Hyundai engineers have developed a new spark plug design that could transform the internal combustion engine. According to a patent discovered at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the South Korean manufacturer has found a way to extract even more efficiency from a gas engine's ignition coils. This breakthrough could help Hyundai to keep the combustion engine alive in a market that is increasingly focused on electric vehicles.
The idea of twin-spark ignition is not new, with Alfa Romeo pioneering the concept in 1914. However, all true twin-spark engines throughout history have needed two spark plugs and dual ignition coils. Hyundai's new patent is different, allowing for twin-spark ignition from a single spark plug.
The engineers achieved this by adding a second center electrode to a single spark plug, making use of an unused spike in the output voltage graph. The ground electrode takes on various shapes, but the second center electrode joins the traditional center electrode. One electrode is connected to one side of the secondary coil windings, while the other is connected to the other end of the secondary coil windings. Both center electrodes fire to the outer ground electrode, creating two sequential sparks in one ignition event.
The advantages of this invention are numerous. The extra spark added to the ignition event creates a larger flame front inside the combustion chamber, which speeds up the flame travel and leads to a quicker and more-complete burn of the air-fuel mixture. This results in improved energy conversion efficiency and reduced emissions. The increased energy in the flame also allows the engine to run on leaner air-fuel mixtures without the risk of misfiring, further improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions.
With this system employed, the operational improvements may be significant enough to help borderline engines meet ultra-low emission standards or to clean up engines that might not have otherwise conformed to emission standards at all. Improved combustion efficiency could also provide extra performance for drivers.
Source: Carbuzz
