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Light Emission During Combustion in Spark-Ignition Engines
Sector:
Language:
German
Abstract
The emission of light during combustion is investigated on
standard production engines. For this purpose, a light pipe is
integrated into the center electrode of the spark plug. The
emerging radiation is measured and converted using simple silicon
photocells.
The emission of light during combustion has a similar time curve
to that of pressure. The start of light emission correlates with
the start of mass burn. The position of maximum radiation coincides
with the position of maximum combustion pressure.
From the curve of light emission received, one can draw
conclusions concerning combustion. From the position of the light
emission over the crank angle, one can read whether the mixture has
been ignited at the correct time or not. Cyclic fluctuations give
information on the smooth combustion of the engine. Any knocking
which occurs can be detected with an appropriate filter.
The measuring spark plugs which have been developed allow light
to pass through for a considerable period of time when used with
unleaded fuel.