Abstract
The combustion process quality is determined by several factors: the composition of the fuel-air mixture in the vicinity of the spark plug and the discharge conditions on the spark plug. This article assesses a high-power ignition system using optical gas flame propaga-tion analyzes. The tests were carried out in a rapid compression machine, using a fast camera for filming. The spark plug discharge quality assessment was determined indirectly by the flame propagation conditions after the ignition of the mixture (during methane combustion). The size of the flame surface and the rate of its change were assumed as a comparative criterion. It has been found that when using an ignition system with high discharge power the rate of flame development is 14% higher with respect to conventional ignition systems. In addition, the shorter development time of the early flame phase after discharge when using the new ignition system was confirmed. Based on the obtained test results and analyzes, modifications of engine operation settings were indicated, resulting from the use of a high discharge power system.
Highlights
The combustion process in a conventional sparkignition engine is triggered by the external thermal energy generated by the electric arc
The flame area values in the rapid compression machine (RCM) combustion chamber were determined as a result of image analysis using the DaVis software
Standard deviation values of the surface area in the flame development phase and in the decay phase for conventional ignition exceed the values of this deviation when using a high-capacity ignition
Summary
The combustion process in a conventional sparkignition engine is triggered by the external thermal energy generated by the electric arc. Jacobs et al [4] in collaboration with a certified AVL research center used optical analysis to demonstrate that using a spark plug with increased peak power improves ignition initiation and flame development, resulting in faster combustion of the mixture compared to a conventional spark plug. This is explained by the formation of a large volume plasma between the spark plug electrodes in the first breakdown phase [10]
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