This seems like a good idea for a rotary. Could have multiple
ignition lenses without any loss in compression..
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Ford-Laser-Ignition-System-Engine,news-4248.html
Matt-
"Ford and the University of Liverpool are owrking on a new laser
ignition system for automobiles.
ZoomFord is teaming up with the University of Liverpool to throw
out the old-school spark plugs and design a laser ignition
system for internal-combustion engines. According to The
Telegraph, a fiber-optic cable--powered by the car's
battery--shoots the laser beam to a focusing lens that would
consume a much smaller space than current spark plugs. The
lenses focus the beams into an intense pinprick of light, and
when the fuel is injected into the engine, the laser is fired
and produces enough heat to ignite the fuel.
The University researchers claim that the new technology--using
lasers to ignite the fuel--is more reliable and efficient than
current spark plug technology. Although the laser will need to
fire more than 50 times per second to produce 3000 RPM, it will
require less power than current spark plugs. The lasers can also
reflect back from inside the cylinders to relay information
based on fuel type used and the level of ignition, enabling cars
to readjust the quantities of air and fuel for optimum
performance.
"Lasers can be focused and split into multiple beams to give
multiple ignition points, which means it can give a far better
chance of ignition," said Dr. Tom Shenton, leader of the
project. "This can really improve the performance of the engine
when it is cold, as this is the time when around 80 per cent of
the exhaust emissions are produced and the engine is at is least
efficient. The laser also produces more stable combustion so you
need to put less fuel into the cylinder."
Ford said that it plans to implement the new technology into its
top of the range vehicles within the next few years, and then
make the laser ignition system available for its remaining
models sometime thereafter."
Sounds good.
Not yet :) What does it do at 7500 RPM?
Paul Lamar
No problem switching at that frequency. Solid state (diode based)
lasers are modulated in the Megahertz range for communications
systems. And in DVD burners. The question is about power (and
managing temperature). I like the idea of being able to adjust the
focus point of the beam to the area of the chamber with the best
fuel-air mixture, instead of having to be tied to where the spark plus
is located.
Matt-
Below is an IDEA. It is not hardware and software already
created, tested and all the bugs worked out of it. It is mean
to spur further ideas until hardware, software and whatever else
needs to be developed into something we can use. Yes, Paul, it
will cost money. No, I am not talking about money. I am
talking about the idea.
Laser ignition.
1. You could make the lasers move.
2. You could use two lasers instead of just one. Each laser, by
itself, could be not powerful enough to ingnite the air-fuel
mixture. When the two beams cross, however, the intensity is
enough to ignite the mixture.
Combining these two ideas means you
* can use the lasers for more purposes than just ignition.
* can have more than one place for ignition.
* can have more than one shape for the ignition to start and continue.
* can have "constant" ignition. You don't have to depend
upon one point-ignition source to "get it right the first time."
You can keep lasing the air/fuel mixture until it is completely consumed.
* can have the ignition source move with the flame and rotor to
maximize and optimize the combustion.
The first laser could be mounted in the "top" spark plug hole.
It could lase into the coming trochoid during the compression
phase. Measuring from reflections of that lase could produce,
in real time, lobe-by-lobe status of each incoming charge and
the fuel dispersal inside, the ratio of air to fuel in each
cubic millimeter of the trochoid (not just a point measurement),
and how it is compressing.
That information could be used to calculate optimum ignition
burns of the combined lasers.
The second laser could be located "lower down" (viewed as the
rotor turns). To ignite the air/fuel mixture, the two laser
beams fire simultaneously and cross each other at the exact
time, place and shape to produce optimum combustion. The
ignition source that results does not need to be a point, like a
spark from a spark plug is a point. It could be a line, a cone,
a triangle, a curve, any shape that produces the best combustion
possible. And, since the first laser monitors each incoming
charge, the shape could change for each and every combustion, to
optimize i
Again, separately, the lasers could scan the ongoing combustion,
to see where it is not optimal and reposition their crossing
patterns to optimize combustion. Remember, separately, neither
laser is powerful enough to cause ignition. That way we can
monitor the engine and control it in real time with a single
system.
Then both lasers could be fired again (however many times it
takes) to optimize the combustion in hard-to-reach places, like
the "squish" area in the front of the rotor, optimizing
combustion further. The result: much more complete combustion
than with point-ignition technology (spark plugs). Just imagine
the possibilities:
* combustion occurring beyond 270 degrees of rotation
(I am mean, combustion continues until the full amount of
power is extracted, however long that takes, until the mixture
exits the engine).
* a P-port engine that is as efficient (for the ecomentalists,
that means "as green as") a side-port Renesis engine. No need
to recirculate exhaust gas.
* lean, lean, lean, lean combustion. Less fuel used, better BSFC, more horsepower!
Some ideas to think about.
Les Nordman :-)
For best results send text only and set your right margin to 65
characters. Thanks
Paul Lamar
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