EP2342789A1 - Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing face - Google Patents
Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing faceInfo
- Publication number
- EP2342789A1 EP2342789A1 EP09736895A EP09736895A EP2342789A1 EP 2342789 A1 EP2342789 A1 EP 2342789A1 EP 09736895 A EP09736895 A EP 09736895A EP 09736895 A EP09736895 A EP 09736895A EP 2342789 A1 EP2342789 A1 EP 2342789A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- internal combustion
- combustion engine
- ground electrode
- conical
- air gap
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 25
- 238000010304 firing Methods 0.000 title description 9
- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 239000003989 dielectric material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 11
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 7
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000005672 electromagnetic field Effects 0.000 description 5
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000020169 heat generation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000977 initiatory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012212 insulator Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003141 lower extremity Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000087 stabilizing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008685 targeting Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
- H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
- H01T13/50—Sparking plugs having means for ionisation of gap
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
- H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
- H01T13/20—Sparking plugs characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation
- H01T13/32—Sparking plugs characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation characterised by features of the earthed electrode
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
- H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
- H01T13/46—Sparking plugs having two or more spark gaps
- H01T13/467—Sparking plugs having two or more spark gaps in parallel connection
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to an internal combustion engine having a sparkplug with an improved firing face.
- the traditional ignition system consists of a sparkplug acting as an electrical feed into a combustion chamber of a gasoline engine, providing concentrated thermal energy release, in the form of a spark, to initiate the combustion.
- a conventional transformer is used, incorporating electronics to condition and to feed energy from the electrical network in vehicles (Battery, Generator). Typically breaks down voltages are in the range of 30 to 4OkV for spark air gaps of lmm. The required released thermal energy is a result of the magnetic energy which was stored before this event.
- Ignition alternatives are intelligently controlled resonance structures with the help of high frequency electromagnetic fields, which allow emitting heat over larger space, constant over time, and at extended time compared to existing ignition systems. These systems require at minimum a resonance structure, a driving generator and electrodes providing the interface to release the heat. It is well known that with the help of resonance structure high voltages can be generated.
- the electrode design commonly called firing face
- firing face is of significant importance for the overall performance and has to be optimized in combination with the typical conical cloud like fuel mixtures of a stratified injection strategy inside the combustion chamber.
- the electrode configuration of such resonance ignition systems is providing the least interaction with the stratified spray, except of the release of heat under severe conditions.
- the pressure at which it has to properly ignite the gas mixture may go up to 3MPa at temperatures of approx 400 0 C. It is an objective of the present invention to improve the efficiency of the sparkplug in a simple and cost-effective way, by proposing a spark-plug firing face design for high frequencies in conjunction with various injection strategies, but in particular for stratified fuel injection strategies.
- the present invention provides an internal combustion engine having a resonance based ignition system comprising a sparkplug with a center electrode and a ground electrode facing the combustion side of the engine, fuel being injected in the combustion chamber of the engine in the form of a conical stratified spray, characterized in that the ground electrode has a tubular shape coaxial with regards to the center electrode delimiting a coaxial air gap and has an end surface of substantially conical shape, and in that the outer air gap between the end surface of the ground electrode and the mantle line of the conical stratified spray has a substantially conical section.
- the conical shape of the ground electrode lower end prevents hindering the access of the stratified spray to the lower extremity of the spark plug, in order to place the thermal energy "spark" close by the stratified gasoline spray.
- the substantially tubular space between the center electrode and the ground electrode is filled with a low loss dielectric material, except at its end portion where the coaxial air gap is delimited;
- the capacitance of the coaxial air gap is at least 500 times smaller relative to the capacitance of the resonating structure of the ignition system;
- the coaxial air gap has a radial dimension included between 0,5 mm and 1,5 mm;
- the angle between the mantle line and the end surface of the ground electrode is substantially 30 degrees
- ground electrode general axis and the conical stratified spray general axis are substantially coplanar;
- the resonance structure of the ignition system is operated under Industrial Scientific and Medical purposes frequencies.
- FIG. 1 is a bloc-diagram showing a resonance based ignition system
- FIG. 2 is a bloc-diagram showing the resonating structure of the ignition system of figure 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing a sparkplug according to the present invention.
- a resonance based ignition system comprises a resonator 2, a generator 1 and a heat release interface 3.
- the basic operation is: the generator 1 is feeding its high frequency electromagnetic energy into a resonator 2.
- the resonator is accumulating this energy and, once the breaks down conditions are met, a plasma is built up at its designed firing face 3.
- This firing face 3 has to sustain two distinct phases of one single heat release event (spark).
- the first phase can be characterised by the built up of high voltage at the output of the resonator 2 such that the surrounding gas gets ionised and a second at which the ionised gas is fed continuously by energy from the generator 1.
- the resonance structure is operated beneficially under ISM (Industrial Scientific and Medical purposes) radio bands, which were originally reserved internationally for the use of RF electromagnetic fields for industrial, scientific and medical purposes other than communications.
- ISM Industrial Scientific and Medical purposes
- Beneficial but not exclusive are the following ISM frequencies: 13,56MHz, 27,12MHz, 40,68MHz.
- the interface 3 is operated with electromagnetic waves of the ISM frequency.
- the electrodes of this interface are exposed to the stratified gas mixture.
- the electrodes represent an additional capacitive firing interface (4) for the resonating structure 5, 6, 7, using lumped electrical elements, as shown in figure 2.
- the elements 4, 5, 6, 7 are described as well by a capacitive loaded lossy quarter wavelength transmission line with a termination of an electrical open circuit condition.
- This electrical open-circuit termination is practically built out of the mechanical geometries of the electrode configuration, called firing face, with the surrounding gas condition as dielectric filler material. Both mechanical geometries and the dielectric filler are representing a capacitance 4 at which the plasma built up takes place.
