Ford Developing Laser Ignition System
Ford and the University of Liverpool are owrking on a new laser ignition system for automobiles.
Ford is teaming up with the University of Liverpool to throw out the old-school spark plugs and design a laser ignition system for internal-combustion engines. According to The Telegraph, a fiber-optic cable--powered by the car's battery--shoots the laser beam to a focusing lens that would consume a much smaller space than current spark plugs. The lenses focus the beams into an intense pinprick of light, and when the fuel is injected into the engine, the laser is fired and produces enough heat to ignite the fuel.
The University researchers claim that the new technology--using lasers to ignite the fuel--is more reliable and efficient than current spark plug technology. Although the laser will need to fire more than 50 times per second to produce 3000 RPM, it will require less power than current spark plugs. The lasers can also reflect back from inside the cylinders to relay information based on fuel type used and the level of ignition, enabling cars to readjust the quantities of air and fuel for optimum performance.
"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," said Dr. Tom Shenton, leader of the project. "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."
Ford said that it plans to implement the new technology into its top of the range vehicles within the next few years, and then make the laser ignition system available for its remaining models sometime thereafter.
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This was never what I imagined when I thought of driving a car with lasers in it . . .
It sounds cool, but also sounds like one of those science experiments that will inevitably fail.
if this were viable, we'd already see a mercedes or a bmw using it.
This is why US auto makers continue to fail. Instead of looking toward the future and spending money on R&D of alternative energy sources, we're reinventing ways to burn dinosaur juice. Let's take that money and...I dont know....invest it in battery or fuel cell technology research. It's like a company inventing a new and improved way to deliver a better picture on CRT monitors or something....
for the person who dinged me a point...
ABS
Navi
3-point seatbelts
HID headlights
ESP
they all debuted in the s-class benz
On a four-stroke engine, the spark plug fires once every two rotations, not once every rotation.
no no no. You guys don't understand. Gov shut us, the people up. They want to keep oil prices high and low mileage cars so they can get more money. There's so many good inventions that we don't even know and it would been better for us.
Look at this, 100mpg 80s Mustang. He said that all it needs a one part to the car and it will bring 110 percent in mileage.
See it for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsHoZPLPoq4
But honestly, how much power is used by the coil and amplifier that would result in better fuel economy if the lasers were used instead
Interesting, but I think HCCI has more promise. GM and others have working HCCI prototypes, and the gains in efficiency are far more promising. Better yet, couple a small HCCI motor to the Voltec powertrain.
A multi-cylinder engine can have multiple ignition events per rotation depending on cylinder and crank orientation. If the laser is used to fire multiple cylinders (waste spark), the laser may need to fire once per rotation. This is not a concern. Solid state (semiconductor) lasers routinely are modulated at megahertz and even gigahertz frequencies. A few kilohertz is no problem.
I believe Volvo might have installed 3-point seatbelts before Mercedes. Volvo had them in 1959. I don't disagree that Mercedes has long been a driver of automotive innovation however.
wow, but kinda late, FUEL IS RUNNING OUT !!!
Volvo had them in 1959. I don't disagree that Mercedes has long been a driver of automotive innovation however.
we were both wrong, sorry... it was Saab in 1958. my b.
and the rest of you people who are dinging my posts because you don't like reading the truth are pig fuckers.
The articles I've read about the Saab gt750 don't make it clear that they had 3-point belts. Have you found reference beyond, "they were first to have seat belts standard?"
"owrking"?
we were both wrong, sorry... it was Saab in 1958. my b.and the rest of you people who are dinging my posts because you don't like reading the truth are pig fuckers.
I may not agree with your view on this topic, but I do like the pig fucker remark. I get a few dings from those people too.
ATTN: Dipsh.its at the Ford Motor Company...
The gasoline(or petrol, whatever your preference), will run out soon, companies with non-douchebag execs are working on electric cars(Ford is quite broke, r&d money is slim). Say what you will about the green-ness of the electricity that powers them, but gasolines days are definitely numbered. Ford refuses to make a vehicle for American markets that gets more than 30mpg, they'll create a big-a.ss hybrid SUV that gets 30mpg, but they are quite opposed to Americans getting a small, fuel-efficient vehicle(although Europeans can get a Fiesta). Own stock in oil companies much?
On a four-stroke engine, the spark plug fires once every two rotations, not once every rotation.
Yeah, but there's just one laser, and the beam is delivered by fiber optics to each cylinder. The laser is replacing the coil, not the spark plugs.
Yeah, but there's just one laser, and the beam is delivered by fiber optics to each cylinder. The laser is replacing the coil, not the spark plugs.
Unless it's a 2 cylinder engine, the math is still wrong.
It would be interesting to know how they plan on actually putting the laser on the cylinders. Dust/dirt/grease/whatever will eventually accumulate.
Anyone knows how long before a typical spark plug is rendered inefficient/useless due to said problem? I wonder how long before the laser encounters the same problem/situation.
