What
is a plasma jet ignition spark and how does it differ from a
standard ignition spark?
By
definition all sparks comprise of an ionized channel called
plasma. However the plasma channel generated by a conventional
ignition coil and CDI driven coils, even high performance modules
such as MSD, is extremely low in net energy content, primarily
due to losses owing to the high resistance of the thin wires
of the secondary side of the ignition coil. A standard ignition
spark is characterized by high voltage with peak current not
exceeding 200 hundred milliamps.
A
plasma ignition spark as referred to on the internet or by ignition engineers
means a high voltage ignition spark with a very large ignition
kernel with peak currents exceeding 20 to 30 amps. The net energy
output of a plasma jet ignition spark is literally several 100s
of times greater than a conventional spark.
A
standard ignition spark is barely visible and generates little
to no photonic energy. A plasma ignition spark is characterized not only
by a massive ignition kernel but with liberation of high energy
photons as well. In addition, owing to the extremely short duration
of the high current 'pulse' which breaks down a relatively large
quantity of the surrounding gases, an audible shockwave is unleashed
as the gases are 'cracked' which is the same physical phenomenon
as a clap of lightning causing thunder.
Does
the extremely bright light or photonic energy liberated by the
plasma ignition spark actually combust fuel or is it wasted energy as
opposed to a standard spark generated by an MSD box?
Yes!
Fuel can be ignited using photons alone! As early as the 70s
the gas turbine laboratory at MIT managed to run a gas turbine
engine by bombarding it with photons alone, without any direct
form of ignition. Since that time many patents have been filed
to ignite gas turbines using photons alone.
If
thats not convincing, virtually all current Jet turbine ignition
systems use a high energy capacitive discharge based plasma
ignition system that liberates high energy photons similar to
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module. Here is a demonstration
video of a Jet
Turbine Ignition module and they cost up to $5000 each!
Igniting
fuel in a turbine is much more difficult than igniting fuel
inside a closed Internal Combustion Engine and once steady state
is reached ignition sparks are no longer required. However when
ignition is required in a Jet turbine regardless of altitude
or cruising speed, the spark has to be powerful and must liberate
enough energy to ignite a fuel mix that is constantly being
mixed with air and ejected out of the turbine in the shortest
possible time. The combustion chamber in a jet engine is much
larger than an internal combustion engine and a hot spark alone
will not do. The spark has to be able to supply both heat and
light, but mostly enough photonic energy to ignite fuel dispersed
through out the combustion chamber. This is the reason why Jet
ignition systems do not use ignition coils but use a high voltage
capacitor rated in the kilovolts to ignite fuel. If multiple
sparks alone were enough to start a Jet turbine, then an ignition
company such as MSD would be a much bigger corporation selling
a product line of ignition systems for Jet engines.
What
is Pulsed Direct Current Ignition and How does the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ work?
The
Plasma Jet Ignition™ is a Pulsed Direct Current
Ignition module that discharges a pulse of high amplititude
DC current directly across the spark plug every time the ignition
coil discharges a conventional low energy, high voltage spark
across the spark plug or gap. The peak currents can reach 100's
of amps depending on the energy stored by the module compared
to the maximum 200 milliamps of a conventional spark produced
by even the highest end ignition modules. The DC pulse enlarges
the ignition kernel almost a 100 times larger than the conventional
weak spark from a standard ignition coil and releases a large
amount of photonic energy in the process.
Is
Pulsed Direct Current Ignition an established technology or
a new technology?
Pulsed
Direct Current Ignition is not a new technology. Plasma Jet
Ignition technology is more than 3 decades old.
If
high energy plasma ignition (Pulsed Direct Current Ignition)
really works and its effects are cleaner combustion, higher
efficiency, power and torque are there are any patents by the
major automakers?
Yes,
Plasma jet ignition or pulsed Direct Current Ignition technology
works and many patents have been filed over the years by various
automakers, universities and even NASA with claims of increased
horsepower, fuel efficiency and lowered emissions. Some of these
companies include: NASA, MIT, Nissan Motor Company, Toyota,
Motorola, another by Nissan Motor Company.
If
the patents for high energy plasma jet ignition have been around
for that long, why aren't there devices on the market for the
average Joe consumer?
High
Energy Plasma Jet Ignition is no fly by night technology as
evidenced by the numerous method and system patents that have
been filed spanning over three decades. However, the high costs
associated with implementing a patented system including the
electronics, high voltage components, custom cabling and spark
igniters is the principal reason why plasma ignition modules
or devices have not really been available on the market. Competition
is extremely limited in Aftermarket ignition segment as established
manufacturers such as MSD, Granatelli Motor Sports etc are largely
interested in maximizing their profit margins with their existing
product line rather than focus on innovation and constantly
bring out new ignition technologies onto the market. Research
and innovation costs are expensive and the less these large
corporations spend on research, the more they can distribute
as earnings to their shareholders with their exisiting product
line. The public has no choice as they buy what they think is
top of the line technology. The electric car has been around
since the days of Thomas Edison. Yet an affordable electric
car the EV 1 for the middle class was scrapped by the bankrupt
and now bailed out General Motors Corporation. The new EV 1
is now the Tesla Roadster a high end luxury car completely out
of reach of the average consumer.
