Spark Ignited Engines

In a conventional ICE, in order to ignite the fuel mixture inside the cylinder, an ignition coil supplies around 10-200 mJ of electro-magnetic energy which is further reduced by the high impedance of the secondary of the ignition coil and resistors. The low energy discharge level of the arc does not ensure complete oxidation of carbon and hydrogen in the combustion chamber to yield carbon dioxide and water.

To burn the charge of air and fuel as effectively as possible means delivering as much energy to the plug as possible up to the point of overkill in a very short period of time. A regular coil ignition system however only effectively utilizes about 15% of the coils output. In other words what actually lights off the mixture at the plug is only about 15% of what the coil could have delivered.

As a result exhaust gases contain a wide range of highly toxic components even at light loads, and the incomplete fuel burn increasing fuel consumption by 20-25%. This is especially true for small engines such as portable generators, jetskis, marine engines etc. This problem of partial combustion of fuel mixtures is the primary reason why all vehicles need costly, inefficient, short-lived catalytic converters made with expensive metals such as platinum. The high energy spark of SparkAmp makes it an excellent add on device for starting and powering outboard engines, jetskis and portable generators, that have trouble starting in colder climates, or have weak magneto sparks that causes sputter and stall because of misfire.

The target here then is to produce a high energy plasma that successfully ionizes a large portion of the air fuel mixture just prior to detonation and subsequent combustion, instead of lighting up a small portion of the fuel which then lights up the rest of the fuel in a chain reaction (a much slower process), which is what traditional ignition systems aim to do. The benefits that a high energy plasma ignition can bestow on today's engines include:

Improvement in overall efficiency of the spark ignited engine - improvements in HP, torque, fewer unburnt hydrocarbons
Reduction in emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides
Elimination of knocking and other acoustic effects
Providing a cooler operating temperatures (research has shown that the high energy plasma spark is significantly cooler than a regular HV spark)
Reduction in vibration and disintegration of parts of the piston as a result of misfire / detonation
Prevention of hydrocarbon buildup around seats and gaskets that occurs due to incomplete combustion

Thus the SparkAmp offers the unprecedented combination of three long overdue benefits for spark ignited engines.

Dramatically improved fuel economy with a much broader selection of fuel combinations and mix ratios
Reduced pollution
Improved performance

The SparkAmp plasma ignition module is the ideal solution for the global auto industry and for engine makers of all sizes and fuel types, as it is low cost, allowing manufacturers to meet stringent emission standards, increase fuel efficiency and improve performance with results that cannot be matched by current state of the art aftermarket ignition systems such as Multiple Spark Discharge.

The Obama administration has mandated that by the year 2016, all auto manufacturers achieve an average fuel economy to 35.5 MPG (42 mpg for cars and 26 mpg for light trucks) for their product lineup or pay penalties. The current penalty for not meeting CAFE standards are $5.50 per tenth of a mile per gallon for each tenth (1/10) under the target value times the total volume of those vehicles manufactured for a given model year. Needless to say auto manufacturers are trying to fight this arguing that it will cost them tens millions of dollars in R&D costs over the next few years and a failure to acheive targets will result in more millions in fines.

Racing: Plasma Torque

The demanding conditions under which a typical Race Engine requires consistency and reliability with zero scope for error. Even slight periodic misfiring of cylinders in a race engine can lead to disaster for the driver, the vehicle and the team. The misfires usually happen when the fuel in the cylinder does not ignite, occurring primarily because a spark plug is fouled and / or the spark is too weak to ignite the mixture especially when using fuels such as nitro-methane.

The SparkAmp is an excellent add on device for any racing engine including motor bikes, cars, jetskis, marine and aircraft. High energy plasma spark provides for

Cleaner, Faster and complete combustion
Increase in torque, RPM and peak horsepower
Maximizes engine durability, reliability and performance of the racing engine