- the additional capacitor 4 is variable in its value due to the fact that its dielectric permittivity is changing with the permittivity of the surrounding gas mixture.
- dielectric permittivity is split into two fractions, one which describes the ability to store electromagnetic energy and a second fraction which describes the ability to conduct it and therefore creating thermal energy losses.
- a few different mechanisms are explaining this behavior of dielectric materials. In this case we are observing two effects affecting the resonance structure, while a stratified gas mixture approaches the electromagnetic field of the electrode configuration.
- One fraction of permittivity of the gas mixture increases the capacitance, hence lowering the resonance frequency of the structure (see equation 1).
- Another fraction of the permittivity is creating an electric dissipative loss path through the affected gas mixture which is in reach of the electrodes.
- Equation 1 the resonance frequency is: J
- An electrode design is superior, if the dynamic change of its capacitance, due to a permittivity changes derived from gas mixtures, has its least impact with regards to the resultant resonance shift. Therefore the capacitance of the electrode design has to be significantly inferior to the capacitance of the entire resonance.
- An electrode design is superior, if most dielectric loss can be directed into the gas, creating thermal losses (means heat generation) to support the desired ignition function.
- a new electrode configuration according to the invention is shown in figure 3. It shows a fraction of the electrical feed through and the electrode configuration relative to the stratified spray.
- the electrical feed through consists of a conductive center electrode 8 and a coaxial ground electrode 9.
- the lower end surface 15 of the ground electrode 9 is of conical shape, forming an annular conical outer surface.
- the coaxial tubular space 14 between both elements 8, 9 is filled preferably with low loss dielectric materials such as a ceramic insulator as in standard spark plugs. It represents a fraction of the capacitance 7.
- the air gaps 10, 11 consist of two elements.
- the first element, an inner air gap 10 is a small cavity in the lower portion of the spark plug and represents a capacitance 4 with coaxial geometry.
- the second element is an outer air gap 11 which results out of the relative position of the stratified mixture 12, here in form of a cone in relation to the ground electrode 9.
- the outer air gap 11 has a conical, or truncated, shape.
- the arrows Fl, F2 on figure 3 represent the mantle line of a conical shaped fuel spray 12 as typically used in stratified injection regimes.
- the spray 12 is coming out of the nozzle of an injector.
- This spray 12 is very wet at its mantle line; inside its cone is air with little gas.
- the spray 12 has a very high velocity at the very beginning of its injection, due to the fuel pressure, and gets slower after some millimeters of travel inside the combustion chamber.
- the air gap thickness 13 between the mantle line of the conical stratified spray 12 and the conical coaxial end surface 15 of the ground electrode 9 is increasing outwardly from the spark plug axis along the end surface 15 between two values, preferably between 0mm and 3,5mm.
- the ground electrode 9 general axis and the conical stratified spray 12 general axis are substantially coplanar.
- the arrangement of said axes could be different from coplanar provided that the mantle line of the conical stratified spray 12 and the conical coaxial end surface 15 are close by.
- the capacitance of the coaxial air gap 10 is at least 500 times smaller relative to the capacitance of the resonating structure 7.
- the coaxial air gap 10 has the following dimensions: 0.5mm ⁇ d ⁇ 1.5mm where "d" is the radial dimension and an axial depth included between lmm and 2mm.
- the conical, or truncated shape, air gap 11 between the mantle line and the conical coaxial end surface 15 of the ground electrode 9 has a minimal air gap thickness 13 of Omm and a maximal air gap thickness 13 of 3,5mm.
- the initial plasma formation occurs inside the coaxial air gap 10. It provides a protected niche partially isolated from the turbulences originated by the dynamic gas flow inside the combustion chamber. Because the applied high frequency electromagnetic fields are preferably conducting thru media with high dielectric loss, any fuel droplet and fuel gaseous constituents will be additionally heated which are in reach to these electromagnetic field.
- This plasma initiation niche allows stabilizing the system behavior in regards of dynamic change of the resonance effect and in addition to take benefit of typical high frequency break down effects that are reducing the break down voltages.
Landscapes
- Spark Plugs (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP09736895A EP2342789B1 (en) | 2008-10-13 | 2009-10-08 | Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing face |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP08166511 | 2008-10-13 | ||
| PCT/EP2009/063120 WO2010043545A1 (en) | 2008-10-13 | 2009-10-08 | Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing face |
| EP09736895A EP2342789B1 (en) | 2008-10-13 | 2009-10-08 | Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing face |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP2342789A1 true EP2342789A1 (en) | 2011-07-13 |
| EP2342789B1 EP2342789B1 (en) | 2012-08-15 |
Family
ID=40513440
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP09736895A Not-in-force EP2342789B1 (en) | 2008-10-13 | 2009-10-08 | Internal combustion engine having a spark plug with an improved firing face |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP2342789B1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2010043545A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP6086445B2 (en) * | 2011-09-11 | 2017-03-01 | イマジニアリング株式会社 | Antenna structure, high-frequency radiation plug, and internal combustion engine |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1521313A (en) * | 1975-09-09 | 1978-08-16 | Lindsay M | Hybrid gap spark plug |
| FR2859830B1 (en) * | 2003-09-12 | 2014-02-21 | Renault Sas | PLASMA GENERATION CANDLE WITH INTEGRATED INDUCTANCE. |
-
2009
- 2009-10-08 WO PCT/EP2009/063120 patent/WO2010043545A1/en not_active Ceased
- 2009-10-08 EP EP09736895A patent/EP2342789B1/en not_active Not-in-force
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| See references of WO2010043545A1 * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2010043545A1 (en) | 2010-04-22 |
| EP2342789B1 (en) | 2012-08-15 |
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