Ford replacing spark plugs:
 

Ford wants to Replace Sparkplugs with Lasers

Since its humble beginnings in the 19th century, the sparkplug has been a mainstay of the combustion engine.

Some engineers at Ford, in collaboration with Liverpool University researchers have decided to modernize spark plug technology. Since we’re in the 21st century, that replacement is going to be lasers.

Yes, I said lasers.

Ford is currently testing a new laser ignition system for implementation on their high end cars in a few model years. This system is designed to increase the efficiency of the automotive ignition system. Since laser beams can be split into multiple beams, it would be possible for the laser ignition system to create multiple points of ignition.

Increasing the number of ignition points also enable the engine to start in cold and damp conditions, as well as providing for a more complete combustion of the fuel mixture, increasing fuel efficiencies.

Dr Tom Shenton, a researcher at Liverpool University leading the project, said:

“Lasers can be focused and split into multiple beams to give multiple ignition points, which means it can give a far better chance of ignition. This can really improve the performance of the engine when it is cold, as this is the time when around 80 per cent of the exhaust emissions are produced and the engine is at is least efficient.

“The laser also produces more stable combustion so you need to put less fuel into the cylinder.”

In the new laser ignition system, the car battery powers a laser which is directed into the engine cylinders by optical fibers and special lenses. Liverpool researchers claim that the laser will also require less power than traditional spark plugs, even though the laser system will need to fire more than 50 times per second to produce 3000 RPM.

The promise of significant fuel savings, as well as potentially developing alternative fuel mixes that would be ignitable thanks to this technology have sufficiently piqued the interest of the UK’s Carbon Trust for them to award this project a £200,000 grant.

Fixed it for you

Lolz, thats the first thing that came to my mind when I read that :rofl2:

I would think this would require a rather high powered laser, the kind that'll blind a person. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable working around something like that.

The cost will also be rather high, but if they plan on using it in high end vehicles the extra couple thousand dollars won't be that big of a deal.

Also, I wonder how they plan on keeping the lense in the cyclinders clean? I would think carbon would coat it almost immediately, leaving it useless. Carbon ignites at nearly 1300F while gasoline ignotes at 536F, and probably lower when compressed in a cylinder. That means the carbon won't burn off and the lense will be fouled. It should also be pointed out that carbon burns around the same temp that steel melts.

Should be interesting to see how they pull this off. If they can, it'll be an incredible ignition system.

My girl and I were having this same discussion. We can't figure how it's a possibility either.

you know what they say about Ford's........lol

they're the only american company that didn't need a bailout? :p

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/p...07/mustang.jpg

pictures may not be accurate....lol...but it did happen later on in the film, skyline engine in a mustang

it's the new trend

come on now, be nice.

I don't know if they will get it right, but kudos to them for having the balls to try it. Good job Ford, so says frost. :D

Great, something else that will add more costs to already overly expensive vehicles. I'd say "they will only put it in their high class vehicles," but which exactly would those be?

Probably some Lincoln models.

I rode in a town car recently, I have to say, while it was comfortable to sit in, it sure looked generic. Very disappointing interior for a $46K car.

"All I freakin' want are some sharks with freakin' laserbeams on their heads! How Hard is that?!?" Sorry, I coudn't resist, it was the first thing that came to mind when I read this.

Kudos to Ford for trying something new, but something tells me that this won't end well. Hopefully they can make the system reliable, cheap, and easy to replace when it does break or require maintenance. I certainly wouldn't buy one until they get the kinks worked out. Hopefully this will be more sucessful than the Pinto Fuel Tank Fiasco and the short-lived digital dashboard craze of the late 1980's.