METHOD OF OPERATING A DIESEL ENGINE UTILIZING A CONTINUOUSLY POWERED GLOW PLUG, AND GLOW PLUG DESIGN THEREFOR

摘要

A method of operating a compression ignitioninternal combustion engine wherein (i) the engineincludes a reciprocating piston operable within acylinder for placing a combustible fuel/air charge undercompression within a combustion chamber sufficient tocause self-ignition when operating at a predeterminedelevated engine temperature; and (ii) a glow plug havinga heating element projecting within the combustionchamber to provide sufficient heat to the compressedfuel/air charge to ignite it when starting or operatingthe engine below said predetermined elevated enginetemperature. The method comprises (a) providing powerto said glow plug and initially establishing thetemperature of the heating element at a temperature exceeding1600°F; (b) starting the engine; (c) concurrentlycontinuing to operate the engine and maintaining theheating element temperature at least at 1600-F until theengine temperature is sufficient to cause self ignitionof the compressed fuel/air charge without the additionalheat energy provided by the heating element; and (d)maintaining the heating element at a temperature exceeding1600°F throughout at least a portion of the entireremaining period of operation of the engine (and preferablybetween 1600-2000°F during the entire period ofoperation).The method also includes the option of reducingthe power supplied to glow plug in fixed decrementsand continuing power to the glow plug at the decrementedvoltage level for as long as the current plug voltage isavailable at the decremented voltage level.