HK1227552B - Plasma ignition plug for an internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

Plasma ignition plug for internal combustion engine

Related application

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/891,551, filed on 16/10/2013.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ignition source for use with an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma ignition plug (ignition plug) designed to replace a spark plug (spark plug).

Background

The plasma generated by the igniter plug of the present invention increases the molecular dissociation of the fuel, so that almost 100% combustion can be achieved, and heat generation can be reduced, horsepower can be increased, and exhaust gas data (profile) can be almost completely remedied.

The object of the present invention is to create a device for facilitating the combustion of petroleum-based fuels by plasma propagation in internal combustion engines. Conventional spark ignition devices, such as spark plugs, do not currently provide the property of plasma ignition. The field of spark-type devices is replete with over 1,000 proprietary spark emitters and plasma delivery devices. The field of plasma arc igniters also has many inventions, but most applications are not relevant to internal combustion engines. All such devices generally comprise: an anode rod inserted longitudinally through the center of (two), (two) an insulating ceramic composed of various vitreous or vitreous ceramics, (three) a solid mounted (fixed) metallic cathode material composed of various materials that are fixed to the ceramic insulating material using various methods and techniques, (four) all of these including various spark gap geometries, from a simple spark rod separated from the tip of the anode rod to various types of cages, plates, laminates, and other methods to amplify or enhance the effectiveness of the spark emitted into the cylinder of the engine during the ignition cycle.

The present invention differs from all prior art devices of the same class in (a) the materials included in their design, (b) the geometry of their firing tips, and (iii) their electronic and electrical properties. A single and common drawback of spark plugs is generally that the metallic components involved in their manufacture are unable to emit a spark across the ignition gap during the detonation phase that can efficiently (beyond a limited limit) ignite air and fuel droplets compressed in the cylinder. Limitations of existing "spark emitter" devices are the poor electrical conductivity of (a) the metallic elements, (b) the electrical durability exhibited by the metallic elements, and (c) the limited limits on electrical saturation provided by the ceramic-ceramic insulation.

The normal air to fuel ratio supported by conventional devices is generally recognized as 14.7: 1. Newer engines have recently been manufactured that can operate at 22:1 elevated ratios. This increased level of air to fuel mixture represents an upper operating limit for conventional internal combustion engine devices because the amount of current (including several variable input properties) that can be tolerated by conventional spark plugs cannot exceed this performance level. To efficiently initiate fuel-air mixing at higher rates, the ignition source must be designed to tolerate much higher current levels, faster switching times, and higher peak amplitudes than any currently available device.

The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

The plasma ignition plug of the present invention incorporates the following elements in its design:

electrical saturation: conventional vitreous ceramic insulating materials used in current spark plug manufacture are replaced with vitreous (vitreoous) machinable ceramics such as boron nitride. Vitreous machinable ceramics such as boron nitride are available in a variety of formulations and typically reduce to a vitreous ceramic crystalline insulator when exposed to the appropriate applied temperatures and pressures. Other examples include RESCOR, offered by Catronics corporation^TMAlumina and alumina silicates can be processed into ceramics. Such machinable ceramic insulator materials provide an elevated electrical saturation limit that is shown by manufacturer specifications to exceed conventional ceramic spark plug insulation by a factor of up to 1800. The use of such materials enables the present invention to support current input levels in the range of up to 7.5 amps at 75,000 volts DC (direct current). Testing has shown that the exceeding of the tolerance of the state-of-the-art conventional devices by the applied current at this level results in catastrophic failure in the same test protocol within 15 seconds. The test results of the present invention demonstrate that it is capable of tolerating switched and sustained inputs at this level indefinitely without damage or deterioration.

