• Login
    • Submit
    View Item 
    •   Repository Home
    • UT Communities
    • Cockrell School of Engineering
    • Center for Electromechanics
    • CEM Publications
    • View Item
    • Repository Home
    • UT Communities
    • Cockrell School of Engineering
    • Center for Electromechanics
    • CEM Publications
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    The Railplug: A New Ignitor for Internal Combustion Engines

    Icon
    View/Open
    PR_172.pdf (711.0Kb)
    Date
    1995-01
    Author
    Faidley, R.W.
    Darden, M.H.
    Weldon, W.F.
    Share
     Facebook
     Twitter
     LinkedIn
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    A miniaturized railgun, termed the >railplug,> has been developed for use as an ignitor of combustible mixtures in engines. The device drives a plasma armature in a multishot mode with the aim of creating a line-source for ignition rather than the point source provided by traditional spark plugs. Railplugs have been fabricated in both parallel rail and co-axial rail geometries. The railplug differs from most plasma armature railguns in two striking ways: (1) no fuse or pellet is used to initially establish the plasma (the armature is simply the arc created by a high-voltage pulse), and (2) it operates over a range of elevated pressures (up to 500 psi). Consequently, the railplug power supply must provide a high voltage spike to breakdown the gap between the rails followed by a sustaining voltage that supplies current to drive the arc down the rails. Conceptually, this is the equivalent of combining the electrostatic problem of a sparkplug with the electrodynamic one of a railgun. Two power supply options that do this are outlined, as well as details of railplug geometries. Successes to date have demonstrated the firing of plugs for over 10{sup 4} shots at delivered arc energies of 1 J per shot. Rep rates have been demonstrated up to 50 Hz.
    Department
    Center for Electromechanics
    Subject
    EM Launch
    mini railgun
    railplug
    ignition
    em gun
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/2152/30893
    Citation
    R.W. Faidley, M.H. Darden, and W.F. Weldon, “The railplug: a new ignitor for internal combustion engines,” 6th EML Symposium, Austin, Texas, U.S.A., April 28-30, 1992.
    Collections
    • CEM Publications
    University of Texas at Austin Libraries
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • CONTACT US
    • MAPS & DIRECTIONS
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • UT Austin Home
    • Emergency Information
    • Site Policies
    • Web Accessibility Policy
    • Web Privacy Policy
    • Adobe Reader
    Subscribe to our NewsletterGive to the Libraries

    © The University of Texas at Austin

    Browse

    Entire RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsDate IssuedAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartmentThis CollectionDate IssuedAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartment

    My Account

    Login

    Information

    AboutContactPoliciesGetting StartedGlossaryHelpFAQs

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics
    University of Texas at Austin Libraries
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • CONTACT US
    • MAPS & DIRECTIONS
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • UT Austin Home
    • Emergency Information
    • Site Policies
    • Web Accessibility Policy
    • Web Privacy Policy
    • Adobe Reader
    Subscribe to our NewsletterGive to the Libraries

    © The University of Texas at Austin