Automobile Ignition Research Articles

Finding the “Bio” in Biobased Products: Electrophoretic Identification of Wheat Proteins in Processed Products

Verification of the biocontent in biobased or "green" products identifies genuine products, exposes counterfeit copies, supports or refutes content claims, and ensures consumer confidence. When the biocontent includes protein, elemental nitrogen analysis is insufficient for verification since non-protein, but nitrogen-rich, content also may be present. However, the proteins can be extracted, separated by electrophoretic methods, and detected by UV absorption, protein stain, or immunoblotting. We utilized capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) to separate proteins in a gliadin fraction that had been dissolved in aqueous ethanol (70%) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to separate proteins in a gliadin-plus-glutenin fraction that had been dissolved in water containing both sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). We sought to verify the presence of these wheat grain proteins in wheat bread, a wheat flake cereal, wheat beer, and an enclosure for an antique automobile ignition coil reputed to contain wheat gluten. Proteins extracted from commercial wheat, corn, and soy flours served as standards, and proteins from heat-altered wheat served as process condition references. This approach successfully identified wheat proteins in these products especially if the process temperature did not exceed 120 degrees C. Above this temperature attenuation was nearly complete for proteins analyzed by CZE, but wheat-like patterns could still be recognized by one- and two-dimensional PAGE. Immunoblots reacted with grain-specific antibodies confirmed the identities of the cereal component especially when the protein pattern was greatly altered by thermal modification, specific protein adsorption, or protein digestion. In addition to verifying that wheat proteins are present, the complementary use of these methods can reveal whether whole wheat gluten or merely an alcohol-soluble fraction had been used in the specific product and indicate the level of thermal damage.

The Role of TiO2 in Ceramic Bulk Interference Suppressing Resistor Integrated with Car Spark Plug

Spark plug resistors operate under extreme conditions (200°C, 4.2 MPa, peak-to-peak working voltage Up-p of 15 to 30 kV, and instantaneous power of 26 kW). The dissipated heat has to be distributed evenly in the entire structure. The deciding factor for the homogeneity of the structure of a resistive body, which also influences the resistance value of resistors, is titanium dioxide. Its influence on the phase transition of the glass binding the components of the resistive body has been investigated by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA). Homogeneity assessment of the structure has been carried out by means of a scanning electron microscope. Titanium undergoes partial reduction during thermal processing of the resistor. The oxidation number of titanium has been determined by means of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis–x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA-XPS). Electrical stability of the resistors has been measured using a simulator device for the car ignition system. The resistors with no TiO2 content get damaged and those with TiO2 exhibit electrical stability.

Externally controlled nanosecond Xe discharge lamp equipped with a synchronous high-voltage power supply using an automobile ignition coil

We have constructed two kinds of nanosecond discharge lamps using an ignition coil for an automobile, in which a commercially available Xe lamp that is normally operated at a direct-current (dc) mode is employed. The first one is a free-running uncontrolled-driven Xe discharge lamp, where a positive high-voltage pulse obtained from the ignition coil is applied directly to an anode electrode of the Xe lamp. The second one refined is a synchronized-driven Xe discharge lamp, in which a capacitance C attached on the anode electrode of the lamp is charged up in a stepwise fashion to the breakdown voltage of the lamp and then an external control signal for triggering the lamp discharge is fed on a high-voltage semiconductor switch connected between the cathode electrode of the lamp and the ground. Unlike the conventional discharge lamp, no high-voltage dc power supply is required and, therefore, it is free from undesirable arc discharge problems. To increase the repetition frequency of the pulsed emission, two ignition coils whose operating phases are shifted by 180° with respect to each other are incorporated. When C=10 pF, the pulse width, peak power, and repetition frequency were 8.0 ns, 2.0 W, and 125 Hz, respectively, with a time jitter of 60 ns.

Arc erosion reduction on electrical contacts using transverse current injection

Electrical contact lifetime is often directly determined by arc erosion. A method for reducing are erosion was developed consisting of injecting from an external current source an additional electrical current flowing parallel to the contact surface. This method was examined in three are environments using the additional transverse electrical current with a density less than 1 A/mm/sup 2/: 1) automobile ignition contacts; 2) pulsed air arc; and 3) low pressure (P=100 mTorr) arc in nitrogen, SEM and X-ray examination showed that application of a transverse current in a contact during arcing changed the phase composition and microstructure of the contact surface. Under optimal conditions, the microstructure which is formed is significantly more erosion resistant than without the transverse current injection.

