Improvement on Energy Efficiency of the Spark Ignition System

Yu, Xiao; Yu, Shui; Yang, Zhu; Tan, Qingyuan; Ives, Mark; Li, Liguang; Liu, Mengzhu; Zheng, Ming

doi:10.4271/2017-01-0678

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Therefore, the rising of the energy transferred to the mix is mandatory for the spark plug system, in particular for high turbulence intensity [15,16]. This improvement is reached, for example, through the implementation of high-energy inductive ignition systems [3,17,18,19]. Unfortunately, this technology shows electrode ablation/erosion/fouling [11,20,21,22] where the plug electrodes widely affect the flame kernel development [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, when the lean limit is extended, then the cycle-to-cycle variability increases. The reduction of the latter condition requires even higher released energy that consequently produces a sudden drop of the efficiency [19,3]. The early fluctuations of the thermodynamics and fluid-dynamics operating conditions around the spark region are the main causes of the cycle-to-cycle variation [24] while large flame kernels are less subject to conditioning [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental characterisation of the thermal energy released by a Radio-Frequency Corona Igniter in nitrogen and air

et al. 2020

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The Radio-Frequency Corona Ignition System is characterised by a wide initial combustion volume and precursors production, via radical insemination by the streamers, in addition to high released thermal energy. These features lead to faster combustion, a higher tolerance for lean mixtures and EGR dilutions and, in general, more adaptability. The thermal energy released by the igniter to the surrounding medium can help to understand the performance, the behaviour and the application range. This paper proposes a systematic experimental analysis of the thermal energy released by the igniter at room temperature, via pressure-based calorimetry. This analysis, carried out at different pressures (up to 10 bar) and medium type (air or nitrogen), is extended to the whole range of the corona igniter control parameters, namely streamer duration and driving voltage. The latter is proportional to the maximum electrode voltage, as shown in the model here presented, and as confirmed by experiments. The results show, for all the vessel pressures, the high energetic efficiency of the ignition system and the high amount of the released energy. The latter is found to increase linearly with the corona streamers duration and quickly with the driving voltage up to the streamer-to-arc transition threshold. The efficiency tends to reach a defined upper limit. For each tested point, the energy released to pure nitrogen is higher than to air, which evidences the impact of the oxygen presence under streamer exposure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental characterisation of the thermal energy released by a Radio-Frequency Corona Igniter in nitrogen and air

et al. 2020

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“…This is probably because the high turbulent dissipation rate by increasing turbulence renders ignition more difficult [9,10]. The conventional ignition system could be improved by adjusting the spark gap [11], using multi-coil discharge [12], and increasing discharge current [13]. Research in novel ignition systems such as nanosecond repetitive pulse [14], microwave [15], and laser [16] revealed the promising potential for enhancing the ignition, and so does the engine thermal efficiency under lean conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of dual-core spark discharge on ignition probability and engine power

Nguyen

Bui

Nguyen

et al. 2022

UD-JST

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This report presents the experimental study of developing a dual-core spark discharge (2C-SD) model for clean combustion. We first studied ignition probability (Pig) of lean methane/air at an equivalence ratio of 0.5 using 2C-SD with different spark-gaps (dgap = 1.0mm and 2.0mm) in a constant volume combustion chamber. We then applied 2C-SD to the engine driving a 2.5-kW generator. The results indicated that Pig is 30% and 45% at dgap=1.0mm and 2.0mm, respectively, while Pig is 0 when using conventional single spark discharge (CSSD). Compared to CSSD, when using 2C-SD the engine power could be improved by 4%-9.7%, depending on the throttle openings. We expect the larger volume of the initial flame kernel by 2C-SD could enhance Pig and quickly reach the critical flame radius before self-sustained propagating. The faster initial flame speed is essential for achieving the optimal combustion phasing, resulting in a higher power.

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“…14 Moreover, extra energy delivery requires higher energy supply, which increases energy consumption and may reduce the energy transfer efficiency. 23…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14 Moreover, extra energy delivery requires higher energy supply, which increases energy consumption and may reduce the energy transfer efficiency. 23 Some other researchers have endeavored to improve the performance of the conventional TCI system with limited hardware modifications and minimal supplemental energy. One of the techniques is to rearrange the energy delivery process from the TCI system by using an external capacitor connected in parallel to the spark plug gap to increase the parasitic capacitance of the spark plug.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of spark discharge energy scheduling on ignition under quiescent and flow conditions

Yang

Zhu

et al. 2020

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D:

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The enhancement of the breakdown power during the spark discharge process has been proved to be beneficial for the flame kernel formation process under lean/diluted conditions. Such a strategy is realized by using a conventional transistor coil ignition system with an add-on capacitance in parallel to the spark plug gap in this paper. In practical application, the use of different ceramic material other than aluminum oxide can change the parasitic capacitance of the spark plug, achieving similar effect in terms of rescheduling the discharge energy released during the breakdown phase. Detailed research has been carried out to investigate the effect of the parallel capacitance and the cross flow velocity on the flame kernel formation and propagation process. With the increase in parallel capacitance, more spark energy is delivered during the breakdown phase, while less energy is released during the arc/glow phase. Shadowgraph images of the spark plasma reveal that the high-power spark discharge can generate a larger high-temperature area with enhanced electrically prompted turbulence under quiescent conditions, as compared with that using the conventional transistor coil ignition discharge strategy under the same condition. The breakdown enhanced turbulence of the high-power spark is proved to be beneficial for the flame kernel development, especially with the lean or exhaust gas recirculation diluted combustible mixtures, given that sufficient spark energy is available for the high-power spark strategy to successfully generate the breakdown event. The results of combustion tests under flow conditions reveal that the breakdown enhanced turbulence of the high-power spark tends to be overshadowed by the turbulence generated from the flow field, and both the increase in flow velocity and parallel capacitance contribute to the reduction in discharge duration of the arc/glow phase. Therefore, the benefits brought about by the high-power spark discharge tend to diminish with the intensification of flow velocity.

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Improvement on Energy Efficiency of the Spark Ignition System

Cited by 16 publications

References 14 publications

Experimental characterisation of the thermal energy released by a Radio-Frequency Corona Igniter in nitrogen and air

Experimental characterisation of the thermal energy released by a Radio-Frequency Corona Igniter in nitrogen and air

Effect of dual-core spark discharge on ignition probability and engine power

Effect of spark discharge energy scheduling on ignition under quiescent and flow conditions

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