Switching time: the nature of the spark-type ignition devices currently manufactured results in a persistent residue of each electrical pulse as it is delivered by the ignition coil and distributor equipment. Beyond a certain switching threshold (threshold), shown by the manufacturer of the best commercially available racing spark plugs to be less than 5 milliseconds, the spark arc passing from the anode to the cathode becomes a continuous arc sequence at each firing event. The result of this limited material is that a significant portion of the spark pulse generated will be retained by the metallic material of the spark plug rather than the gas delivered to the cylinder. Combustion efficiency has been repeatedly demonstrated in ignition systems as a function of a number of combinatorial variables, including: switching time (one), (amplitude peak (two), (pulse duration (three), (pulse discrimination curve slope (four), (five) resonance, capacitance and impedance in the arc emitter, and (six) insulation efficiency. The present invention addresses the problem of limiting the performance of conventional spark emitter devices by including the following list in their manufacture: (one) thorium-tungsten alloy as anode material, (two) titanium as plasma emitter tip, and (three) vitrification as ceramic insulating materialProcessed ceramics, and (iv) beryllium copper alloy as the cathode casing. These materials should be as 5 × 10^-7Second interval and 5X 10^-8The discrimination duration when switched exhibits less than 2.1 x 10 volts per pulse at 6.5 amps 75,000 volts^-6Sustained discharge of the watts. This performance level is 1000 times better than any conventionally manufactured spark emitter.

Efficiency of combustion: the nature of the ignition cycle in an internal combustion engine depends on (a) the ratio and efficiency of the air to finely atomized fuel vapor mixture within the cylinder, (b) the amount of heat and pressure applied to the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder prior to ignition, (c) the nature of the ignition source, and (d) the geometry of the physical device in which the fuel is combusted. The present invention increases combustion efficiency by enabling combustion of air-fuel mixtures in the range of 30:1 to 40:1, and results in an increase in actual output in the form of usable horsepower, a corresponding decrease in fuel consumption per output unit, a decrease in engine operating temperature, and substantial remediation of exhaust gas constituents to as low as 1.0ppm (parts-per-million) to 2.5 ppm. The present invention achieves the above effects by: providing (one) an ignition source at least 1000 times greater in amplitude than a conventional spark plug, and (two) introducing a fully dissociated plasma field prior to an ignition event for dissociating long-chain hydrocarbon molecules characteristic of petroleum-based fuels. By exposing nearly all of the carbon ions held in the molecular chain to free oxygen molecules carried by the air component of the fuel-air mixture, the percentage of effectively oxidized carbon ions results in a large increase in ignition pressure output and nearly complete elimination of un-ignited carbon particles in the exhaust gas data.

Plasma induced ignition: plasma-induced ignition of compressed mixtures of petroleum-based fuels and air has been demonstrated to (one) improve combustion efficiency, (two) increase combustion effectiveness, (three) increase work function output, (four) lower operating temperatures, and (five) remediate exhaust emission data. It has not heretofore been possible to introduce an effective plasma-based ignition assembly into a conventional internal combustion engine because the materials used to fabricate conventional spark plugs cannot respond to the electricity required to create the plasma fieldGas and signal input levels, the plasma field can be sufficiently dense, sufficiently amplified, and effectively switched over in long-term operation.

In one particular embodiment, a plasma ignition plug according to the present invention includes a generally cylindrical insulator having a proximal end and a distal end. The central anode is coaxially disposed within the insulator and is substantially coextensive therewith. A generally hemispherical or spherical emitter is disposed in the distal end of the insulator and is electrically connected to the central anode. A terminal is disposed in the proximal end of the insulator and is electrically connected to the central anode. A generally annular cathode sleeve is coaxially disposed about the distal end of the insulator with an annular gap formed between the cathode sleeve and the emitter.

The equatorial diameter of the emitter is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the hollow insulator. The cathode sleeve is preferably threaded and configured to be compatible with the threaded port of an internal combustion engine. It is preferred to make the insulator from a vitreous processable ceramic powder. A preferred example of such a material is boron nitride ceramic powder compressed with a machinable composition, which is subsequently heated and compressed into a glassy crystalline structure.

The central anode is preferably made of thorium tungsten alloy. The emitter is preferably made of titanium and press-fitted onto the central anode. The cathode sleeve is preferably made of beryllium copper alloy or vanadium copper alloy.

The emitter preferably extends beyond the distal end of the cathode sleeve. An insulator electrically insulates the central anode and cathode sleeves along their lengths. The annular gap formed between the emitter and the annular ring on the distal end of the cathode sleeve is uninterrupted by the insulator.