Low-cost electron-gun pulser for table-top maser experiments

A simple 10 kV electron-gun pulser for small-scale maser experiments is presented. This low-cost pulser has operated successfully in various table-top cyclotron-resonance maser (CRM) and free-electron maser (FEM) experiments. It consists of a low-voltage capacitor bank, an SCR control circuit and a transformer bank (car ignition coils) connected directly to the e-gun. The pulser produces a current of 3 A at 10 kV voltage in a Gaussian like shape of 1 ms pulse width. The voltage sweep during the pulse provides a useful tool to locate resonances of CRM and FEM interactions. Analytical expressions for the pulser design and experimental measurements are presented.

Laser deflection through a spark

An experiment that uses laser deflection through a spark is described. The experiment uses an automobile battery and ignition system to generate a spark in atmospheric pressure air. A 5-mW He–Ne laser beam is deflected by the hot reduced density channel. The deflection is measured with a sensitive position detector, and the radial density profile is unfolded using an Abel inversion. Results indicate that the spark creates a weak shock wave, followed by a reduction in density on the order of half an atmosphere.

Flame initiation and development from glow discharges—Effect of electrode deposits

The predominant discharge mode in the spark from a conventional automobile coil ignition system is a glow discharge. It is also known that certain gasoline additives—alkali and alkaline earth metal compounds known as “spark-aiders”—enhance the ignition process in spark ignition engines by forming deposits on the spark plug electrodes. This work describes experiments performed in a combustion bomb to study flame initiation and development from glow discharges, and the effects of electrode deposits on these phenomena. The two phenomena, which are intimately linked, are shown to be profoundly influenced by the presence of electrodes and to depend on electrode gap, material, shape and size as well as spark power, energy, mixture characteristics, and pressure. Marginal conditions for flame initiation can result from a suitable combination of any of these parameters. Crystalline deposits on the electrodes make breakdown of the gap easier and more repeatable, but breakdown itself plays a relatively unimportant role in flame initiation and development in the experiments described here. Only the potassium compound deposits on the electrodes lead to a reduction in the glow voltage, primarily because of a reduction in the cathode fall, though reductions in the column voltage gradient are also observed. Such deposits, viz potassium sulfate, greatly enhance the ignition ability of a glow discharge, especially as the conditions for ignition become more difficult. In some cases, however, when the reduction in the glow voltage because of such deposits is too large, the ignition ability of the glow discharge can worsen. The results can be partially explained in terms of the presence of low electron work function material on the cathode and the consequent improvement in the energy transfer efficiency of the glow discharge. However, other questions about the details of the effect of such deposits on the physics of the glow discharge and on flame initiation and development remain unresolved.

Corrosion of metals by the fumigant phosphine

A method for studying the reaction of phosphine with metals has been developed, using a technique based on depletion of the gas from an enclosed atmosphere. The rate of the reaction of phosphine with copper exceeded that of all other metals by one order of magnitude or more. Corrosion was found to be increased with higher relative humidites, fumigant concentrations, oxygen levels and with repeated treatments with the phosphine. The liquids that accumulated on the surfaces of copper, silver and gold during the course of the reaction were collected and found to be mainly acids of phosphorus. In a search for inhibitors of the reaction, potassium dichromate was found to give a high degree of protection; sodium carbonate and a commercial lacquer made for automobile ignition systems reduced the rates of the reaction to a lesser degree.

All-glass vacuum-insulated liquid-nitrogen cooled CO laser

An all-glass design for a vacuum-insulated liquid-nitrogen cooled CO laser is described. The outer jacket of this laser tube consists of a silvered all-glass Dewar which efficiently thermally insulates the cryogenic reservoir. The laser is operated in a pulsed mode using car ignition coils as high-voltage transformers. The laser is inexpensive, easy to operate, and reliable. Up to 260 W peak power at 0.1 ms pulse duration and 50 pulses/s was attained.

Mechanism of Automobile Ignition Noise Suppression by The Use of Metal Shield Caps

Mechanism of Automobile Ignition Noise Suppression by The Use of Metal Shield Caps

What is a microprocessor?

A microprocessor is the decision-making/data-manipulating portion of a microcomputer system just as is the central processing unit (CPU) of a minior macrocomputer system (macro is a convenient term used to refer to large-scale mainframes). The distinction is somewhat blurred with respect to the classifications between minicomputers and large-scale computers. This is even more so between minicomputers and microcomputers. The main distinctions have to do with size, speed, and cost factors. In point of fact, a microprocessor may be defined as a oneor few-chip integrated circuit (IC) realization of a general purpose CPU. (The term IC refers to the electronic fabrication technology involved in manufacturing the microprocessor. This term will be explained in more detail later.) The microprocessor contains registers (temporary, or working storage), control circuitry, and data paths for interpretation and execution of instructions? The primary difference between the larger CPUs and the microprocessor is size. This stems from the fact that the larger CPUs are made up of many individual physical components and the microprocessor is a single physical device. Figure 1 shows this relationship between the CPU of a NOVA 820 minicomputer and an INTEL 8080 microprocessor. The microprocessor is a single programmable logic device, which may act as the heart of a computer system (i.e., be a CPU) or may find use in a myriad of other devices (i.e., be a controller). In particular, microprocessors today are found in automobile ignition systems, washing machines, microwave ovens, and intelligent laboratory instruments. The extreme versatility, low cost, and high reliability of these devices have brought about a revolution in the electronics industry as well as in every other field that utilizes devices to control or monitor situations through electronic means.

