MULTI-SPARK IGNITION SYSTEMS: More Sparks More Duration Leaner Running

摘要

You may have seen the stories about plasma or laser ignition systems that promise to give new life to the internal combustion engine. But while these ignition systems have yet to make it to market the latest ignition innovation still uses a coil and spark plug. Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are selling cars with multiple spark engines. These engines are not multiple spark plug engines - they fire the same spark plug four to eight times during the combustion cycle. Conventional ignition systems fire the spark plug once. While engineers have gotten better at the timing of the spark, they are still not entirely in control of how long the spark is sustained in the combustion chamber. The duration of the spark depends on the amount of energy in the secondary and the resistance between the two electrodes. This is where multiple sparks can help to complete the burn even under extremely lean conditions.