The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 02, 1998
Szymon Suckewer, Princeton, NJ (US);
Enoch J Durbin, Princeton, NJ (US);
Knite, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
An high efficiency low energy ignitor and associated electrical systems for creating larger plasma ignition kernels to ignite a gaseous mixture of air fuel in a combustion engine is described. The apparatus has at least two spaced apart electrodes having a discharge gap between them. When a sufficiently high first potential is applied between the electrodes a plasma is formed from the air fuel. The volume of this plasma is increased by the application of a second voltage that creates a current through the plasma. The location where the current travels through the plasma is swept outward along with the plasma, due to the interaction of Lorentz and thermal expansion forces. This leads to a larger volume of plasma being created and thereby increases the efficiency of the burn cycle of the combustion engine. Also described are dimensioning characteristics related to the electrodes and the space between them that achieve optimal plasma formation and expulsion.