New techniques for suppression of automobile ignition noise

Automobile ignition noise is due to fast rise-time (impulsive) currents that flow in the vehicle's wiring. The major sources of these impulses are the breakdown in the distributor of the gap between the rotor and the posts, the breakdown of the spark plug gap, and the closure of the breaker points. Each of these sources can be treated individually to suppress the ignition noise. Concepts have been developed and prototypes built and tested for incorporating simple low-pass filters directly into the spark plug (by appropriate sizing of the plug's shell and inner electrode) and into the distributor. The intent of the work was to take an individual vehicle, already suppressed by the techniques used in mass production at the time (1972) in the United States, and to improve that suppression by at least 10 dB over the frequency range 30 to 500 MHz. The amount of suppression improvement obtained, determined by comparison of frequency-scanned peak field strength, ranged from about 13 dB to about20 dB depending upon the frequency. Similar improvements were obtained on a vehicle selected at random. Preliminary measurements (made only on the first vehicle) indicate no undesirable effects upon the vehicle's operation or its exhaust emissions at three conditions. The cost of incorporating these suppression techniques into mass-produced automobiles is not known exactly but is believed by the authors to be nominal.

Measurements of amplitude probability distributions and power of automobile ignition noise at HF

Measurements of the amplitude probability distribution (APD) of the envelope and measurements of other parameters of automobile ignition noise were made at frequencies between 24 and 30 MHz. The measurements were conducted at a quiet site where several single stationary vehicles were operated at engine speeds corresponding to idle and cruise. Measurements were also made at two distances near a freeway, for light traffic (approximately 20 vehicles per min) and for heavy traffic (approximately 45 vehicles per min). The principal instrumentation consisted of several phase-stable receivers with coherent quadrature detectors whose outputs were digitized at a rate of 200 samples per quadrature component per second and recorded on magnetic tape for computer processing. About 10 min of data (about 120 000 samples) were obtained during each measurement. The computer plotted the APD on a Rayleigh scale in dB relative to thermal noise and calculated the mean noise power available at the antenna terminals (related by a constant to the noise factor F <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</inf> ) and V <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">d</inf> --the ratio in dB of rms to average voltage. The average power of the ignition noise increases with engine r/min and V <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">d</inf> usually decreases. Near a freeway, most of the noise is contributed by a small number of very noisy vehicles. The APD's for various situations are strikingly similar; all show that most of the noise envelope samples in a measurement are Rayleigh distributed. A small percentage of the noise samples do not follow the Rayleigh distribution, but are of higher amplitude. This percentage is higher for an engine at cruise speed than at idle speed, and higher for heavy traffic than for light traffic.

The Pacemaker Patient and the Electromagnetic Environment

THE development of the inhibitorydemand pacemaker was a significant step in the evolution of a prosthetic cardiac conduction system for man. 1 This unit monitored the heart rate by sensing the R wave, recycling without firing when the rate was adequate, and firing at an appropriate rate when bradycardia occurred. The problem of unwanted competitive pacing from the older fixed-rate pacemaker was thus solved. The solution of one problem, however, often creates new ones. It was soon apparent that such pacemakers could sense electromagnetic potentials other than the intrinsic myocardial potentials. 2 These extraneous signals are collectively referred to as electromagnetic interference (EMI). These signals from such sources as automobile ignition systems and small electric motors were able to produce, in a few cases, unwanted and potentially dangerous inhibition of the pulse generator. The phenomenon occurred more readily in unipolar than bipolar pacemakers because of the larger antenna area between

Effects of pulsed currents on respiration and the heart.

