Ford ’s U.K. engineers, along with scientists from Liverpool University, have developed a potential successor to the venerable spark plug: laser ignition. According to a new report, the automaker intends to bring the technology to market in the next two years.
There are a number of advantages to the laser-based ignition system, including increased dependability in the coldest weather conditions. Overall reliability is also said to be higher, because the laser can be split to create multiple points of ignition.
Using a laser to achieve ignition, rather than sparks, also reduces the amount of fuel required during startup. This is because the laser “produces more stable combustion so you need to put less fuel into the cylinder,” researcher Dr Tom Shenton told the Telegraph.
Not only does the system need less fuel, it also requires less electricity than normal spark plugs. Researchers say the laser’s pinprick beam fires more than 50 times in a fraction of a second to produce 3,000 rpm. The laser can also be reflected back to a receiver to provide information to the computer about fuel type, to help optimize the engine’s settings.
The technology will first appear in Ford ’s higher-end models, but will eventually trickle down to the company’s economy offerings.
