Open AccessElastic breakdown via multi-core high frequency discharge for lean-burn ignition
Author(s) -
Xiaoye Han,
Xiao Yu,
Hua Zhu,
Linyan Wang,
Shui Yu,
Meiping Wang,
Ming Zheng
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the institution of mechanical engineers. part d, journal of automobile engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 2041-2991
pISSN - 0954-4070
DOI - 10.1177/09544070211062278
Subject(s) - ignition system , materials science , breakdown voltage , voltage , electromagnetic coil , high voltage , spark gap , electrode , combustion , nuclear engineering , mechanics , electrical engineering , engineering , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , aerospace engineering
An advanced ignition technique is developed to achieve multi-event breakdown and multi-site ignition using a single coil for ignition quality improvements. The igniter enables a unique elastic breakdown process embracing a series of high-frequency discharge events at the spark gap. The equivalent electric circuits and current/voltage equations are identified and verified for the first time to explain the working principle that governs such an elastic breakdown process. Benchmarking tests are first performed to compare the elastic breakdown ignition with the conventional and advanced multi-electrode ignition systems. The elastic breakdown and spark events are thereafter analyzed through current and voltage measurements and high-speed imaging techniques. Finally, ignition tests in combustion chambers are performed to examine the effects on the ignition process in comparison with conventional coil-based ignition systems. The experiments show that, the elastic breakdown ignition can distribute multiple high-frequency breakdown events at all electrode pairs of a multi-electrode sparkplug while using only one ignition coil, thereby offering significant cost saving advantage and packaging practicability.