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.