The plasma ignition plug may be constructed using the general shapes and configurations described above, the materials described above, or a combination of the two.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In this figure:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a close-up view of the annular gap of the plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an OEM system incorporating a plasma igniter plug of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of an integrated plug and wire modification for use with the plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a retrofit system for use with the plasma ignition plug of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention is designed as a specially designed plasma emitter which in various tests has been shown to emit highly excited arc driven plasma fields when subjected to properly designed power supplies and switching systems. The apparatus shown in fig. 1-4 is constructed with (a) an anode 12 made from a bar of thoriated tungsten alloy, (b) an insulator 14 made from a vitreous machinable ceramic material such as boron nitride, (c) a hemispherical field emitter 16 made from titanium, and (d) a cathode sleeve 18 made from beryllium copper alloy or vanadium copper alloy. The cathode 18 has a circular ring 20 near the emitter 16. The body of cathode 18 is preferably shaped and threaded 22 to fit within an engine valve of a spark plug configured to be received in a typical internal combustion engine. A terminal or ignition input cap 24 is press fit to the end of the anode 12 opposite the cathode 18.

The plasma ignition plugs of the present invention provide a much higher current to the ignition cycle in nanosecond pulse bursts (bursts). Instead of simply generating an ignition arc, the plasma plug of the present invention generates a plasma that is powerful enough to dissociate water molecules in the open air and burn them with a brilliant arc. When exposed to the plasma field of the plasma ignition plug of the present invention, gasoline molecules are broken down into single ion radicals, which are then ignited by an arc of equal strength. The result is complete combustion of the fuel molecules with almost complete elimination of hydrocarbon particles to an amount of 2.5 parts per billion (ppb). In addition, carbon monoxide is completely eliminated and the overall exhaust gas data (profile) is remediated. When used in a two-stroke oil-additized vehicle, the six carcinogenic exhaust pollutants typically produced by such engines are completely eliminated. Vehicles tested according to the plasma ignition plug of the present invention exhibited a substantial increase in horsepower output and gasoline mileage. Emission tests conducted on such vehicles have shown a substantial reduction or complete elimination of the most dangerous exhaust pollutants. Additional components may be used with the plasma ignition plug of the present invention to increase the discharge level, control the switching speed, recalibrate the ignition timing, and recalibrate the fuel-air ratio.

The present invention solves the fundamental problems of the prior art spark plugs by taking the following design differences.

Thorium-tungsten alloy anode: thorium-232 is suitable as an alloy in devices for the propagation of closely controlled electronic systems, since the 232 isotope of thorium constantly emits free electrons (6.02x 10)¹⁷Per square centimeter per second) without exhibiting any other emission product release associated with nuclear decay. In the plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention, the free electrons supplied by thorium-232 increased the actual amount of electrons output by the emitter by 73.91%. This amplification feature makes the present invention functionally superior to any known device of similar construction or application. Anode 12 is preferably made of (3%) thoriated tungsten alloy which allows for exceptionally low levels of thoriated tungsten anode rodThe ultra-fast switching of the resistance, this material allows free electron field saturation with almost zero residual charge persistence.

Beryllium-copper alloy cathode: conventional iron-based metals have been used in spark plug cathode systems for over 130 years. The reason for this tradition is that steel cathodes are very robust, relatively inexpensive, and extremely accessible. The disadvantages of ferrous materials in spark plug applications become important only when the desired input value breaches a tolerance threshold that such materials can tolerate. The present invention solves this problem by replacing the conventional iron cathode material with beryllium copper. The alloy of copper and beryllium has the effects of (a) increasing the tensile strength of copper, (b) increasing the softening point of copper, and (c) amplifying the conductivity of copper in a high temperature environment. It is preferable to make the cathode 18 of beryllium copper alloy or vanadium copper alloy. Beryllium-copper alloy cathodes offer extremely high electrical conductance, amplified dielectric potential (dielectric potential), and excellent tensile strength compared to copper.

Titanium plasma emitter: the largest point of exposure to degradation in each spark-emitting device is at the tip of the spark-emitting anode. Recent advances in material technology have resulted in anode tips coated with thin layers of materials such as platinum and iridium. When examining test data for such coating materials, the addition of these coating materials clearly failed to improve the actual output of work function in the form of usable energy. Furthermore, while the life expectancy of the anode tips exposed to conventional input discharge pulses is thereby extended, conventional anode tips coated with platinum or iridium fail catastrophically in 15 seconds or less when exposed to the input levels required to generate and propagate a continuous series of plasma pulse bursts.

