Laser plugs?

[rolker]

I wonder if a malfunctioning plug would slice the piston in half...

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/04...ugs-In-Engines

[slammp]

That's pretty awesome.

[Degsy]

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No one will ever use all that power

[Cerberus]

as long as we are talking spark plugs, there was a company (Nology) making spark plug wires that had a large capacity built into each, but this idea has now migrated into being capacitors built into the spark plugs themselves. the idea being that when the spark jumps, the capacitor dumps the build up energy as a huge fat spark kernel that shames a standard spark with its awesomeness. really no other way to put it.

anyone familiar with the product i am referring to?
more importantly, has anyone used the product i am referring to?


http://www.pulstar.com/
thats the first example i found of what i am talking about.

[lopycam]

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No one will ever use all that power

Jim will use all that power.

[butcher bergs]

If it comes to fruition, we will likely see it in racing technology first.

Looks like the researchers have a pretty good handle on a design though....ceramics is the answer!

[slammp]

the capacitor dumps the build up energy as a huge fat spark kernel that shames a standard spark with its awesomeness. really no other way to put it.

Actually as a guy who likes to tinker that scares me. I can count on my fingers and toes (all still there) the number of times I have inadvertantly been shocked by a spark plug while testing (the worst case being an old Jeep Cherokee with a metal bumper that my leg was resting against I literally felt the shock in my heart). I could imagine with the boost provided that sucker might cause some real damage.

[gadget]

Actually as a guy who likes to tinker that scares me. I can count on my fingers and toes (all still there) the number of times I have inadvertantly been shocked by a spark plug while testing (the worst case being an old Jeep Cherokee with a metal bumper that my leg was resting against I literally felt the shock in my heart). I could imagine with the boost provided that sucker might cause some real damage.

I've been knocked off my feet too.
Never grab the coil wire when the driveway is wet.....

I think Lasers is the right direction. As it was said in the article, sparks eat away sparkplugs. Big sparks them eat away much faster (think arc welding).
The other benefit that I think of is the reduction in EMI (electromagnetic interference). A lot less signal noise to deal with in the onboard electronics. This means all of the electronics could run at a lower wattage.

The engine will probably require less cooling as well, due to the much more uniform burn in the cylinder.

I can imagine that the increases in efficiency will be staggering when they are able to realize its full potential.

[nt650hawk]

Hmm... What happens when the carbon and oil builds up on the lens? Would it be fouled as well. I think it would be an expensive thing to replace.

[rolker]

Actually as a guy who likes to tinker that scares me. I can count on my fingers and toes (all still there) the number of times I have inadvertantly been shocked by a spark plug while testing (the worst case being an old Jeep Cherokee with a metal bumper that my leg was resting against I literally felt the shock in my heart). I could imagine with the boost provided that sucker might cause some real damage.

I've been knocked off my feet too.
Never grab the coil wire when the driveway is wet.....

I wonder how someone would check a laser plug without taking an eye out. Will the manufacturers be required to design a safety mechanism that prevents it from firing while not installed?

[rolker]

Hmm... What happens when the carbon and oil builds up on the lens? Would it be fouled as well. I think it would be an expensive thing to replace.

I imagine that might all get vaporized by the laser?

[zimquidl]

Does this mean we'll have to exchange our plug gap gauges for a focal point doo-dad?

On those pulse plugs, something is not making sense to me. I'm not all up on electrickery or ignition systems, but what point is the capacitor in the plug?

Using standard plugs, the ignition calls for a bang. So it sends the charge from the coil, down the wire to the plug, and it goes 'spark', BANG, next cylinder please. No extra stuff left in the wire... it all went into the spark. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

Where in that process can the ignition system charge the Pulstar's capacitor? Why would you put a storage device in between the coil and the electrode when the spark is needed immediately?

Pulstar's FAQ explains their "pulsed-power" technology this way:

A very good example of pulsed-power is the comparison of small AA battery powered flashlight and a camera using the same AA battery to power the flash. The output of the flashlight is anemic compared to the power discharged by the camera flash. In the same way, Pulstar® discharges over 1 megawatt while the common sparkplug today discharges not even 50 watts.

