Patent ID: 6131542
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: F02P,H01T

Abstract:
A high efficiency plasma ignitor for an internal combustion engine, the engine having a combustion cylinder and means for delivering fuel to the combustion cylinder, the ignitor comprising:at least two spaced apart electrodes, including at least a first electrode and a second electrode having a discharge gap between them, the first and second electrodes having a first length and a second length, respectively; anddielectric material filling a substantial portion, but not all, of said discharge gap between said first and second electrodes;wherein the electrodes are dimensioned and configured and their spacing is arranged such that when the ignitor is mounted in the combustion cylinder of an engine and a sufficiently high first voltage is applied across the electrodes in a gaseous mixture of air and fuel in the combustion cylinder of the engine a plasma is generated from the gaseous mixture of fuel and air in the discharge gap, and the plasma moves outwardly into the cylinder from between the electrodes under both a thermal expansion force and a Lorentz force.