End of the spark plug?

[papa_smurf]

Looks promising, only now is the technology cheap enough to make this possible.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13160950

[Platapus]

I don't really see the pay off benefit for the increased complexity.

Still the idea of my car having frickin laser beams in its engine is appealing. :yeah:

[Betonov]

I remeber BOSNA SUPER sparkplugs that were once produced in Yugoslavia. A friend has a 1970 Tomos APN motorcycle that came out of the factory with these sparkplugs and were never replaced, these laserplugs wont last five years :P

[papa_smurf]

I don't really see the pay off benefit for the increased complexity.

Still the idea of my car having frickin laser beams in its engine is appealing. :yeah:

Better fuel efficiency not enough?

[Platapus]

Better fuel efficiency not enough?

Well that would have to be demonstrated first.

And any fuel efficiency delta would have to overcome the cost and complexity of the laser ignition system.

That has not been demonstrated either.

[Fish In The Water]

The idea of replacing spark plugs - a technology that has changed little since their invention 150 years ago - with lasers is not a new one.Well I guess we're due for an upgrade, but the jury's probably still out on whether this is it... :hmmm:

[TorpX]

This seems like a pretty complicated and expensive way to create a spark. Other than having the point of ignition farther inside the cylinder, what is the advantage? Would the fuel efficency be boosted very much?