The present invention solves this problem by replacing the spherical propagation element or emitter 16 with high purity titanium. The diameter of the emitter 16 is preferably on the order of 1/4 inch-appearing spherical or semi-spherical. The thorium tungsten alloy anode rod 12 is press-fit to the titanium emitter 16 to make a robust and highly conductive assembly that is substantially resistant to deterioration under continued operation to plasma generation levels. When assembled with the cathode 18, the arc of the emitter 16, whether spherical or hemispherical, projects beyond the end of the annular ring 20. Titanium exhibits low capacitance in the form of residual charge persistence, making it well suited for this particular application. Titanium is also substantially resistant to deterioration when used as a high voltage anode. Titanium plasma emitters offer very high resistance to degradation by high voltage/high current amounts and very low residual charge persistence, very low resistance, high surface area geometry, and very high temperature/pressure tolerance.

Field propagation mapping: the sufficiency of an arc as an ignition source in an internal combustion engine type device is a function of (a) the source charge amplitude, (b) the source charge duration, (c) the geometry of the emitter tip, and (d) the surface area operating between the anode and cathode elements. In conventional spark plug devices, a single rod of approximately 0.125 "(inch) diameter is separated from the cathode element by a gap of typically 0.030" (inch) +/-. The most efficient devices (e.g., approved by NASCAR and Formula one (Formula 1) racing association) have a single platinum coated spark rod tip surrounded by three or more cathode tips. This configuration is employed because it efficiently increases the operable surface area of the spark arc.

The present invention optimizes the relationship between geometric and surface area components by using spherical anode emitters 16 spaced approximately 0.030 inches from a circular ring 20 of beryllium-copper or vanadium-copper alloy cathodes 18. The tip of the emitter hemisphere protrudes beyond the end of the torus 20 by approximately 0.020 inches. The vitreous machinable ceramic insulator 14 is within 0.030 inches of the exposed surface of the cathode torus 20. This material combination, coupled with the curved geometric area and the closely-fitting insulator bottom surface, provides a conductive surface area at least twenty-five times greater than a high-performance NASCAR racing-type spark plug. In addition, the configuration of the plasma ignition plug 10 forces the plasma field away from the tip of the propagation device and toward the head of the piston. The combination of increased surface area has been shown to improve combustion effectiveness and efficiency by over 68% when compared to NASCAR-type spark plugs in the same test application under a typical 4-cycle gasoline-fired internal combustion engine system.

When a high amplitude pulse is driven into the anode 12, the arc generated spans the annular gap 26 more than twenty-four times at the same time. The plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention produces twenty-five times the ignition flame front (flame front) than a conventional spark plug, with conventional inputs from a standard alternator and ignition system (converting 13.5 volts DC and 30 amps at 2500rpm to 50,000 volts DC and 0.0036 amps). When the ignition level is increased by a factor of 1,800 (75,000 volts and 6.5 amps), the spark front is replaced by plasma. No conventional spark plug can tolerate current input levels such as these. In these cases, the plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention increases molecular dissociation to almost 100% combustion while reducing heat, increasing horsepower, and nearly fully remediating exhaust gas data.

Efficiency of combustion: gasoline-based fuel-air mixtures produce substantially different exhaust gas data when ignited in the presence of a conventional spark plug as compared to an electric field. The increased effect of the plasma field on combustion dynamics is mainly due to the molecular dissociation caused by the plasma on the long-chain hydrocarbon molecules comprising the fuel. Conventional combustion relies on the combination of (a) heat, (b) pressure, (c) efficient uniform mixing of fuel and air molecules, and (d) an ignition source for oxidation of hydrocarbon molecules by combustion. Combustion of petroleum-based fuels in a pressurized environment typically produces cylinder head pressures in the range of 450-550psi during operation of a conventional internal combustion engine. In contrast, plasma-induced fuel combustion has been demonstrated by the Russian Academy of sciences (Russian Academy of sciences) to produce cylinder head pressures in the 1120psi range under the same conditions.

