Ignition system for low grade synthesis gas at high compression

Abstract

An igniter system for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having one or more cylinders including at least one igniter per cylinder is disclosed. The igniter system can comprise: a combustion chamber connected to a main cylinder of the engine by a restricted diameter bore, wherein a lean burn fuel mixture is introduced into the combustion chamber by the normal compression stroke of the engine; a hydrogen valve that injects a hydrogen rich gas into the combustion chamber forming a mixture of hydrogen and air having a hydrogen concentration above the stoichiometric ratio for hydrogen and air in the combustion chamber; and a spark ignition source that injects hot unburned hydrogen into the main cylinder, thereby initiating ignition.