You could say that the use of laser would potentially eliminate the problem since it'll hopefully completely burn the fuel. But I'm guessing there are other sources of the problem.
Is it so much to ask to have cars with friggin laser beams?
? Editor please
ATTN: Dipsh.its at the Ford Motor Company...The gasoline(or petrol, whatever your preference), will run out soon, companies with non-douchebag execs are working on electric cars(Ford is quite broke, r&d money is slim). Say what you will about the green-ness of the electricity that powers them, but gasolines days are definitely numbered. Ford refuses to make a vehicle for American markets that gets more than 30mpg, they'll create a big-a.ss hybrid SUV that gets 30mpg, but they are quite opposed to Americans getting a small, fuel-efficient vehicle(although Europeans can get a Fiesta). Own stock in oil companies much?
This is why US auto makers continue to fail. Instead of looking toward the future and spending money on R&D of alternative energy sources, we're reinventing ways to burn dinosaur juice. Let's take that money and...I dont know....invest it in battery or fuel cell technology research. It's like a company inventing a new and improved way to deliver a better picture on CRT monitors or something....
And this shows how little people know about US auto makers. Such as the fact that Ford does have electric cars in testing or that they have a Fuel Cell Fusion that was able to hit 207MPH also in testing. They also have a Hydrogen based Focus being tested around the world too.
Ford also has the most efficient Hybrid mid sized sedan that also beats some compact Hybrids by pushing out a awesome 41MPG and 700 miles to the tank in city. Yes, the Fusion Hybrid.
Also almost every engine Ford has is now Flex Fuel capable meaning it can have up to 85% Ethonal and 15% gas or any combination of the two.
Yes gas is the past but remmeber that it will also take more than a few years to get people completely off of it so why not create something that will make it more efficient when burning? If this can do that while taking less power yet burning the gas more efficiently and getting a better fuel to air ratio it will increase the MPG as well and thats not a bad thing for now.
But still, its sad to see how little people know about the US auto makers. They have a lot of good cars and as well have a lot of prototypes and in testing cars.
Oh and btw, yes we will get a Fiesta. It will have a different name though
http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fi [...] |210910854
NEEDS MORE RESEARCH!!!!
Fuel is not running out. The world is currently sitting on a 100 year supply of oil, with more to be found. There's enough natural gas for 150 years supply. There's enough coal for 250 year's supply. Proven reserves are more substatial than the talking heads would have you believe.
We are in no danger of running out in the near term.
In 100 years we'll have perfected fission and won't need to pollute with fossil fuels anymore.
I'm with seatrotter on this one... I'm wondering how they're going to keep the focusing lens clear of debris. Not saying that they can't do it but I've seen enough cylinder heads after a lot of miles to know that even a well operating engine will put down deposits that would interfere with beam transmission. Maybe some kind of cleaning cycle where they inject water or something to clean off deposits.
Lasers are getting pretty inexpensive... but I can't imagine that this system will be cheaper than a coil and wires... especially since it's going to have to have some sort of electro-optical distributor, and they tend to be hard to make.
hillary: According to who? Fox news? OPEC says we have 30 years of oil left.
Jimmy: Ford has a long history of being all talk and hype, "plans" of fantastic vehicles don't mean anything, when it comes to Ford, if you can't test drive at the dealership, it didn't happen...
I would like to see their efficiency data on this. I have little doubt that from the standpoint of how much power the laser consumes compared to a spark plug that the laser is more efficient; however, in the long run (IMHO), that is unlikely to increase the efficiency of an ICE as a whole. Also, that they can get data back from the engine sounds like a good thing, but this will only pass the test if they end up burning the fuel with a significant increase in efficiency over conventional spark plugs. I.e., say that a spark plug actually burns 50% of the fuel injected into the chamber, then if the laser burns 95% of that fuel, that would seem like a meaningful increase in efficiency. That might happen as the power density at the focal point of the lens, i.e., the "spark", could easily exceed that in a purely electrical spark.
That said, I have to agree with other comments here, most of which seem to have gotten negative votes, that this makes little sense in the long term. It may stretch the life of fossil fuels somewhat, but it is still burning fossil fuels that will still pollute and still contribute to environmental problems.
IMHO, it is an example of why US automakers do so poorly. Again, IMHO, Ford would do much better if they were pouring significant amounts of research $$$ into ultracapacitor technology and extending the range of all electric cars.
However, Ford's marketing department probably loves the laser idea as it will add significant "bling" to what I consider the already ridiculous Ford commercials. It will be much cooler to own a vehicle with a laser ignition system than one with an "old fashioned" spark plug ignition system, and it most certainly will sell to people who are unaware that it will most likely be a sales pitch without offering any significant advantage other than less moving parts and, possibly, more reliability.
And this shows how little people know about US auto makers. Such as the fact that Ford does have electric cars in testing or that they have a Fuel Cell Fusion that was able to hit 207MPH also in testing.
Who, besides perhaps police, need to be able to go that fast? You are being sold a big bill of "bling" with this marketing crap.