The advantage of using a plasma-induced combustion cycle is that half of the mass of fuel burned in a normal typical internal combustion engine system can be oxidized to produce the same work function output value, all other variables remaining unchanged.

The plasma ignition plugs of the present invention may also include monatomic gold superconductors or Orbital Reordering Monatomic Elements (ORMEs) within the emitter. Such ORMEs may comprise monoatomic transition group eleven metal powders, i.e., copper, silver, and gold. These powders exhibit a second type of superconductivity in the presence of high voltage in an electromagnetic field and induce the first type of superconductivity in continuous copper and copper alloys.

Control of the switching rate relies on a maximum switching speed of up to one hundred thousand cycles per minute and six hundred nanoseconds per pulse. Preferably, the achievable switching rates include fifty nanosecond rise time plasma field propagation, two hundred nanosecond plasma field persistence, fifty nanosecond shut down discriminator, fifty nanosecond rise time combustion arc, two hundred nanosecond combustion arc duration at one hundred times surface area, and fifty nanosecond shut down discriminator. The increased discharge level preferably has an operating range that increases from one hundred amps 13.5 volts DC to 7.5 amps seventy five kilovolts DC. The plasma field is preferably less than or equal to forty thousand six hundred sixty amperes pulsed with 13.5 volts DC every two hundred nanoseconds. The arcing arc is preferably pulsed at less than or equal to 7.5 amps at seventy-five kilovolts DC every two hundred nanoseconds. Air: the fuel ratio is preferably adjusted from 14:7-1 up to 14: 40-1. It is preferred to adjust the digital control to time the ignition forty degrees before top dead center (top dead center).

Together with the plasma ignition plug of the present invention, advances in ignition switching, transformer coils, and spark plug wiring harnesses also improve discharge cycling. The transformer coil includes a novel electromagnetic core made of a nanocrystalline electromagnetic core material. Such nanocrystalline materials exhibit zero percent hysteresis under load regardless of current level. Vacum Schmelze GmbH from Kanga (Hanau) Germany&Fabricated Vitroperm^TMIs a preferred example of a nanocrystalline material used.

In combination with the nanocrystalline electromagnetic core material, a system designed for a discharge cycle in combination with the plasma ignition plug of the present invention uses a special type of cable or wire designed to carry both ac and dc current. The wire is constructed to reduce "skin effect" or "proximity effect" losses in conductors used at frequencies up to about one megahertz. Such dual current wires have a plurality of thin electrical strands that are individually insulated and twisted or braided together in one of several specifically designated patterns, often involving multiple layers or stages. The multi-level or layered wire is referred to as a group of twisted wires that are themselves twisted together. This particular winding pattern allows for a uniform overall length of each wire laid on the outer surface of the conductor. Although such dual current wires are not superconducting, they operate in the range of very low resistance to rapid pulses of VDC current discussed herein. When used as the primary winding material for transformer coils, this dual current wire almost completely eliminates resistive losses, back eddy currents, and other losses associated with transforming VDC circuits. Such dual current wires are sometimes referred to as stranded (litz) wires and are used primarily in electronic products to carry alternating current.

Another novel material used in the system of the present invention to affect the discharge cycle is a dense core wire using a sandwich tellurium 128-an alloy solid core tellurium copper wire with a high purity copper coil. The name of a special type of brand of the product isManufactured by Tellurium-Q Co., Ltd., UK. This dense core was originally developed for high performance audio file systems to eliminate phase distortion between the amplifier and speaker components. When used as a replacement for spark plug wires, such dense core wires provide current delivery from the transformer and switching system to the plasma ignition plug of the present invention in a nearly zero resistance and nearly completely phase distortion free manner. This means that the signal generated at the source can be delivered to the plasma ignition plug in a continuous manner without degradation.

