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.

An ignition system for an internal combustion engine has a power source, a transformer having first and second primary windings and a secondary winding, a connector extending from the secondary winding and adapted so as to connect with a terminal of the spark plug of the internal combustion engine, and electronic spark timing circuit cooperative with the transformer so as to activate and deactivate voltage to the first and second primary windings. The first and second primary windings are connected to the power source such that the transformer produces an alternating voltage output from the secondary winding of between 1 kHz and 100 kHz and a voltage of at least 20 kV. A forced push-pull inverter is cooperative with the electronic spark timing circuit so as to fix a frequency of voltage to the first and second primary windings.

A high-frequency discharge ignition device includes a current supply device which supplies an AC current to a spark discharge path formed in a gap of an ignition plug, a control device which controls the operation of the current supply device, and a voltage detection device which outputs a signal of a section where a magnetic induction voltage of a primary coil generated after a switch element of an ignition coil device is placed in a shutoff state exceeds a predetermined voltage, and the control device determines the timing when the spark discharge path has been formed in the gap of the ignition plug according to an output signal of the voltage detection device and operates the current supply device based on the timing when the spark discharge path has been formed in the gap of the ignition plug to supply the AC current to the spark discharge path.

An ignition device includes a spark plug, a measurement value detector, an electrical breakdown determiner, an AC voltage applying section, and a first changing section. The measurement value detector includes primary and secondary coils, and detects at least one measurement value among an ignition coil, a primary current, a primary voltage, a secondary current, and a secondary voltage. The electrical breakdown determiner determines whether a discharge has become an electrical breakdown state based on the measurement value. The AC voltage applying section applies an AC voltage of a first predetermined frequency that causes voltage resonance to the primary coil. The first changing section changes the frequency of the AC voltage to a second predetermined frequency that can maintain the electrical breakdown state and is lower in frequency than the first predetermined frequency when it is determined that the discharge has become the electrical breakdown state.

The invention relates to a device for controlling a multiple spark operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein an ignition transformer can be switched off and back on again for delivering or interrupting an ignition spark energy based on at least one current threshold. The invention proposes that the at least one current threshold be programmable.

A plasma generating device that improves plasma generating efficiency can further accommodate changes in plasma generating state because of changes in conditions of surroundings and the like. The plasma generating device is provided with an electromagnetic wave radiating device, which has an electromagnetic wave generating device that oscillates electromagnetic waves and a radiating antenna that radiates electromagnetic waves oscillated by the electromagnetic wave generating device, and a control device that controls the electromagnetic wave radiating device. The electromagnetic wave radiating device is provided with a power detector that detects traveling wave power output by the electromagnetic wave generating device and reflected wave power reflected from the radiating antenna, and the control device automatically controls the oscillation pattern for the electromagnetic waves on the basis of the proportion of the value for the reflected wave power to the value for the traveling wave power detected by the power detector.

A step-up converter and an ignition system including a step-up converter are provided, which enable a better automated manufacture and reduced electrical insulation measures by a step-up converter constructed as follows: a transformer including a primary coil and a secondary coil galvanically isolated from the primary coil, the secondary coil being wound in multiple layers, and the primary coil being wound coaxially to the secondary coil over an outermost layer of the secondary coil, a first electrical terminal of the secondary coil branching off from an innermost layer of the secondary coil. The first electrical terminal of the secondary coil is configured for electrical connection to a high-voltage terminal for the spark gap.

It is possible to adjust electromagnetic energy introduced from a low-voltage side of a primary winding 20 of an ignition coil 2 after start discharging to a spark plug 1 from the ignition coil 2 in the correct proportion by threshold-determining either one or both of a primary voltage V1 applied to a primary side of the ignition coil 2 and a secondary current I2 flowing in a secondary side of the ignition coil 2, and by opening and closing a discharging switch 32 disposed between an auxiliary power supply 3 including an energy storage coil 330 and a low-voltage side terminal 201 of the ignition coil 2.

An ignition module, ignition system, and method for providing and generating at least two sparks in each cylinder in a single combustion cycle for RPMs over 3,000. The ignition module, system, and method is configured to detect misfires in a spark plug and take measures to alert a user of such misfires and cause an additional spark to occur prior to the completion of the cylinder's power stroke during its combustion cycle. The ignition module, system and method provides for continuous spark at high RPMs and is configured to reduce and/or eliminate engine misfire in excess of about 3,000 RPM for four stroke engines and up to 30,000 RPM for two stroke engines.

An ignition module, ignition system, and method for providing and generating at least two sparks in each cylinder in a single combustion cycle for RPMs over 3,000. The ignition module, system, and method is configured to detect misfires in a spark plug and take measures to alert a user of such misfires and cause an additional spark to occur prior to the completion of the cylinder's power stroke during its combustion cycle. The ignition module, system and method provides for continuous spark at high RPMs and is configured to reduce and/or eliminate engine misfire in excess of about 3,000 RPM for four stroke engines and up to 30,000 RPM for two stroke engines.