Plasma-Assisted Pre-Combustion Chamber for Lean Fuel Ignition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combustion engines running on lean fuel mixtures often misfire and operate inefficiently, leading to the release of unwanted gases and air pollution.
Innovation Solution
The use of a pre-combustion chamber with a non-conductive substrate and an embedded electrode, along with plasma generation and radical-induced ignition, to create a highly reactive gas mixture that is then ignited, channeling the combustion gas into the main combustion chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If engines run on lean fuel mixtures to reduce unwanted gas release, then air pollution is reduced, but engine misfiring and inefficiency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion chamber is divided into a pre-combustion chamber and a main combustion chamber. The pre-combustion chamber receives a richer fuel mixture that combusts more reliably, and the resulting combustion products are transferred to the main combustion chamber to assist in igniting the lean fuel mixture, thereby resolving the misfiring issue while maintaining lean operation
Solution Approach 2:
Combustion products from the pre-combustion chamber act as an intermediary medium to transfer energy and radicals to the main combustion chamber. This intermediary process enables reliable ignition of the lean mixture in the main chamber without directly combusting it, eliminating misfiring while preserving the environmental benefits of lean operation
2Object-generated harmful factors
If engines run on lean fuel mixtures to reduce air pollution, then harmful emissions are reduced, but combustion efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A richer fuel mixture is introduced to the pre-combustion chamber before the main combustion event. This preliminary combustion generates hot gases and active radicals that are then transferred to the main combustion chamber, providing the necessary energy and chemical activation to efficiently combust the lean fuel mixture, thereby maintaining high combustion efficiency while reducing emissions
3Productivity
If plasma is generated continuously in the pre-combustion chamber to maintain high reactivity, then combustion efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Plasma generation in the pre-combustion chamber is implemented as a periodic or pulsed process rather than continuous operation. Plasma is generated at specific intervals to create highly reactive conditions for combustion, then ceased to allow the combustion process to proceed using the stored chemical energy. This periodic activation maintains combustion efficiency while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous plasma generation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances engine efficiency, reduces misfiring, and minimizes the release of unwanted gases, thereby improving combustion processes and reducing air pollution.
Implementation Method 1
generating a plasma in the pre-combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
igniting the mixture in the pre-combustion chamber through radical induced ignition to produce a combustion gas
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for plasma assisted combustion are disclosed. An apparatus includes a pre-combustion chamber including a pre-combustion chamber neck having a pre-combustion chamber orifice and the pre-combustion chamber neck including a non-conductive substrate and an electrode embedded in the non-conductive substrate. A method includes introducing a fuel into a pre-combustion chamber of an engine having a main combustion chamber, generating a plasma in the pre-combustion chamber, over-fueling the pre-combustion chamber to form a mixture in the pre-combustion chamber, ceasing the generation of the plasma; igniting the mixture in the pre-combustion chamber through radical induced ignition to produce a combustion gas in the pre-combustion chamber, and channeling the combustion gas via the pre-combustion chamber orifice into the main combustion chamber.