A newly developed small-sized inductive energy storage (IES) circuit that uses a semiconductor switch for the turn-off action is successfully applied to an ignition system in spark ignition engines operating under lean fuel–air ratios. This IES circuit can generate repetitive nanosecond pulse discharges. Experiments are conducted by means of a spherically expanding flame configuration for C3H8–air mixtures under various conditions. Findings show the investigated ignition system improves the inflammability of lean combustible mixtures in terms of extended flammability limits, shorted ignition delay time, and extended dilution limits, compared with conventional spark ignition systems.
DaleJ. D.OppenheimA. K., ‘Enhanced ignition for I.C. engines with premixed gases.’SAE technical paper 810146, 1981
4.
DaleJ. D.SmyP. R.ClementsR. M., ‘Laser ignited internal combustion engine – an experimental study.’SAE technical paper 780329, 1978
5.
HallM. J.MatthewsR. D.EzekoyeO. O., ‘Railplug ignition operating characteristics and performance: A review.’SAE technical paper 20070118322007
6.
DaleJ. D.CheckelM. D.SmyP. R., ‘Application of high energy ignition systems to engines.’Prog. Energy Combust.23 (1997): 379–398
7.
MalyR., ‘Spark ignition: Its physics and effect on the internal combustion engine.’ In
8.
LiuJ.-B.RonneyP. D.GundersenM. A., ‘Premixed flame ignition by transient plasma discharges.’ In Proceedings of the Third Joint Meeting of the US section of the Combustion Institute, Chicago, Illinois Illinois, 1619 March 2003, pp. 16–19
9.
PancheshnyiS. V.LacosteD. A.BourdonA.LauxC. O., ‘Ignition of propane-air mixtures by a repetitively pulsed nanosecond discharge.’IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.34 (2006): 2478–2487
10.
ShimizuN.SekiyaT.IidaK.ImanishiY.KimuraM.NishizawaJ., ‘Over 55 kV/μs, dv/dt turn-off characteristics of 4 kV-static induction thyristor for pulsed power applications.’ In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Power semiconductor devices & ICs, Kitakyushu, Japan 2427 May 2004, pp. 281–284.
11.
TanoueK., ‘The effects of flame stretch on outwardly propagating flames.’JSME Int. J. Series B46 (2003): 416–424
12.
KonoM.NiuK.TsukamotoT.UjiieY., ‘Mechanism of flame kernel formation produced by short duration sparks.’Proc. Combust. Inst.22 (1988): 1643–1649
13.
TsueM.KonoM., ‘A numerical simulation on spark ignition process in combustion mixtures.’J. Combust. Soc. Jpn.48 (2006): 257–264 (in Japanese)
