Lasers To Replace Sparkplugs In Engines?

Researchers from Japan's National Institutes of Natural Sciences are working with DENSO and another "large spark-plug company", *cough* NGK? *cough*

R&D type stuff, but cool to know its happening. Enables super lean burn, improved flame front propagation, etc.

Check it out.


Laser sparks revolution in internal combustion engines

"At this year’s Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO: 2011), to be held in Baltimore May 1 – 6, researchers from Japan will describe the first multibeam laser system small enough to screw into an engine’s cylinder head."

 

I was just thinking a few days ago about how its amazing that the whole idea of spark generation hasn't changed much on engines since the beginning. . .

 

can they make these lasers for $3 a pop?

 

That is way cool!

 

Don't need to. No more plug wires, just a signal/power wire pair. No coils, either. So, if the system is as expensive as 4 COPs (say $150), it's break even. I'm betting that we'd buy them if they were $300 for the set, due to better efficiencies and leaner mixture. Wonder if the Megasquirt can control them?

And, think of the other cool **** you could make with them. Imagine a potato canon with laser ignition!

 

and then you get carbon buildup on your optics.

 

I didn't even think about the lack of needing coils as well.

 

I would suspect that a laser powerful enough to ignite a fuel/air mixture would be able to burn through the carbon buildup? I'm not up to snuff on laser power, but it would probably be >1 watt? The fact that it wouldn't be operating continuously would make it cheaper I suspect?

 

 

And the system malfunctions, stays on, and burns a hole through your piston.

 

My experience with lasers is limited, but my uneducated guess suggests:

A laser powerful enough to ignite an air/fuel mixture, yet inexpensive enough to be used in consumer automobiles, will likely destroy itself in such a malfunction. This self destruction of the laser will probably occur much too quickly to have any effect on a piston.

 

How fricken' hard is it to get gas to ignite?

 

Ever read some of the warning labels at the gas station? Just strap 4 cell phones to the cylinder head and you'll be good.

 

Most boring Myth Busters episode ever.

 

I like the idea of lasers in my engine. Something else to brag about to the ladies.

 

One of the better Adam quotes, though.

"How hard can it be to blow up a room full of gasoline?"

Quite hard, as it turns out.