An internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber formed by cooperation of a cylinder bore formed in a cylinder block, a cylinder head and a piston. A combustion ignition device is disposed in the combustion chamber and includes a nozzle defining a pre-chamber, a barrier discharge plasma igniter, including a tip portion disposed in the pre-chamber and a plurality of apertures disposed in the nozzle. The pre-chamber is in fluidic communication with the combustion chamber via the plurality of apertures. A controller is in communication with the engine and the barrier discharge plasma igniter.

An electronic device for the ignition system of an engine, which may incorporate circuitry for voltage amplification via transformer action, while also containing circuitry for sensing operational parameters, circuitry for calculation of derived values from the sensed data or operational parameters, circuitry for storage of the data and derived values, circuitry for engine system control, and circuitry for the wireless communication of data and derived values.

A spark plug with shuttle electrode is provided for an internal combustion engine which includes a combustion chamber in which a main charge diluted with a neutral gas is ignited, the spark plug housing a lamination cavity in which a central electrode opens and in which a lamination injector is able to inject under pressure a pilot charge consisting of an easily flammable combustive-AF fuel mixture, the cavity being connected to the combustion chamber by a lamination duct, while a shuttle electrode is interposed between the central electrode and a ground electrode and can translate in the lamination duct.

An internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber formed by cooperation of a cylinder bore formed in a cylinder block, a cylinder head and a piston. A combustion ignition device is disposed in the combustion chamber and includes a nozzle defining a pre-chamber, a barrier discharge plasma igniter, including a tip portion disposed in the pre-chamber and a plurality of apertures disposed in the nozzle. The pre-chamber is in fluidic communication with the combustion chamber via the plurality of apertures. A controller is in communication with the engine and the barrier discharge plasma igniter.

Premixed engines have ignition issues when engine speed and load are below a predetermined range. An ignition apparatus for igniting a premixed charge in a gaseous-fuelled internal combustion engine comprises an ignition device associated with a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. There is at least one of a dilutant injector for introducing a diluting agent that forms a stratified charge around the ignition device and an enrichment injector for introducing gaseous fuel that forms a stratified charge around the ignition device. An electronic controller is operatively connected with the ignition device and the at least one of the dilutant injector and the enrichment injector and programed to at least one of actuate the dilutant injector to introduce the diluting agent when the ignition device decreases a local air-fuel equivalence ratio around the ignition device below a predetermined threshold; and actuate the enrichment injector to introduce the gaseous fuel to decrease the local air-fuel equivalence ratio when engine load and engine speed are below a predetermined threshold engine load and speed range and when the ignition device does not affect the local air-fuel equivalence around the ignition device.

An ECU outputs an ignition signal Si to an ignition apparatus through an ignition communication line, and outputs a discharge waveform control signal Sc with a logic H through a waveform control communication line. The ignition apparatus performs the closing operation of an ignition switching element, in a period during which the ignition signal Si is input. In an input period of the discharge waveform control signal Sc after stopping the input of the ignition signal Si, the ignition apparatus controls the electric current to flow through a primary coil, by the opening-closing operation of a control switching element. When the voltage of the waveform control communication line Lc is the logic H in an output stop period of the discharge waveform control signal Sc, the ECU determines that the waveform control communication line is abnormal, and executes a fail-safe process.

A control system for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine configured to produce tumble flow in a cylinder is provided. The spark-ignition internal combustion engine includes an ignition plug configured to ignite an air-fuel mixture in the cylinder. The control system includes a tumble flow rate controller configured to change a position of a vortex center of the tumble flow as viewed in a direction of a center axis of the cylinder, so as to control a flow rate of the tumble flow around the ignition plug at the ignition timing of the ignition plug.

A method for energy ignition management of a spark-ignition engine includes receiving, by a controller, at least one ignition energy characteristic to affect control of at least one combustion cylinder. The method further includes controlling the at least one combustion cylinder via the controller. Controlling the at least one combustion cylinder via the controller includes adjusting the at least one ignition energy characteristic in response to at least one operating condition of the engine. The at least one ignition energy characteristic is a magnitude of one of a current or voltage of spark energy.

An ignition device and strategies are provided for extending spark plug life and air-fuel mixture lean limits in natural gas engines while maintaining or improving the engine thermal efficiency. The ignition device may include a plug body extending between a terminal end and an electrode end, a plurality of electrode pairs radially disposed on the electrode end each having an inner electrode and an outer electrode and an insulating body electrically isolating each of the electrode pairs from one another and each of the inner electrodes from the outer electrodes.

In an internal combustion engine, gaseous fuel is injected in a first injection through a pre-combustion chamber into the combustion chamber to mix with air in the combustion chamber. The pre-combustion chamber has a jet aperture in fluid communication between the pre-combustion chamber and the combustion chamber. Mixed gaseous fuel and air is then ingested into the pre-combustion chamber from the combustion chamber and ignited. In a second injection, injecting gaseous fuel into the pre-combustion chamber and expelling, with the second injection, ignited gaseous fuel and air from the pre-combustion chamber through the jet aperture and into the combustion chamber as a flaming jet with a core of gaseous fuel.