The effects on the respiratory and circulatory systems of rabbits of pulsed currents from two sources have been studied. The sources were an industrial high voltage test-set (source A) and an automobile ignition system (source B). When the fore-limb to fore-limb pathway was used, source A produced complete arrest of respiration at the highest output voltage, 5kV (corresponding to a current of 392 mA), and at a pulse repetition rate of 30 per second. Progressive reduction of either of these factors resulted in progressively less interference with respiration. With the fore-limb to hind-limb pathway complete arrest of respiration occurred at an output voltage of 2 kV (corresponding to a current of 140 mA) and at a pulse repetition rate of 30 per second. Again progressive reduction of either current or pulse repetition rate resulted in progressively less interference with respiration, although at 30 per second even with the lowest voltage setting (1 kV; 64 mA) only diaphragmatic respiration occurred. Source B used on either pathway up to a pulse repetition rate of 16 per second did not cause complete arrest of respiration whether the current was taken straight from the ignition coil or off the distributor. Neither source caused ventricular fibrillation either when delivering pulses at a preset rate or when the pulses were timed to coincide with successive T waves of the E.C.G. In these experiments the trains of pulses falling on the T waves lasted about 10 seconds. With both sources the current and voltage waveforms were similar and in phase. With source A increase in current was directly related to increase in applied voltage. These findings suggest that under these experimental conditions, with minimum contact resistance, the animal impedance is resistive with no significant reactance.

Automobile ignition systems

Automobile ignition systems

An Efficient Noise Immune Sync and AGC Circuit for Television Receivers

Impulse noise interference, such as may be caused by sparking electric motors or automobile ignition systems, can interfere with the performance of a television receiver in the following principal ways: First, the impulses appear directly in the picture; second, the synchronization separator input circuit may charge up to such an extent that the picture loses synchronization; third, the impulses may provide false information to the AGC system thereby causing a sharp reduction receiver gain. Of the three, the latter two effects are by far the more serious. Consequently, noise ``suicide'' or noise inverter circuits, for the protection of the sync separator and AGC circuits have been widely used.

Automobile ignition systems

Automobile ignition systems

Impulsive interference in amplitude-modulation receivers

An analysis is made of the response of an a.m. receiver to impulsive interference (of the type generated by car ignition systems) using the Fourier integral theorem. Conclusions concerning the general behaviour of receivers are deduced from the formulae developed. The method is then applied to the calculation of the performance of noise suppressor circuits which are classified as amplitude, differential and delay limiters. Simple expressions are derived for estimating the suppression attainable in any particular case.Some experiments are described in which the performance of the first two types of noise suppressor was measured. There is shown to be fair agreement with the calculated values.A comparison is made between the behaviour of frequency modulated, pulse-length-modulated and suppressed amplitude-modulated systems with impulsive interference.

Proposals for television and broadcasting transmission systems

Proposals are made for Television and Broadcasting Transmission Systems. These proposals visualise television standards and Transmission methods different from those previously used. It is proposed that:—(a) Two polarisations be used for television transmission, vision signals using vertical and sound signals horizontal polarisation, both transmissions sharing a common frequency spectrum.(b) Interference between the vision and sound transmissions be combated by the introduction of an antiphase sound signal into the vision signal, and by the use of a time modulated pulse transmission for sound. A method of combatting interference between sound and synchronising by having some synchronising between the different pulse trains used for sound transmission and synchronising is suggested.(c) Each transmitted picture has 640 lines due to a three-way interlacing, and that provision be made in the transmission for increasing the line structure up to 1,280 lines per picture.(d) Two methods of frame synchronising be available, one due to a difference in duration between line and frame synchronising pulses, and the other due to the changing of the basic carrier frequency during the frame synchronising period. It is further proposed that frame synchronising makes provision for automatic colour phasing in an experimental colour transmission system.(e) The time modulated pulses used for sound transmission have a repetition frequency of 32 kc/s, and that these pulses retain up to the ninth harmonic of the pulse repetition frequency. The signal to noise improvement as compared to amplitude modulation is discussed ; an improvement, as compared to amplitude modulation of 29 2 db. in the case of random noise, and 34 db. in the case of car ignition noise is claimed.By the adoption of three ranges of service area for different services, two polarisations, and a time modulated pulse. system with a repetition frequency, of 20 kc/s for local sound services, it is shown that one television transmission with stereophonic sound, and 21 broadcast sound transmissions can be provided in any one location.It is shown that the number of frequency channels or spectra required to give adequate television programme coverage to a large area of country can be decreased by increasing the frequency ; this decrease being due to the greater attenuation beyond the horizon for higher frequencies.In order to avoid interference between transmissions in different areas served by a common television programme, it is suggested that if frequencies in the neighbourhood of 42 Mc/s were used, seven channels would be required, as against five channels when using frequencies in the neighbourhood of 250 Mc/s.It is pointed out that there may be advantages for local sound services in covering an area by the use of a large number of low power transmitters, rather than by a smaller number of higher powered transmitters. The author suggests that the existing air raid syren poles and power supplies could form the basis of such a low power transmission system.