Application Engineering of a Maintenance-Free Capacitor Discharge Ignition System

1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. Hardin ◽  
N. F. Sieja
Author(s):  
Keith Brooks ◽  
Joe Lepley

The development and testing of a new long secondary duration capacitor discharge ignition system is described. Results obtained on a large-bore, slow speed, 2-stroke test engine are described and compared to the results obtained by a commercially available capacitor discharge (CD) single-strike and double-strike ignition system. These tests are conducted under rated full load conditions and high boost lean operation. Engine emissions, fuel consumption, and misfire rates are analyzed and compared in order to determine if such a product merits commercialization. It has been previously demonstrated that multi-strike ignition systems (four strikes per compression stroke) can offer significant reductions in emissions and misfire rate in large-bore slow speed engines field retrofitted to increased boost lean operation for much lower costs than physical modifications to the heads to accommodate prechambers and fuel systems modifications. The work described here utilizes single and double-strike systems (two strikes per compression stroke) with lower energy than previous tests and lower total cost. The extended spark system tested is a proprietary development capacitor discharge system offering the benefits of capacitor discharge design with extremely long duration.


2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-115
Author(s):  
Audris Šimakauskas

Modern ignition systems for spark ignition (SI) engine management systems require an extended (adaptive) spark with regulated spark discharge duration for reliable ignition of fuel mixture and elimination of misfired-cycles. Lean air-fuel mixtures and alternative fuels also require an improved ignition system. In order to meet the increased requirements for ignition systems there is a multispark capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system developed with prolonged spark duration. Block diagram of CDI system is presented; the principle of the operation of the system elements is explained. Mathematical model of the processes of the CDI system are developed. Calculations of the CDI system, test data with four-stroke SI engine GA14DS (Nissan Sunny) and conclusions are presented.


Author(s):  
Forrest Pommier ◽  
David Lepley ◽  
Greg Beshouri ◽  
Timothy Jacobs

Abstract The natural gas industry has seen a considerable increase in production recently as the world seeks out new sources of economical, reliable, and more environmentally friendly energy. Moving this natural gas requires a complex network of pipelines and compressors, including reciprocating engines, to keep the gas moving. Many of these engines were designed more than 40 years ago and must be retrofit with modern technologies to improve their performance while simultaneously reducing the harmful emissions that they produce. In this study a directed energy ignition system is tested on a two-stroke, single cylinder, natural gas-fired engine. Stability and emissions will be observed throughout a range of spark waveforms for a single speed and load that enables the most fuel-lean operation of the engine. Improving the combustion process of the legacy pipeline engines is a substantial area of opportunity for reducing emissions output. One means of doing so is by improving an engines ability to operate at leaner conditions. To accomplish this, an ignition system needs to be able to send more energy to the spark plug in a controlled manner than a tradition capacitive-discharge ignition system. Controlling the energy is accomplished by optimizing the structure of the waveform or “profile” for each engine design. With this particular directed energy ignition system, spark profiles are able to be configured by changing the duration and amount of current sent to the spark plug. This study investigates a single operating speed and load for 9 different spark energy configurations. Engine operation at these test conditions will allow for emissions and engine performance data, using directed energy, to be analyzed in contrast to capacitive-discharge ignition.


Author(s):  
Bipin Bihari ◽  
Sreenath B. Gupta ◽  
Raj R. Sekar ◽  
Jess Gingrich ◽  
Jack Smith

Laser ignition is considered the prime alternative to conventional coil based ignition for improving efficiency and simultaneously reducing NOx emissions in lean-burn natural gas fired stationary reciprocating engines. In this paper, Argonne’s efforts towards the development of a viable laser ignition system are presented. The relative merits of various implementation strategies for laser based ignition are discussed. Finally, the performance improvements required for some of the components for successful field implementation are listed. Also reported are efforts to determine the relative merit of laser ignition over conventional Capacitance Discharge Ignition (CDI) ignition. Emissions and performance data of a large-bore single cylinder research engine are compared while running with laser ignition and the industry standard CDI system. It was primarily noticed that NOx emissions reduce by 50% under full load conditions with up to 65% reductions noticed under part load conditions. Also, the lean ignition limit was significantly extended and laser ignition improved combustion stability under all operating conditions. Other noticeable differences in combustion characteristics are also presented. Efforts wherein ignition was achieved while transmitting the high-power laser pulses through optical fibers showed performance improvements similar those achieved by using free-space laser ignition.


1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Shano ◽  
Arthur G. Hufton

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