Are
there similar ignition technologies compared to the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ ignition
module, available on the market?
No.
Apart from the Plasma Jet Ignition™ there are no
easily obtainable plasma ignition spark ignition modules available on
the market as of today.
Is
it really true that the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module generates
the largest ignition kernel available on the market?
Yes,
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module generates the largest
spark and ignition kernel available on the market today.
Does
plasma ignition significantly reduce emissions?
Yes.
The high energy photonic energy of the plasma jet ignition spark
significantly reduces CO, NO and NOx emissions.
If
the plasma jet ignition spark is so effective in increasing
Horse Power has it been seriously considered by racing?
Yes,
plasma jet ignition systems have been seriously considered by
Formula one ignition racing. However our research indicates
that there are currently no racing teams in formula one that
incorporates a plasma ignition system as Adrenaline research
patent was bought out by Motorola before a market ready product
could be developed. Adrenaline Research was later acquired by
(Woodward Governor Company). Woodward is the world's
largest independent designer and manufacturer of energy control
solutions for aircraft and industrial engines, turbines and
electrical power systems.
How
much mileage can I expect to gain using the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module.
Mileage
gains can vary from a nominal 8% to a whopping 60% depending
on the degree of optimization. The duration of the plasma jet
ignition spark is short and therefore timing can be advance
toward TDC to get the maximum power out of your engine using
plasma jet ignition. Significant mileage gains can be achieved
if the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module is used in conjunction
with lean burn engines that are able to lean out the fuel using
custom modifications or equivalent on the free way. If you have
a lean burn engine or can optimize your engine for lean burn
and you drive long distances, the Plasma Jet Ignition™
module is for you! Custom circuits that are available online
are recommended as stock ECUs do not lean out fuel beyond the
level set at the factory which is configured for the weak ignition
spark.
Do
I have to use non resistor plugs for high energy plasma jet
ignition?
Yes,
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module must
be used with non resistor spark plugs in order to obtain a high
energy plasma ignition spark. These are easily obtainable at virtually
every auto parts store for a couple dollars a piece.
Do
I need to use non resistor ignition cables?
Yes,
you will require low resistance copper core racing ignition
cables to connect from the plasma output of the Plasma Jet
Ignition™ to the non resistor spark plugs depending
single or multi cylinder install. Virtually all ignition cables
available in the market are resistive in nature. We have personally
only tested with Accel's 4038 ignition cables and our plasma
products work very well with these.
Is
RF/ EMI a significant issue and is it possible to shield EMI
/ RF when using non resistor cables?
RF
/ EMI has not proved to be a detrimental issue for cars with
distributor based engines. Non resistor ignition cables can
be shielded using braided sheathing. RF will not be an issue
especially when used on older vehicles or engines that use non
resistor plugs such as certain Mercedes models.
What
is RF braided Sheathing?
RF
braided sheathing comprises of woven tinned copper braid that
provides a minimum of 95% shield coverage. The sheath wraps
around the ignition cable must be grounded to the vehicle. RF
sheathing is relatively cheap and can be purchased at many car
parts stores or online.
What
is the difference between the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ unit and
MSD ignition?
The
difference between the Plasma Jet Ignition™ plasma ignition spark and MSD ignition lies in basic combustion physics.
The
air fuel mix inside the combustion chamber is ignited when an
ionized plasma channel traces a path across the spark plug gap.
The spark is the 'hottest' as it breaks across the air gap to
the other electrode and the fuel is ignited ONLY during this
initial break down phase which lasts less than 100 microseconds.
As
soon as the spark reaches the ground electrode the subsequent
tail end of the spark is of little to no use in the combustion
process and is wasted energy. Once the fuel ignites the efficiency
or net energy content of the burn is determined by how fast
the flame front expands and how much of the fuel is fully combusted.
Full combustion results in a greater amount of heat energy liberated
which is then converted to mechanical work by the piston.
The
rate at which flame front expands is determined by the amount
of energy delivered in the first few microseconds as the gap
breaks down. A stronger energetic pulse results in a much larger
faster flame front while a weak spark results in a flame front
that is lower and in some cases only partially ignited.
A
weak spark from a conventional ignition coil will ignite the
fuel however, the owing to the low energy content of the spark,
the combustion is usually partial with increased emissions,
lower power and increased fuel consumption. MSD was founded
in 1970 with a simple solution of repeating the low energy spark
multiple times to increase combustion efficiency using a CDI
to drive the ignition coil. The working theory being that the
more weak sparks there are the greater the likelihood it will
burn all of the fuel. The multiple spark discharge technology
became the name of the company MSD.