When combined with a device such as Vitroperm^TMThe nanocrystalline electromagnetic core material and stranded wires of the present invention make possible an integrated wire harness (harness) designed to encase the ignition transformer coil directly within each wire, while transforming the current delivered by the alternator. Each wire having a different ignition coil and switching module directly attached thereto before being connected to each plasma ignition plugThe ends thereof. These components are possible only if the integrated wiring harness components themselves nearly eliminate heat loss due to resistance and hysteresis effects. Similar attempts have been made in the past, namely FormulaIn the straight line racing and high performance engines used in (1), a digital input controller is sometimes used to connect each spark plug wire to a different ignition coil to ensure that the output parameters do not overload the spark plug. They also include feedback circuits and sensors that are tethered to the wireless monitoring system. In the system of the present invention, each plasma ignition plug has its own transformer and switching module built into the wire.

In addition, a novel wiring harness sleeve is used in the system of the present invention to cover the wiring harness, the on-line transformer, and the on-line switching system. Fibers extruded from lava (basalt) with a diameter cross section of 0.5 microns were collected on a spool, woven together, and used in various high-tech applications. The advantage of basalt fiber materials is that they have a softening temperature of one thousand two hundred degrees celsius, which is the melting point of lava rock. This material is three times stronger than boron-doped graphite fibers of the same diameter and can be joined together to produce an insulating material that is flexible, exhibits extremely high resistance to electrical saturation, and is not subject to thermal degradation. This material is also absolutely non-conductive and exhibits zero static electricity when exposed to a magnetic field. Such basalt fiber covers make the electrical wiring harness assembly, including the dense core wires, the on-line transformer, and the on-line switching system, almost indelible and very durable under continuous use.

Fig. 5 schematically depicts a system on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) engine that utilizes plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention. The OEM system 30 includes a vehicle battery 32 electrically connected to a fuse 34, the fuse 34 being electrically connected to an ignition switch 36. The ignition switch 36 is connected to an alternator 38, the alternator 38 supplying electrical power to a distributor module 40. To date, OEM systems are very similar to prior art designs. One output of the distributor module 40 is connected to a spark controller 42, the spark controller 42 is connected to a timing controller 44, and the timing controller 44 is routed to the plasma ignition plug 10 via a plug wire 46. Spark controller 42, timing controller 44, and plug wire 46 are as described herein. All components of the OEM system 30 are shown with appropriate ground connections 48.

Fig. 6 schematically illustrates an integrated plug and wire modification (retrofit) system 50 for use with the plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention. In this retrofit system 50, the plug wire 46 extends from the power distributor module 40. Integrally formed with the patch cord 46 are an Integrated Circuit Board (ICB) switching element 52 and a transformer 54. The ICB switching element 52 is a high speed digitally controlled switch connected to a transformer 54. The transformer 54 has a nanocrystalline material electromagnetic toroid 56 and primary and secondary windings 58 of a dual-wire, litz wire. Switching element 52 and transformer 54 combine to output a pulse that is initially high amperage and then switched to high voltage. The output from transformer 54 is connected to a plug cap 60 configured to be directly connected to plasma ignition plug 10. Similarly, each component is shown with a suitable ground connection 48. The ICB switching element 52 is preferably controlled by a programmable microprocessor. The programmable microprocessor may be integrated with the ICB switching element 52 or be a separate component, and it is connected to the ICB switching element 52 and is capable of controlling the ICB switching element 52.

Typically, the pulse switching described above converts the output from the distributor module 40 first to a high amperage pulse, i.e., 30 amps 13.5 volts DC, and then to a high voltage pulse, i.e., 0.0036 amps 50,000 to 75,000 volts DC, with a total pulse duration of 200 nanoseconds. The purpose of the switching pulse is to take full advantage of plasma ignition plug 10. When the plasma ignition plug 10 is pulsed with a very fast (50 ns) steep rise burst of high amperage (200 ns period sawtooth wave), the air fuel mixture molecules are dissociated into individual radicals and ions in the plasma field. The plasma field will continue even though the charging source has terminated. The rate at which source charging is completely terminated is crucial to the effectiveness of the dissociation function, so switching must convert the plasma field to an ignition field very rapidly (50 to 100 nanoseconds). Although the constituent radicals and individual ions remain in the dissociated plasma state, the introduction of a high voltage ignition source stimulates the oxidation reaction with very high efficiency. This would operate without a flame front because the entire field now operates as a single ignition point in the plasma.

