Imagineering, Inc.

Minoru Makita

Yuji Ikeda

Ahsa Moon

The ignition system has an electromagnetic wave oscillator which oscillates electromagnetic waves, a control device that controls the electromagnetic wave oscillator, a plasma generator which integrates a booster circuit containing a resonant circuit capacitive coupled with the electromagnetic wave oscillator, and a discharge electrode which discharges a high voltage generated by the booster circuit. The plasma generator includes a plurality of discharge electrodes arranged so as to be exposed within the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.

Ignition system for internal combustion engine, and internal combustion engine

To provide a spark plug that can reduce power loss and prevent erosion of a tip end part of a central electrode, even in a configuration such that a discharge current and an electromagnetic wave are emitted from a terminal fitting part of the spark plug, and a plasma generation device using the spark plug. The spark plug is provided with a central electrodeincluding a terminal fitting partA and an electrode main bodyB electrically connected to the terminal fitting partA, an insulatorformed with an axial hole, which the central electrodeis fitted into, a main fittingthat surrounds the insulator, and a ground electrodethat extends from an end surface of the main fittingand is adapted to form a discharge gap that causes a spark discharge between the central electrodeand the electrode main bodyB. The electrode main bodyB is constituted of a front electrodeincluding an electrode tip parta for causing the spark discharge with the ground electrode, a front dielectric cylinderin a tube-like shape that covers the electrode tip parta, and a coupling conductive cylinderin a tube-like shape that joins the front dielectric cylinderand the terminal fitting partA.

Spark plug and plasma generating device

An engine control devicethat cannot output a control signal to an electromagnetic wave emission deviceis used to emit electromagnetic wave at an appropriate timing from the deviceto a combustion chamber. A signal processing deviceis connected to the engine control devicethat outputs an ignition signal for instructing an ignition deviceof the engineto ignite fuel air mixture in the combustion chamberof the engine. The signal processing device, upon receiving the ignition signal, outputs to the electromagnetic wave emission devicean electromagnetic wave drive signal that determines based on the ignition signal an emission period, which is a period for the electromagnetic wave emission deviceto emit an electromagnetic wave to the combustion chamber, so that an ignition operation is performed during the emission period of the electromagnetic wave.

Signal processing device

To suppress the reflection of an electromagnetic wave from a load in a plasma generation devicethat generates electromagnetic wave plasma by emitting the electromagnetic wave to a combustion chamberof an engine. The plasma generation deviceincludes an electromagnetic wave oscillatorthat oscillates the electromagnetic wave, an antennafor emitting the electromagnetic wave oscillated by the electromagnetic wave oscillator to the combustion chamberof the engine, and a stub adjustment unit. The stubis provided on a transmission linefor electromagnetic wave from the electromagnetic wave oscillatorto the antenna. While the engineis operating, the stub adjustment unitadjusts a short circuit location on the stubbased on the intensity of a reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave reflected from the antenna

Plasma generation device

A high frequency switch device includes a branch transmission line corresponding to each output terminal provided with a switching part. In the branch transmission line, the switching part includes a transmission side diode provided in such a manner that a cathode thereof is arranged on a side of an input terminaland an anode thereof is arranged on a side of the output terminal, and a ground side diode provided in such a manner that a cathode thereof is grounded and an anode thereof is electrically connected between the output terminal and the transmission side diode in the branch transmission line. The branch transmission line includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor on the side of the output terminal from the transmission side diode in such a manner that the anode of the ground side diode is connected between the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

High frequency switching device, and bias voltage outputting device

The plasma generation deviceis provided with a high frequency generation devicethat generates a high frequency wave, and a high frequency radiatorthat radiates the high frequency wave outputted from the high frequency generation deviceto a target space, and generates plasma by supplying energy of the high frequency wave to the target space. In the plasma generation device, the high frequency generation deviceis provided with an oscillatorthat oscillates a high frequency wave, and an amplifierthat amplifies and outputs the high frequency wave oscillated by the oscillatorto the high frequency radiator. In the high frequency generating devicethe amplifieralone is integrated with the high frequency radiator, from among the oscillatorand the amplifier

A mixer for mixing pulse voltage energy and electromagnetic wave energy in the same transmission line is provided with a first input terminal to which an electromagnetic wave is inputted, a second input terminal to which pulse voltage is inputted, a mixing output terminal from which the pulse voltage and the electromagnetic wave are outputted, a bar-shaped first conductive member of which one end is electrically connected to the second input terminal and the other end is electrically connected to an inner conductor of the mixing output terminal, a cylindrical second conductive member which surrounds the first conductive member with a gap therebetween and is disposed coaxially with the first conductive member and electrically connected to an inner conductor of the first input terminal, and a cylindrical third conductive member which houses the first conductive member and the second conductive member with a gap between the second conductive member and the third conductive member and is disposed coaxially with the first conductive member and the second conductive member and electrically connected to an outer conductor of the first input terminal and an outer conductor of the mixing output terminal.

Mixer, matching device, ignition unit, and plasma generator

There is provided an ignition or plasma generation apparatus that eliminates the need for resonance means in a combustion chamber and simplifies the electrode structure within the combustion chamber in an instance where energy from each of a spark discharge and microwaves is used to ignite an air-fuel mixture gas in an internal combustion engine. The ignition or plasma generation apparatus includes a mixing circuit for mixing a high-voltage pulse from a high-voltage pulse generator and microwave energy from a microwave generator; and an ignition plug into which an output from the mixing circuit is supplied, the plug used for introducing the output into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The output supplied from the mixing circuit to the ignition plug is supplied in a manner in which the microwave energy and the high-voltage pulse are superimposed on each other on a same transmission line.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Minoru Makita