Federal-Mogul Tests Corona-Discharge Igniter

Federal-Mogul Corp. tells SAE Vehicle Engineering Online that its four-jet corona ignition system could go into production as soon as 2016.

The technology is designed to improve ignition in lean-burn engines. A conventional sparkplug provides a single ignition source. The Federal-Mogul system generates four fanlike streams of ions that blanket the top of the combustion chamber, thus allowing a broader and faster air-fuel burn.

Kristapher Mixell, who heads the company's research on the so-called advanced corona ignition system (ACIS), tells SAE that such technologies are attractive as carmakers increasingly dilute the air-fuel mixture with exhaust gas recirculation.

He says the company has had technical discussions about its ACIS with more than 20 companies, is actively testing the system with nine companies and has moved into advanced engineering with a few. Tests with a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine showed a 10% improvement in fuel economy.

The Federal-Mogul system steps up 12-volt direct current from the vehicle's electrical system to an intermediate DC voltage, then uses a high-frequency amplifier to generate an electric field of about 70 kilovolts at 1 MHz.

The system requires no exotic materials and consumes considerably less power than a premium audio system, according to Mixell. He says the technology does require a separate power supply box with control electronics and includes a coil and integration electronics unit about the size of a conventional ignition coil.

Installing ACIS requires only minor adjustments to a spark-ignited engine, Mixell says. He notes that the technology is compatible with such fuels as natural gas or ethanol.