|
The spark plug has been around for a long time. A really long time. The first recorded instance of a spark plug that is of a similar design to the modern incarnation is from 1839. So, after 170 years of faithful operation, it's time for retirement. And that's where the lasers come in, thanks to the joint efforts of Ford and the University of Liverpool in England.
Researchers at the university already have engines up and running everyday using lasers as an ignition system, and the benefits they've recorded are incredible. First up is convenience when it comes to cold weather starting. Because the intensity of the laser beams can be infinitely varied depending on conditions, your engine will start up almost immediately in the dead of winter. Also, it will run more efficiently once it's first started. When an engine is cold, the parts haven't expanded to their optimal size (as caused by heat) and the oil isn't flowing freely to help the car run more efficiently. As a result, not as much fuel is burned once it is pushed into the combustion chamber and a lot of it is pushed out as exhaust, leading to less fuel economy and higher emissions.
The genius of this laser ignition system is that it can do many things at once. First, depending on the lens, it can produce multiple ignition points within the combustion chamber, as opposed to the spark plug's single ignition point. This makes sure that heat is evenly distributed around the combustion chamber, resulting in a more complete fuel burn, which produces more power with less fuel than a spark plug system, and reduces carbon emissions, a definite win-win situation. The second big feature of this laser system is in feedback. As the laser's light travels through the combustion chamber, some of it is reflected back to the lens. The Liverpool researchers have outfitted the lens not only with a laser emitter, but also a receiver that can analyze the conditions of the combustion chamber and then feed this information to the car's ECU. This system allows the computer to precisely monitor and adjust the exact fuel mixture being injected into the cylinders. For example, if the engine is cold and the current fuel mixture is not completely igniting upon startup, the ECU would monitor this and then adjust the fuel level so that optimal combustion can occur. Once the engine has heated up, the ECU will notice the change and then bring the fuel mixture back to regular levels.
The third major feature of this laser system is one that won't have too much use right now, but could prove crucial to the future of the internal combustion engine: fuel type recognition. Every combustible fuel, like gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, etc., has a different vapor signature once it has been injected into a combustion chamber. The laser's monitoring system is able to precisely detect the exact composition of the fuel being injected and can then adjust the ignition conditions appropriately. For example, ethanol has a lower energy per volume content than gasoline and it has different combustion properties (it burns slower). If a laser ignition system is able to detect the exact mixture of gasoline and ethanol, it can precisely adapt its ignition points and temperatures in order to maximize fuel burn, which increases power and reduces emissions. This system could lead to a whole new generation of more powerful and more efficient Flex Fuel vehicles.
It will take a few more years of testing and the requisite safety approvals before Ford's laser ignition system is put into a production model, but the company has indicated that they hope to have the system in some of their premium vehicles (they'll probably start on a Lincoln model) within a few years.
Comments and Discussion
|
|
