions with component manufacturers to develop the technology further, sounds exciting to me. By Graham Hill
Related articles
- Lasers could replace spark plugs (bbc.co.uk)
- More Efficient Engines: Lasers Replacing Spark Plugs In Cars? (techie-buzz.com)
