Archives

http://www.carthusiast.com/for....html (http://www.carthusiast.com/ford-to-use-lasers-instead-of-spark-plugs-to-ignite-and-burn-fuel-504.html)


Ford and scientists at Liverpool University are currently testing a newly developed technology where lasers and being used to ignite fuel within the combustion chambers rather than spark plugs. The new technology is supposed to offer more benefits than what we currently have available. With laser technology, it can be focused and directed to multiple points in the piston chamber to ignite many sources of fuel. Also, it is much more stable than spark plug technology, making it easier so crank up a car in cold and damp conditions. Because of the stability achieved, they also say that is uses a lot less gasoline to ignite the fuel, which will save money in the short and long term.


http://i29.tinypic.com/21mgd3n.png

http://i29.tinypic.com/21mgd3n.png

rofl, the very first thing I thought of when I read the title.

How do they keep the necessary lens clean?

I wouldn't like to drive something that needed the head disassembled every so many thousands of miles just so the laser system could be cleaned. :rolleyes:

Good point. A spark plug fits the "simple, stupid" description pretty well.

But, but... lasers are just so COOOOL!

What's with the shark?

What's with the shark?

his laser divergence rate is too high...I think he's lost...

I get the royalties - it's my idea!

How do they keep the necessary lens clean?

I wouldn't like to drive something that needed the head disassembled every so many thousands of miles just so the laser system could be cleaned. :rolleyes:

I don't think it would be too much trouble to design it so that laser assembly could be removed and cleaned.

Same way you remove sparkplugs now would be my guess.

Would it be able to ignite the gas but not enough to burn the piston would be my concern.

Lasers need about 50kw to cut metal.
(Googled it)

Only problem with this is you need to clean it pretty often.
If you don't instead of getting a moderately working system as with current plugs.
You get an non functioning system.

^------ Hence my reservations.

Lasers need about 50kw to cut metal.
(Googled it)

Only problem with this is you need to clean it pretty often.
If you don't instead of getting a moderately working system as with current plugs.
You get an non functioning system.
Back in my high school, the (CO2) laser cutter for the metal shop is only 1250w but it cuts through 1/4" steel very easily. Still a lot of power but nowhere near 50kw. (50kw is probably for the ones used in industry where the cutting must be very fast.)

I wonder how this "laser ignition" compares to a well-engineered spark system using extremely high voltages (up to 80kv). I've heard about such high voltages allowing wider plug gaps, higher compression ratios, and leaner mixtures.

Might need to be something like a UV laser to heat the gas that much. Lasers can be focused, so that the beam would be intense enough for ignition near the middle of the chamber and would diverge before hitting the piston crown or chamber walls.

Lasers are low-divergence especially at such a short range as would be required in a combustion chamber. I dont know if this will actually be a benefit as complete combustion would require uniformity in the chamber.

The laser burns the window clean. The window is also a lens that focuses the laser at a point above the piston. Perhaps they want lean burn, high BMEP engines -- spark plug erosion is a limiting factor for this variety of engine. I thought practical use of this technology was years out even for industrial engines, due to the high cost of the lasers. We aren't talking about the laser pointer variety of laser -- more like 1 MW instantaneous, but less than a watt average.

It would benefit somewhat in a lean burn sense....unless they use some form of a polyspheric engine with high reflectivity used for "instantaneously" transporting the laser beam through the combustion chamber.

I'm visualizing the light show at a Pink Floyd concert....it's not related to this story I just wanted to say that. :D - Dale

To answer your question GrendelKhan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7bYNAHXxw

Lasers are low-divergence especially at such a short range as would be required in a combustion chamber.

Depends on how they're focused. Ophthalmologists can use them to burn things floating inside your eyeball without blasting the back side.

I think the laser/combustion would clean the lens. This would be great when paired with direct injection. Although, I don't know how the dept of homeland security would feel about this... I can just imagine tuners buying these and mounting them to thier front bumpers.

I am not sure about the laser would clean the lens...
Like it was mentioned earlier it completely depends on how it was focused.

I guess they would need two focus beams.
One to clean the window of the Combustion camber and one to focus the laser to a point in the Camber.

Could be quite complicated.

And another one to clean the lens of the cleaning laser, and...

...calculate the amt of localized heat generated on the piston when the tuner tries to change the settings...