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Title: Cooled railplug

Abstract

The railplug is a plasma ignitor capable of injecting a high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine or continuous combustion system. An improved railplug is provided which has dual coaxial chambers (either internal or external to the center electrode) that provide for forced convective cooling of the electrodes using the normal pressure changes occurring in an internal combustion engine. This convective cooling reduces the temperature of the hot spot associated with the plasma initiation point, particularly in coaxial railplug configurations, and extends the useful life of the railplug. The convective cooling technique may also be employed in a railplug having parallel dual rails using dual, coaxial chambers.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Austin, TX
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Texas Univ., Austin, TX
OSTI Identifier:
870401
Patent Number(s):
5513605
Assignee:
Board of Regents, University of Texas System (Austin, TX)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01T - SPARK GAPS
DOE Contract Number:  
FG05-91ER12115
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
cooled; railplug; plasma; ignitor; capable; injecting; energy; jet; combustion; chamber; internal; engine; continuous; improved; provided; dual; coaxial; chambers; external; center; electrode; provide; forced; convective; cooling; electrodes; normal; pressure; changes; occurring; reduces; temperature; hot; spot; associated; initiation; particularly; configurations; extends; useful; life; technique; employed; parallel; rails; useful life; pressure changes; internal combustion; combustion chamber; combustion engine; plasma jet; coaxial chambers; center electrode; convective cooling; changes occurring; hot spot; changes occur; plasma initiation; pressure change; /123/

Citation Formats

Weldon, William F. Cooled railplug. United States: N. p., 1996. Web.
Weldon, William F. Cooled railplug. United States.
Weldon, William F. Mon . "Cooled railplug". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870401.
@article{osti_870401,
title = {Cooled railplug},
author = {Weldon, William F},
abstractNote = {The railplug is a plasma ignitor capable of injecting a high energy plasma jet into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine or continuous combustion system. An improved railplug is provided which has dual coaxial chambers (either internal or external to the center electrode) that provide for forced convective cooling of the electrodes using the normal pressure changes occurring in an internal combustion engine. This convective cooling reduces the temperature of the hot spot associated with the plasma initiation point, particularly in coaxial railplug configurations, and extends the useful life of the railplug. The convective cooling technique may also be employed in a railplug having parallel dual rails using dual, coaxial chambers.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}