US 4,332,223 A · Plasma fuel ignitors

Abstract

An improved ignitor and ignition method for igniting a wide variety of fuels that may be used to power various types of engines, or for use with other applications requiring the efficient combustion of fuel. The fuel to be burned is mixed with air to form a relatively lean first fuel/air mixture. This first fuel/air mixture is then injected into the primary combustion chamber, such as the combustion zone of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, or similar combustion chamber of other types of fuel-burning apparatus. The first fuel/air mixture is ignited with a stream of hot ionized gas that is jetted into the primary combustion chamber from a precombustion or plasma-generating chamber. The plasma-generating chamber is in close proximity to the primary combustion chamber, with a plasma guide or discharge tunnel connecting the two. A fuel line connects a source of pressurized fuel to the plasma-generating chamber. Interposed in this fuel line are a backflow restrictor and a fuel vaporizor, thereby ensuring that only vaporized fuel passes into (and not out of) the plasma-generating chamber through the fuel line.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A plasma ignitor for use with a primary combustion chamber having means for introducing a fuel/air mixture therein, said plasma ignitor comprising:

a plasma-generating chamber;
means for introducing a fuel into said plasma-generating chamber comprising:
a source of pressurized fuel,
a fuel line connecting said source of pressurized fuel with said plasma-generating chamber, and
backflow restriction means interposed in said fuel line for opposing reverse flow action of said fuel therethrough and allowing said fuel to seep forwardly therethrough at a rate being generally proportional to the pressure imposed on said fuel;
gas ionization means in contact with said plasma-generating chamber for converting said fuel within said plasma-generating chamber into a hot ionized gas at controlled time intervals;
and
discharge nozzle means for jetting said hot ionized gas into the primary combustion chamber, said hot ionized gas serving to ignite and efficiently burn said fuel/air mixture contained in said primary combustion chamber.

5 more elements

An igniting apparatus for a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, said cylinder having a first fuel/air mixture therein, said igniting apparatus comprising:

an enclosed precombustion chamber removably mounted in the conventional spark-plug opening of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine;
channeling means for providing fluid communication between said precombustion chamber and the cylinder, said channeling means comprising a discharge tube having a first end connected to said precombustion chamber and a second end connected to an inlet of a nozzle that has an outlet exiting into said cylinder;
means for introducing a second fuel mixture into said precombustion chamber;
and
energizing means for energizing the second fuel mixture in said precombustion chamber at controlled time intervals, said second fuel mixture once energized exiting from said precombustion chamber via said discharge tube and nozzle and serving to ignite and efficiently burn the first fuel/air mixture contained in said cylinder.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plasma fuel ignitors

Life of this patent

Plasma fuel ignitors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20