computer simulation of plasma spark plug firing circuit by bilesh ladva in the lab of professor...
TRANSCRIPT
Computer simulation of Plasma Spark Plug firing circuit
By Bilesh Ladva
In the lab of Professor Szymon Suckewer
What is a Plasma Spark Plug (PSP)? Composed of three different electrodes
surrounding a central electrode. Plasma is produced between a pair of
electrodes. Accelerated along electrodes by
(Lorentz) forces.
Picture of PSP
Why is a Plasma Spark plug useful? Useful for more efficient fuel
combustion. The plasma created between electrodes
is generally much larger than conventional electric spark plugs
This means there is a greater surface area to ignite the fuel.
Practical uses of PSP The main potential use of PSP is in
aeroplane engines. The use of PSPs will greatly reduce the
volume of fuel wasted. This in turn will lower the greenhouse
gas production and the overall carbon footprint.
Outline of the project The project was split into three main
parts:1. A one week introductory course in
Plasma Physics.2. Time spent working with the PSP and
the firing circuit directly3. Modeling the firing circuit ( the main
part)
Modeling the firing circuit The program used was called
Pspice/Cadence. It was very user-friendly.
The practical experience with the circuit was helpful in designing experiments to measure certain parameters of the circuit.
Obstacles faced during modeling The Transformer: a
crucial element in the circuit, designed to produce high voltages required for Plasma formation. The computer program could not cope with the extreme conditions the transformer was being used under and could not model it correctly
The Timer (of the firing of pulses) circuit: this was created entirely in the lab and did not exist in the Pspice/Cadence database. Therefore, it needed to be built basic components.
Current status of the project The project is currently in its initial
testing phase. Although, additional improvements may
still be needed on the Transformer in order to make the simulation realistic.
Future of the project Creating a successful model will allow
several aspects to be investigated. In addition, it will identify key problems
within the circuit( such as anomalous current and voltage readings).
Finally, it should greatly speed up the testing process to produce faster results.