Miniature railgun engine ignitor

A combustion system comprising:

• at least one combustion chamber;
• at least one railplug connected to each combustion chamber, each railplug including:
• a holding plug including means for connecting said railplug to a respective combustion chamber,
• first and second spaced part electrodes along a central axis together defining a bore having a muzzle end disposed within said respective combustion chamber, and a plasma initiation end, said first electrode being electrically insulated from said holding plug, a length of said bore being equal to a distance between said muzzle end and said plasma initiation end and a width of said bore being equal to a spacing between said first and second electrodes at said muzzle end, an aspect ratio of said bore being at least 3:1,
• an electrical connection between said second electrode and said holding plug, said plasma initiation end being between said electrical connection and said muzzle end;
• and
• a power source for supplying pulsed electrical energy to each railplug.

An internal combustion engine for rotating a crankshaft, comprising:

• at least one combustion chamber;
• at least one railplug connected to each combustion chamber, each railplug including:
• a holding plug including means for connecting said railplug to a respective combustion chamber,
• first and second spaced part electrodes, said first electrode being electrically insulated from said holding plug, said electrodes extending along an axis and defining a bore having a plasma initiation end and a muzzle end, a ratio of a length of said bore to a distance between said electrodes being at least 3:1,
• an electrical connection between said second electrode and said holding plug, said plasma initiation end being between said electrical connection and said muzzle end;
• and
• pulse generating means, timed by said crankshaft, for applying timed electrical energy pulses to said electrodes of each railplug.

A continuous combustion engine comprising:

• at least one continuous combustion chamber;
• at least one railplug connected to each continuous combustion chamber, each railplug including:
• a holding plug including means for connecting said railplug to a respective continuous combustion chamber,
• first and second spaced part electrodes, said first electrode being electrically insulated from said holding plug, said electrodes extending along an axis and defining a bore having a plasma initiation end and a muzzle end, a ratio of a length of said bore to a distance between said electrodes being at least 3:1,
• an electrical connection between said second electrode and said holding plug, said plasma initiation end being between said electrical connection and said muzzle end;
• and
• a power source for applying at least one electrical energy pulse to said electrodes of each railplug.

An ignition device for generating and injecting a high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber, comprising:

• a holding plug including means for mounting said ignition device in a utilization apparatus;
• and
• first and second spaced apart electrodes, at least one of said electrodes extending helically around a central axis, said electrodes defining a bore having a muzzle end and a plasma initiation end, a bore width being equal to a distance between said first and second spaced apart electrodes, and a bore length being equal to a distance between said muzzle end and said plasma initiation end of said bore, an aspect ratio of said bore being at least 3:1;
• and
• an electrical connection between one of said first and second spaced apart electrodes and said holding plug, said plasma initiation end being between said electrical connection and said muzzle end.