E3 Spark Plug Issue!!!

[ShoerFast]

Sorry, I've been away a few days. Not long enough for some of you I'm sure.

On a scope, a slightly richer fuel mix will show a smaller firing line. By this I'm referring to the line or energy required to jump the gap. You can also run a closer gap to achieve the same objective here, but as knowledgeable as you are here, I believe you already know this. Yes air and pressure all are resistances to a plug firing. BUT does electrical current not travel easier via a liquid than an open gap. Just look at a flooded engine. The current travels all around the plug to reach ground via the fuel that is coating the plug instead of jumping the gap.

By having fuel particles or atoms closely gathered inbetween the plug gap, it allows the current to jump from atom to atom, easily bridging the gap resulting in a lower firing kv. In this case you have to compare resistances to resistances. Which resistance has the greater resistance. Air? Liquid fuel? Extreme cylinder pressure?


Secondly here, I know a plug doesn't shoot a flame, but it does create the flame and any shrouding created by the plug effects how this flame front moves. Take a cutting torch or any sort of torch, now light it and place an object in front of it. Does the flame just pass through this object, or does it have to travel around it? Same thing applies to all flame fronts and air flow. I agree a simple hole in the ground electrode isn't going to affect anything simply because the hole is no where near big enough.

I just wish I had some of the videos I've seen on how a plug ignites the air fuel mix so I wouldn't have to explain everything time and time again.

I hoped to know how detailed your experience is.

Watching the primary spark line, or height of the initial spark is part of the equation.

Stacking individual spark lines above each other in a multi-cylinder engine will show an excessive dwell before the spark acutely jumps the gap, ( A --> B) needing more amperage from the coil, but not bridging at optimal or peak-voltage. Ignition retarders (Boosters) work on this principle, at the cost of extra heat/amp-draw in the coil.

Take for an example an engine with one over rich, or leaky fuel-injector, that particular cylinder will have a longer dwell before the actual spark jumps the gap, (A - B) ,,,,,,, higher resistance, requiring more amperage, and will effect, fire or bridge the gap for a shorter amount of time. (B - C) But will have a smaller amount of interference, or a cleaner "hash" lines rich. ("C")

In 1983, I purchased one of the first Bear/ (Marquette) computerized engine analyzers, At the time, it was so advanced that it could give you coil amperage draw per cylinder! It could also give you total time in mill-a-seconds the spark is actually jumping the gap. (It could also give you dynamatic combustion / compression pressures from the same data!)

The true nutz to a complete plug firing , if you could consider the amount of currant that actually makes it accrosed the gap, is a lot less in a rich , or I like how you mentioned "slightly rich" situation. This is why "rich" cylinders sometimes give you a fuzzed distributor / rotor terminal.

Snap-test will also prove this, the temporary rich/heavy load will shorten all firing-lines / spark-plug firing times considerbly.

Shrouded Electrode​

Again, the true nuts of the E3 claim is there superior technology, and there ability to direct the flame kernel into the cylinder.

There have been several very good explanations of why even if this were true, the piston coming up, would not need a deeper flame front, again making a claim for a traditional plug.

If a 3D measurement would be possible, on a 360 degree playing front - out from the plug, or side-ways , a traditional plug would have what? 350 Deg. of open? And around the electrode, what, well over 90% of the total area that any other plug gap/designs could offer?

As well mentioned before, these ideas of Snake-oil plugs been around since the early 1900's , and found to just not work any better.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

BUT does electrical current not travel easier via a liquid than an open gap.

I have no dog in this discussion, but whether current travels better in a liquid or not depends entirely on the liquid at hand. Absolutely pure water, for instance, with no mineral contaminants of any kind will not conduct electricity at all. I know 3 fellows that used to build large very high current electric smelters, and believe it or not, they used heavy wall copper tubing as high amperage conductors and ran water thru them for cooling. Imagine if you will 3 phase AC circuits all connected by a common water pump and reservoir NOT shorting together. It boggled my mind.

Ian