Multiple
spark discharge not only increases plug wear it offers only
a partial solution as all MSD boxes even the latest ones with
‘Digital’ technology generate multiple sparks only at 3000 RPM
and below. Once the RPM increases above 3000, all MSD boxes
digital or otherwise generate a single low current high voltage
spark for every ignition cycle.
This
is ironic as the MSD box is nothing more than a conventional
CDI above 3000 RPM yet the brand has a near virtual monopoly
when it comes to racing. As the engine speed increases above
3000RPM, complete combustion becomes near impossible as less
fuel is combusted during each ignition cycle. This is one of
the main reasons why power and torque significantly starts dropping
at higher and higher RPMs.
High
energy Pulsed Direct Current Ignition works the exact opposite
of MSD. Instead of multiple weak sparks, the Plasma Jet Ignition™
module discharges a single high energy pulse of DC current across
the spark gap along with the high voltage spark from the ignition
coil. This secondary current source dramatically expands the
size of the ignition kernel of the conventional spark from a
standard ignition coil. The surge current exceeds 100 amps during
the initial break down phase which is responsible for igniting
the fuel. As the capacitor discharges all of its energy in less
than a fraction of the second, it also emits high energy photons
along with a shock wave which causes the flame front to expand
much faster than a conventional spark induced flame front.
Unlike
MSD (which is actually only MSD upto 3000 RPM), the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module generates a high energy plasma ignition spark with an ignition kernel almost 100 times larger than a
normal spark even at 16000+ RPM. This is the reason why dyno
tests of the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module show consistent
gains in horsepower and torque at higher RPMs, as more fuel
is ignited consistently and reliably in a shorter amount of
time.
Can
the plasma jet ignition unit be used in conjunction with MSD?
Yes,
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module can be used with
any MSD box in inline mode or bypass mode. The Plasma Jet
Ignition™ module generates a plasma ignition spark for every
spark generated by the MSD module.
If
the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module is
installed on a stock car with stock ignition will it perform
better than MSD?
Yes,
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ module if installed will
allow your stock ignition to perform better than with an MSD
upgrade. Remember the MSD box is nothing more than a CDI box
that discharges a single spark at RPMs higher than 3000. With
the Plasma Jet Ignition™ a powerful plasma ignition spark
is generated even at 16000+ RPM.
I
have a street car with stock ignition and I want to use it for
drag racing. Will the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module upgrade
alone give me the edge I need.
Yes.
The high energy plasma jet ignition upgrade will definitely
give you an edge in any race. Further gains can be had if the
stock plug gap can be increased to facilitate better energy
transfer between the plasma ignition spark and the air-fuel mixture.
How
old is Plasma ignition technology compared to MSD?
The
Plasma Jet Ignition™ beta build was released in
April 2009. By comparison MSD is from the stone age. Both the
technology and the company have been around since the 1970s.
There are many clones of MSD such as Force Ignition and Okada
projects.
Plasma
Jet Ignition™ module is completely new from the ground
up and uses all the latest in surface mount technology to give
it a huge performance advantage having the smallest form factor
(4.6 x 2.4 x 1.3 in) and lowest energy footprint (30 watts rms).
Virtually
all the current aftermarket performance ignition products are
over 20 years old. While they do work (generating multiple sparks
upto 3000 RPM), think about it…-. How's that 20 year old computer
doing for you? How about that 20 year old TV or Microwave? Technology
has moved on and so has the engineering team at PlasmaJetIgnition.com
How
many Plasma
Jet Ignition™ units
are required for a multi cylinder distributor based ignition
system.
Typically
only one unit is required for up to 8 cylinders. However for
all symmetrical V8 and V6 engines we recommend two units one
for each set of plugs on either bank of the engine block.
Can
the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ unit be
installed on a waste spark system?
Yes,
the unit can be installed on a waste spark system.
Can
I increase the plasma energy by adding more Plasma
Jet Ignition™ units?
Yes,
you can hook multiple Plasma Jet Ignition™ units
in parallel doubling the energy each time you add another unit
and thus seeing even more benefits.
Can
the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ unit be
used with COP systems?
We
are designing a COP system.
Can
the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ unit be
used on a small engine such as a motor bike or outboard motor?
Yes.
The Plasma Jet Ignition™ unit can be used in inline
mode for any single cylinder or V twin engine. You will require
non resistor plugs and a copper core cable to connect from plasma
output to the spark plug.
How
many Plasma
Jet Ignition™ units do
I need for a V twin engine?
You
only need one Plasma Jet Ignition™ unit for a V
twin engine. The Plasma Jet Ignition™ module can
be hooked up to any V twin using our custom 2 cylinder plasma
module kit.
Has
the Plasma
Jet Ignition™ unit been
dyno tested?
Yes,
you can watch the videos on the Plasma
Jet Ignition Channel on Youtube. (Go subscribe so you can
be notified when the videos are posted)
Where
can I learn more about Plasma Ignition systems?
Aaron
Murakami's book and video package is the only simplified package
that teaches about the plasma ignition systems in a way that
is meant for the general public. Learn more here: Plasma
Ignition