Pausing all the constituents in the plasma field creates a unique situation. Instead of merely mixing finely divided fuel droplets with immobile air molecules, which are separated by a distance in the range of a few microns on a two-bit basis during compression, the constituent ions and radicals are maintained in atomic proximity. This then creates a spatial relationship between 5 and 6 orders of magnitude greater than the prior art fuel/air mixtures, while increasing surface area contact with similar exponential growth. This is one of the causes of the complete combustion situation, i.e., all ions and radicals of all constituents. This causes all these constituents to react instantaneously upon the introduction of high voltage as the plasma field continues to sustain. When the constituents interact to oxidize the fuel, the energy released is higher than in prior art spark plugs and ignition systems because the ignition has fundamentally changed. These modifications have experimentally demonstrated the ability to reduce the amount of fuel driving the load by 68% to 73%, reduce the engine operating temperature by as much as 80 ° f, radically alter exhaust gas data, and provide high durability to plasma ignition plug 10.

An alternative retrofit system 62 is shown in fig. 7. This alternate retrofit system 62 has a similar configuration to that shown in the prior system, including the battery 32, the fuse 34, the ignition switch 36, the alternator 38, and the distributor module 40. The system also includes an ignition module 64 operatively connected to the alternator 38. The ignition module 64 acts as a power transistor. In an alternative retrofit system 62, plug wire 46 extends directly from distributor module 40 and includes an inline spark transformer 66 and an inline digital switch 68 connected to plasma ignition plug 10 of the present invention. Likewise, the appropriate components have appropriate ground connections 48 as shown. The retrofit replaces the original spark plug wire with a new plug wire 46 including an on-line transformer 66 and a digital switch 68 and replaces the plasma ignition plug 10.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the plasma ignition plug of the present invention used in a four cycle engine provides the following dynamics. Fuel was atomized in a fuel injector/vaporizer with a jet of 0.056 cm diameter into 0.4 micron diameter droplets and mixed with air. Air and fuel are injected into the cylinder at a ratio of 14:7-1 mixture. Plasma propagation occurs at an ignition point twenty-two degrees before top dead center and propagates a plasma field of forty thousand six hundred sixty amps 13.5 volts DC with a rise time of fifty nanoseconds, a duration of two hundred nanoseconds, and a turn-off time of fifty nanoseconds. At these values, the plasma field dissociates the long-chain hydrocarbon molecules into individual ions, evenly distributed under pressure with atomic-scale proximity. A subsequent ignition arc occurs fifty nanoseconds after the plasma field collapse with a two hundred nanosecond duration jet ignition pulse of 7.5 amps seventy five kilovolts DC followed by a fifty nanosecond off time. The power stroke is driven by the recombination and oxidation of carbon fuel and oxygen ions, up to sixty percent higher than conventional combustion. Exhaust stroke emissions showed almost elimination of as little as forty-two percent carbon (2.5 PPM), regulated NO2, regulated SO2, and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Such plasma ignition plugs produce more complete combustion and nanosecond time intervals to reduce cylinder head temperatures by about eighty to one hundred twenty degrees fahrenheit and exhaust temperatures by about sixty to eighty degrees fahrenheit. When the ignition timing is adjusted to between thirty-five and thirty-eight degrees before top dead center, horsepower increases by approximately fifteen to twenty-two percent depending on the engine type and fuel mixture. When the air-fuel ratio is adjusted to 40: at 1, the brake horsepower output increases and decreases by as much as 62.1% from overall fuel consumption.

The plasma ignition plug of the present invention produces similar benefits in two-stroke engines. Two-stroke exhaust emissions typically include benzene, 1, 3-butadiene, benzopyrene, formaldehyde, acrolein, and other aldehydes. Carcinogens exacerbate the irritation and health risks associated with such emissions. Two-stroke engines do not have a dedicated lubrication system, mixing lubricant with fuel resulting in a shorter duty cycle and life expectancy. Using the plasma ignition plugs of the present invention, a two-stroke engine would have an ignition amplification with a normal magnetic output (ten amp, fifteen kilovolts DC) amplified by about four times to 14 amp, sixty thousand volts with the aid of a thorium tungsten alloy anode. The spark discharge surface area was increased from a single spark rod (0.0181 inches square) to a halo (halo) emitter (0.0745 inches square) -4.169 times. The total spark discharge density increase was 23.251 times. Exhaust emission data in two-stroke engines show about eighty-seven percent reduction in hydrocarbon particulates, elimination of carbon monoxide, conversion of NOX to NO2, conversion of SOX to SO2, elimination of benzene, eighty-four percent reduction in 1, 3-butadiene, elimination of formaldehyde, and elimination of aldehydes. At six thousand RPM, horsepower increases by 12.4 percent and engine temperature decreases from two hundred sixty degrees Fahrenheit to about one hundred eighty seven degrees Fahrenheit.

