High Power Discharge Combustion Effects on Fuel Consumption, Emissions, and Catalyst Heating

Paper Number: 2014-01-2626
Published: October 2014
Authors & Affiliations:
Timothy J. Jacobs
Texas A&M University

Louis J. Camilli
Enerpulse, Inc.

Matthias Neubauer
AVL LIST GmbH

Thermodynamic testing of an advanced automotive power plant was conducted using an engine dynamometer in a controlled laboratory setting to evaluate the technology used by the pulsed energy spark plugs. The test data show that the pulsed energy plug delivers improvements in fuel economy, ignition time, burn duration and cycle-to-cycle variability compared to a traditional spark plug. The pulsed energy plugs created an improved spark event and flame kernel which a provided a more controlled and predictable flame development. These findings clearly prove that a bigger spark, like the spark that is produced in the Pulstar spark plugs, improves fuel mixture combustion by consistently igniting the fuel at a predictable time and burning the fuel mixture more completely.