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