A series of tests of the plasma ignition plugs of the present invention were designed to (a) create a controlled vacuum with intentionally induced attributes, (b) visually observe and empirically measure the results of the test, (c) conduct a series of tests based on incrementally controlled amounts of evaporated water, and (d) digitally record the test results in each segment. A test rig was constructed consistent with the design of plasma ignition plug 10. In a prototype plasma ignition plug test, a flyback (flyback) transformer producing 3.0 amps of 75,000 volts AC creates a clearly visible plasma field. The cold ionic water vapor generated with a conventional nebulizer is discharged to the plasma field in open air. The water vapor is dissociated, ionized, and exploded in the open air.

Although one embodiment has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims.

Claims (14)

1. A plasma ignition plug for an internal combustion engine, the plasma ignition plug comprising:

a generally cylindrical insulator having a proximal end and a distal end;

a central anode coaxially disposed within the insulator and substantially coextensive therewith;

a substantially hemispherical emitter disposed in the distal end of the insulator and electrically connected to the central anode; wherein the emitter has an equatorial diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the insulator;

a terminal disposed in the proximal end of the insulator and electrically connected to the central anode; and

a generally cylindrical cathode sleeve coaxially disposed about the distal end of the insulator and having an annular ring surrounding and immediately adjacent the emitter, wherein the annular ring extends continuously from the cathode sleeve and the annular ring and the emitter form an annular spark gap that opens from the distal end of the insulator without obstruction.

2. The plasma igniter plug of claim 1, wherein the insulator comprises a vitreous machinable ceramic powder.

3. The plasma igniter plug of claim 2, wherein the vitreous machinable ceramic powder comprises a compressively machinable composition of boron nitride.

4. The plasma ignition plug of claim 1, wherein the central anode comprises thorium tungsten alloy.

5. The plasma igniter plug of claim 1, wherein the emitter comprises titanium and is press fit onto the central anode.

6. The plasma igniter plug of claim 1, wherein the cathode sleeve comprises a beryllium copper alloy or a vanadium copper alloy.

7. The plasma ignition plug of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cathode sleeve is threaded to be compatible with a threaded port on an internal combustion engine.

8. The plasma igniter plug of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an arc of the hemispherical emitter extends beyond the distal end of the cathode sleeve.

9. The plasma igniter plug of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insulator electrically insulates the central anode from the cathode sleeve along its length.

10. A plasma ignition plug for an internal combustion engine, the plasma ignition plug comprising:

a boron nitride ceramic insulator having a proximal end and a distal end;

a thorium-tungsten alloy central anode coaxially disposed within the insulator;

a titanium hemispherical emitter disposed in the distal end of the insulator and electrically connected to the central anode;

a terminal disposed in the proximal end of the insulator and electrically connected to the central anode; and

a beryllium-copper or vanadium-copper alloy cathode sleeve coaxially disposed about the distal end of the insulator and having an annular ring surrounding and immediately adjacent the emitter, wherein an arc of the hemispherical emitter extends beyond the annular ring, the annular ring extends continuously from the cathode sleeve, and the annular ring and the emitter form an unobstructed annular spark gap that opens from the distal end of the insulator.

11. The plasma ignition plug of claim 10, wherein the insulator comprises a generally cylindrical hollow shape.

12. The plasma ignition plug of claim 10, wherein the emitter has an equatorial diameter approximately equal to the insulator inner diameter.

13. The plasma ignition plug of claim 10, wherein the central anode is substantially coextensive with the insulator.

14. The plasma igniter plug of claim 10, wherein the cathode sleeve is threaded to be compatible with a threaded port of an internal combustion engine.