High-energy remote chamber ignition system

An ignition system for an internal combustion engine having an engine cylinder, the ignition system comprising:

• a remote ignition chamber enclosing an ignition source;
• and
• a tubing assembly, comprising:
• a tube disposed between the remote ignition chamber and a main combustion chamber defined within the engine cylinder, the tube having a central passageway bounded by a wall and defining a flame propagation pathway between the remote ignition chamber and the main combustion chamber:
• a plurality of high-voltage electrodes arranged along a length of the tube and extending through the wall of the tube into the central passageway:
• a plurality of high-energy discharge sparkplugs arranged along the length of the tube and being mounted through the wall of the tube such that a spark gap of each of the high-energy discharge sparkplugs is positioned within the central passageway;
• and
• an electronic controller in electrical communication with the plurality of high-voltage electrodes and in electrical communication with the plurality of high-energy discharge sparkplugs, the electronic controller, in use, for providing first control signals for controlling the plurality of high-voltage electrodes for pretreating a combustible charge gas inside the tube prior to combustion thereof, and the electronic controller, in use, for receiving signals relating to properties of a flame propagating within the tube and sensed using the plurality of high-energy discharge sparkplugs, the signals for use in determining spark timing of at least one sparkplug of the plurality of high-energy discharge sparkplugs for stimulating deflagration-to-detonation transition.