[citation] They also have a Hydrogen based Focus being tested around the world too.Ford also has the most efficient Hybrid mid sized sedan that also beats some compact Hybrids by pushing out a awesome 41MPG and 700 miles to the tank in city. Yes, the Fusion Hybrid.[/citation]
Just where do you get these figures? People who care can get the real facts at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm I assume you must have unintentionally made a type.
[citation]
Also almost every engine Ford has is now Flex Fuel capable meaning it can have up to 85% Ethonal and 15% gas or any combination of the two.
[/citation]
Even respected scientists now recognize that it takes significantly more energy to grow corn and turn it into ethanol than it does to just burn gasoline. Effectively, it is significantly more polluting than burning gas. Efficiency, remember? "Flex fuel" is more marketing crap that is meant to make you feel good and that it sounds like you have been sold on. "Hey, my car can burn flex fuel so it must be good." Well, my `94 Acura Integra that I no longer own could burn pure ethanol. There was one big problem, though. Unless I wanted to have a still and make my own ethanol, there were absolutely no sources for ethanol.
[citation]
Yes gas is the past but remmeber that it will also take more than a few years to get people completely off of it so why not create something that will make it more efficient when burning? If this can do that while taking less power yet burning the gas more efficiently and getting a better fuel to air ratio it will increase the MPG as well and thats not a bad thing for now.But still, its sad to see how little people know about the US auto makers. They have a lot of good cars and as well have a lot of prototypes and in testing cars.Oh and btw, yes we will get a Fiesta. It will have a different name thoughhttp://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fi [...] |210910854NEEDS MORE RESEARCH!!!![/citation]
I suspect that it is more likely that you work for Ford's PR department and are attempting to control the fire with this post especially since you are quoting double the actual MPG figures for the Fusion lobryd.
Unless it's a 2 cylinder engine, the math is still wrong.
some cars have one coil per spark plug...
anyways, that's no interresting number. I want Spark Plug VS Laser MPG.
Who, besides perhaps police, need to be able to go that fast? You are being sold a big bill of "bling" with this marketing crap.[citation] They also have a Hydrogen based Focus being tested around the world too.Ford also has the most efficient Hybrid mid sized sedan that also beats some compact Hybrids by pushing out a awesome 41MPG and 700 miles to the tank in city. Yes, the Fusion Hybrid.
Just where do you get these figures? People who care can get the real facts at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm I assume you must have unintentionally made a type.[citation]Also almost every engine Ford has is now Flex Fuel capable meaning it can have up to 85% Ethonal and 15% gas or any combination of the two.[/citation]Even respected scientists now recognize that it takes significantly more energy to grow corn and turn it into ethanol than it does to just burn gasoline. Effectively, it is significantly more polluting than burning gas. Efficiency, remember? "Flex fuel" is more marketing crap that is meant to make you feel good and that it sounds like you have been sold on. "Hey, my car can burn flex fuel so it must be good." Well, my `94 Acura Integra that I no longer own could burn pure ethanol. There was one big problem, though. Unless I wanted to have a still and make my own ethanol, there were absolutely no sources for ethanol.[citation]Yes gas is the past but remmeber that it will also take more than a few years to get people completely off of it so why not create something that will make it more efficient when burning? If this can do that while taking less power yet burning the gas more efficiently and getting a better fuel to air ratio it will increase the MPG as well and thats not a bad thing for now.But still, its sad to see how little people know about the US auto makers. They have a lot of good cars and as well have a lot of prototypes and in testing cars.Oh and btw, yes we will get a Fiesta. It will have a different name thoughhttp://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fi [...] |210910854NEEDS MORE RESEARCH!!!![/citation]I suspect that it is more likely that you work for Ford's PR department and are attempting to control the fire with this post especially since you are quoting double the actual MPG figures for the Fusion lobryd.[/citation]
What the hell is wrong with you? Go to Ford's website, look at the Fusion Hybrid. It does get 41 mpg in the city.
What about the Pulse plug from Pulstar? That was out years ago.
Summary: Ford motor company laser thingy something-or-other...
It is difficult to describe all of the scientific errors in just the first paragraph (where I stopped reading) "fiber-optic cable--powered by the car's battery" What's that? "an intense pinprick of light" I always thought light traveled in rays?? (unless you are talking about femtosecond pulses). Please, don't paraphrase scientific information if you don't have a scientific understanding of it.
Though I wonder if the environment of the internals of a cylinder are a good place for a lens to be built?
I mean, first of all you'll get a bunch of explosions, where glass could break, and plastic would melt. Second of all, the exhaust inside cylinders over time clog cylinders with a layer of ash. That could reduce the effectiveness of an optical device.
There's always some form of smoke or damp inside a cylinder of a working motor; but add that to the problem I mentioned above, and you might get some nice christmas lights inside your cylinder, but nothing more.
I sure hope that those who plan on using this technology, will not be dissapointed driving their 25.000th mile on that engine.