A method for checking electrodes of a spark gap of an ignition system for a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine with an externally provided ignition includes generating a spark at the spark gap in an operating state without ignition of an ignitable mixture in the combustion chamber; ascertaining a parameter or characteristic function representing the spark current, the spark voltage, and/or the spark duration; comparing the parameter or the characteristic function to a reference; adapting an energy for a voltage buildup for a further spark generation for the mixture ignition and/or for maintaining an ignition spark for the mixture ignition, in particular for a future ignition process, as a function of a difference between the parameter or the characteristic function and the reference.

A method of testing a spark plug includes exciting the spark plug with a constant current from a DC power supply. A voltage difference across a gap of the spark plug is measured with a voltage measuring device. A status of an element of the spark plug is determined from the measured voltage difference. The status of the element of the spark plug may include, but is not limited to, a distance of the gap of the spark plug, or a condition of an insulator of the center electrode of the spark plug.

A method for detecting the anti-knocking capacity of a fuel in an internal combustion engine, which comprises the step of analyzing the single combustion cycles of the cylinders to be repeated until a counter reaches a respective threshold value; the step of calculating the mean spark advance operated by the internal combustion engine in the single combustion cycles of the cylinders that have allowed said counter to reach the respective threshold value; and the step of determining the anti-knocking capacity of the fuel as a function of the first counter that has reached the respective threshold value and as a function of the mean spark advance operated by the internal combustion engine in the single combustion cycles of the cylinders that have allowed said counter to reach the respective threshold value.

A spark ignition engine system for communicating data includes a capacitive discharge ignition system using a microcontroller for controlling the spark ignition of a light-duty internal combustion engine; a memory device communicated with the microcontroller, wherein the micro-controller obtains engine data from the light-duty internal combustion engine and stores the engine data or software using the memory device; and a powering connection and a separate data connection that are electrically connected to different pins of the microcontroller, wherein the powering connection supplies power to the microcontroller while engine data or software is communicated via the data connection.

A spark ignition engine system for communicating data includes a capacitive discharge ignition system using a microcontroller for controlling the spark ignition of a light-duty internal combustion engine; a memory device communicated with the microcontroller, wherein the micro-controller obtains engine data from the light-duty internal combustion engine and stores the engine data or software using the memory device; and a powering connection and a separate data connection that are electrically connected to different pins of the microcontroller, wherein the powering connection supplies power to the microcontroller while engine data or software is communicated via the data connection.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a laser ignition system of an engine. In one example, a controller may operate the laser in a sealed cylinder hours after key-off. Then, the cylinder may be unsealed and a change in exhaust temperature may be correlated with laser functionality.

An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a spark plug; a first ignition coil and a second ignition coil; a battery; a booster circuit that boosts a voltage supplied from the battery; a power transistor that conducts and interrupts a primary current flowing to a primary coil included in the first ignition coil; a MOSFET that applies and interrupts the voltage boosted by the booster circuit to a primary coil included in the second ignition coil; and an ECU that starts electric discharge by the spark plug by controlling the power transistor, and repeatedly applies and interrupts the voltage boosted by the booster circuit by the MOSFET so that the electric discharge that is started is maintained.

A system and method for determining a health state of a spark plug of an ignition system is provided. The system includes a detection module configured to measure a time duration associated with a current flowing through a primary coil of the ignition system. The detection module is configured to generate a signal indicative of the time duration. The controller, coupled to the detection module, is configured to receive the signal and determine a secondary voltage across a secondary coil of the ignition system based on the received signal. The controller is further configured to determine the health state of the spark plug based on the secondary voltage. The controller is further configured to control at least one of a primary voltage supplied to the primary coil, the spark duration and the timing of firing the spark plug based on the health state of the spark plug.

A system and method for determining a health state of a spark plug of an ignition system is provided. The system includes a detection module configured to measure a time duration associated with a current flowing through a primary coil of the ignition system. The detection module is configured to generate a signal indicative of the time duration. The controller, coupled to the detection module, is configured to receive the signal and determine a secondary voltage across a secondary coil of the ignition system based on the received signal. The controller is further configured to determine the health state of the spark plug based on the secondary voltage. The controller is further configured to control at least one of a primary voltage supplied to the primary coil, the spark duration and the timing of firing the spark plug based on the health state of the spark plug.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of combustion-supporting of compression ignition engines, and provides a hot surface combustion-supporting system of an engine, for solving the problem in the prior art that direct use of methanol by an engine is affected due to the fact that methanol cannot be directly compression-ignited. In an embodiment, the system includes: a hot surface igniter, which is used for igniting fuel of an engine; and a controller, which is used for performing temperature control of the hot surface igniter, can also communicate with an ECU of the engine, and is used for receiving a control signal of the ECU and a pre-set temperature value, and controlling on or off of the hot surface igniter according to the received control signal and the pre-set temperature value. The use of fuel having high latent heat of vaporization or high ignition temperature such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a compression ignition engine faces the same problem, which is covered by the present disclosure, and to which the present disclosure is applicable.