Image Credit: University of Liverpool
"Spark plugs are key to starting an internal combustion engine, which have been around since the 1850s and power our cars, motorcycles, and lawn mowers. The spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture in an engine's cylinder with small, high-voltage electrical sparks, creating an explosion that forces the pistons into motion and generating horsepower.
"Researches from Japan have announced the creation of a laser that's small enough to replace the spark plug, while also creating cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles. While spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture closest to them and flame becomes quenched by the surrounding cold metal, the new lasers would be able to focus the their beams directly into the center of the air-fuel mixture and the flame front will expand more symmetrically and up to three times faster than spark plugs.
"For more than 150 years, spark plugs have powered internal combustion engines. Automakers are now one step closer to being able to replace this long-standing technology with laser igniters, which will enable cleaner, more efficient, and more economical vehicles."
PC Magazine: Lasers Could Replace Spark Plugs, 1st two paragraphs
PhysOrg.com: Laser sparks revolution in internal combustion engines, 3rd paragraph
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