Nifty. But if I walk into a dark room and I want to see NOW, I'm going to flip the switch on a flashlight and get immediate light, instead of flipping a switch, waiting for the batteries to charge the capacitor, and then fire the flash.

[stoinkythepig]

as long as we are talking spark plugs, there was a company (Nology) making spark plug wires that had a large capacity built into each, but this idea has now migrated into being capacitors built into the spark plugs themselves. the idea being that when the spark jumps, the capacitor dumps the build up energy as a huge fat spark kernel that shames a standard spark with its awesomeness. really no other way to put it.

anyone familiar with the product i am referring to?
more importantly, has anyone used the product i am referring to?


http://www.pulstar.com/
thats the first example i found of what i am talking about.

I think engine makers learned in the 80s that the best spark for igniting air/gasoline mix and enusuring a complete burn in modern engines (that don't run rich) is a long-duration, mild spark rather than a short duration, high intensity spark. Compare the spark on your lawn mower to the spark on your CBR/GSXR/NINJA/Rx and you'll think there's something seriously wrong with the bike's ignition system.

[Kurlon]

The capacitor stores energy to later release as a calming field, making you feel better for paying that much over a standard, good quality wire that performs just as well.

[Stromper]

All I asked for is F*n sharks with spark plugs on their heads

[Cerberus]

well all i know is the claim that independent testings have found a 6% fuel economy improvement using the pulstar plugs..

i may give them a shot at some point.

[toocrazy2yoo]

I always figured what the guy that built the bike wants, the guy that built the bike gets. Why fugg-witt-it?

[Honclfibr]

Yo dawg, I heard you liked capacitive discharge ignitions, so we put a capacitive discharge ignition in your capacitive discharge ignition so you can spend more money on spark plugs.

[TheIglu]

well all i know is the claim that independent testings have found a 6% fuel economy improvement using the pulstar plugs..

i may give them a shot at some point.

Independent tests show running Amsoil in your motor/tranny/diffs give just as much improvement in fuel economy.

Oh, unrelated note, I'm an Amsoil dealer. It's so good they don't even need no fancy regulated ratings. Just hand me money and your (snake) oil will be delivered promptly.

[R1]

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well all i know is the claim that independent testings have found a 6% fuel economy improvement using the pulstar plugs..

i may give them a shot at some point.

Independent tests show running Amsoil in your motor/tranny/diffs give just as much improvement in fuel economy.

Oh, unrelated note, I'm an Amsoil dealer. It's so good they don't even need no fancy regulated ratings. Just hand me money and your (snake) oil will be delivered promptly.

Independant tests have shown that independent tests are dependent upon products to be tested. These tests have also shown that the independent tests were paid for by the company for which the product belonged. These same tests were shown in favor of the independent company for which the product belongs.

Independently saying the so-called "independent testing facility" had "tested" the product for which it was designed.

What I think we all really want to know, as consumers, is amsoil made from real "ams" or does it include "soil"? Another one is if it's the latter then are you trying to state that you "am soil"?

Seriously how can synthetic oil make an implication that it's actually a "socalled fossil" fuel base?

[GTStang]

I think engine makers learned in the 80s that the best spark for igniting air/gasoline mix and enusuring a complete burn in modern engines (that don't run rich) is a long-duration, mild spark rather than a short duration, high intensity spark. Compare the spark on your lawn mower to the spark on your CBR/GSXR/NINJA/Rx and you'll think there's something seriously wrong with the bike's ignition system.

This is 1/2 correct, it's completely true at lower RPMs where you have enough time to allow a longer duration to give you a more complete burn. This is why Capacitive Discharge system do multiple spark discharge at low RPM's it's a band aid to make up for it's lack of duration. Kinda funny how MSD was able to market that...

Anyway as the rpm's climb the window quickly gets too small for duration to be the deciding factor of complete burn and it is now a short high intensity spark that will now improve the burn. This higher intensity spark along with speed also has the added benefits of avoiding blow out under high cylinder pressure do to the higher intensity.