Radio frequency spark plug: An ignition system for modern internal combustion engines

Mariani, Antonio; Foucher, Fabrice

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.02.009

Cited by 75 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Transfer ports throttling was also attempted to improve the mixing between the fresh charge and the hot reactive residual gases (i.e., charge stratification) [41,42]. Several studies were also undertaken to examine the influence of the fuel formulation on two-stroke CAI combustion [43][44][45]. The effect of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on the CAI combustion characteristics was examined using exhaust port throttling strategy when the engine was run under WOT condition [46,47].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental investigation of the influence of internal and external EGR on the combustion characteristics of a controlled auto-ignition two-stroke cycle engine

et al. 2014

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental investigation of the influence of internal and external EGR on the combustion characteristics of a controlled auto-ignition two-stroke cycle engine

et al. 2014

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“…As a consequence, these igniters are characterised by the reduction of the ignition time up to two orders of magnitude [39] and the decrease of the ignition temperature [27] with respect to conventional spark igniters. More in general, this family of technologies improves the flame stability [40] and the engine performance [41,42] thanks to the multiple spreading ignition locations of the areas of greatest active species production [43,44,45]. In addition, plasma-based ignition enhances the reaction kinetic due to the high electron energies [31] and to the effect on the fuel reactivity and diffusivity [46].…”

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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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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“…Different technologies may be used to supply electrical energy to the flame including Dielectric Barrier Discharges (DBD), [6], Gliding Arc Discharges (GAD), [7], Microwave Discharges (MD), [8], and Radio-Frequency Discharge (RFD), [9], as described in [4][5]. Adding electric energy through microwave radiation is advantageous for direct stimulation of a flame since there is no need for electrodes (surviving in the harsh environment in a flame).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigations of microwave stimulation of a turbulent low-swirl flame

Ehn

Petersson

Zhu

et al. 2017

Proceedings of the Combustion Institute

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Irradiating a flame by microwave radiation is one of several Plasma-Assisted Combustion (PAC) technologies that can be used to modify the combustion chemical kinetics in order to improve flame-stability and to delay lean blow-out. One practical implication is that engines may be able to operate with leaner fuel mixtures and have an improved fuel flexibility capability including biofuels. In addition, this technology may assist in reducing thermoacoustic instabilities that may severely damage the engine and increase emission production. To examine microwave-assisted combustion a combined experimental and computational study of microwave-assisted combustion is performed for a lean, turbulent, swirl-stabilized, stratified flame at atmospheric conditions. The objectives are to demonstrate that the technology increases both the laminar and turbulent flame speeds, and modifies the chemical kinetics, enhancing the flame-stability at lean mixtures. The study combines experimental investigations using hydroxyl (OH) and formaldehyde (CH 2 O) Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and numerical simulations using finite rate chemistry Large Eddy Simulations (LES). The reaction mechanism is based on a methane (CH 4)-air skeletal mechanism expanded with sub-mechanisms for ozone, singlet oxygen, chemionization, electron impact dissociation, ionization and attachment. The experimental and computational results show similar trends, and are used to demonstrate and explain some significant aspects of microwave-enhanced combustion. Both simulation and experimental studies are performed close to lean blow off conditions. In the simulations, the flame is gradually subjected to increasing reduced electric field strengths, resulting in a wider flame that stabilizes nearer to the burner nozzle. Experiments are performed at two equivalence ratios, where the leaner case absorbs up to more than 5% of the total flame power. Data from experiments reveal trends similar to simulated results with increased microwave absorption.

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Radio frequency spark plug: An ignition system for modern internal combustion engines

Cited by 75 publications

References 39 publications

Experimental investigation of the influence of internal and external EGR on the combustion characteristics of a controlled auto-ignition two-stroke cycle engine

Experimental investigation of the influence of internal and external EGR on the combustion characteristics of a controlled auto-ignition two-stroke cycle engine

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

Investigations of microwave stimulation of a turbulent low-swirl flame

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