Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for accumulating fuel particles in a portion of a combustion chamber

US4219001A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
17References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 1977
Grant dateAug 26, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 29, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01T13/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus for effecting the ignition of a relatively lean air-fuel mixture includes a pair of electrode gaps at which strong electrostatic fields of relatively long duration are established to accumulate fuel particles in a portion of a combustion chamber adjacent to a spark gap. In one embodiment of the invention, one of the electrode gaps is enclosed so that the atmosphere in this gap is not affected by changes in the pressure and composition of the atmosphere in the combustion chamber. By maintaining the atmosphere in the electrode gap separate from the atmosphere in the combustion chamber, an electrostatic field of substantially constant strength can be maintained at the enclosed electrode gap after the establishment of a corona discharge at an electrode gap exposed to the atmosphere in the combustion chamber. In another embodiment of the invention, both of the electrode gaps are exposed to the atmosphere in the combustion chamber. This embodiment of the invention enables strong electrostatic fields and corona discharges of relatively long duration to be established by providing a secondary or floating electrode which is electrically insulated from both a…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.