On 7/23/09 10:24 AM, Gene Kearns wrote:
On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:40:33 -0400, H the K penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

|On 7/23/09 9:34 AM, Eisboch wrote:
| Spark plugs, patented by Robert Bosch and Nikola Tesla in 1898, are about to
| be replaced by lasers.
|
| (Credit: Sonett72)
|
| Say goodbye to spark plugs, a 19th century technology about to be supplanted
| by lasers. The U.K. paper The Telegraph reports that Ford is working with
| the University of Liverpool to develop a laser ignition system for
| internal-combustion engines. That's right: engines with frickin' lasers
| strapped to their heads.
|
|
| The laser beam is delivered by a thin, fiber-optic cable to a focusing lens
| that would take up much less space than a spark plug, allowing engineers
| greater flexibility in designing valves and cylinders. The laser beam can be
| split to ignite the fuel mixture from multiple points deep in the cylinder,
| making for a more efficient burn than a spark plug can achieve, reducing
| emissions and getting better fuel economy. Another advantage to the laser
| system is that part of the beam can be reflected to a receiver and used to
| gather data on the fuel mixture and the quality of the burn.
| And this isn't merely a research project, as there are working prototypes of
| the system at the University of Liverpool laboratory. Ford, which has
| eagerly been adopting fuel efficiency technology such as electric-power
| steering and six-speed transmissions, reportedly will use the laser ignition
| system in some of its cars over the next couple of years, then spread the
| technology to the full range.
|
|
| (Source: The Telegraph)
|
|
|
| Eisboch
|
|
|
|Another advantage is when the laser craps out, the replacement part will
|be $2,125, and that doesn't include installation.
|
|I knew about Bosch but I had no idea Tesla was involved in the invention
|of spark plugs. Thanks.

We're actually working our way towards the technology that will give
us a negative carbon footprint. The only possible negative consequence
is that the car costs 236 trillion dollars..... 'course 'ya get what
you pay for.....


I'm all for advancement but, seriously, I was not aware there was a
problem serious enough with spark plugs to "incite" a pack of inventors
to make the process of igniting gasoline more complicated and expensive!

Your *next* even-rude outdoor motor, now called an L-Tech!







--
A wise Latina makes better decisions than a dumb elephant.