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For those who think ignition systems are too complicated now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13160950


http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/24/flash-of-genius-lasers-could-replace-spark-plugs-under-your-hood/?hpt=T2

Just what we need.... cars with "...fricken laser beams..."

I can see it now.... "Yeah the spark plug wasn't adjusted right so it burned a hole through my engine block, tire, and tool box. That's the last time I use AutoLaserLites"

That's a good point. Burned thru blocks--who'da known.

Was thinking it might also be interesting to listen to the discussion of future old car owners. Do I need the old module or how do I wire it to work the new one. Where to mount the low power laser module, and where to run the fiber optics so they don't get damaged. Which brand besides AutoLaserLites --someone reported those have a history of misfiring and burning holes thru blocks and sometimes tires or garages.

Opens up a whole new can of opportunity---and then there will be those with the argument that electronic ignition worked just fine for many years so why change it.

Of course, this assumes a consumer grade version of the flux capacitor to convert radioactive waste or garbage to ordinary fuel. Oil will be pretty scarce by then and regular old cars wouldn't need the time travel feature available with the commercial version -- no stainless steel bodies, you know.

I on;y read the first articel. Not the second. What the article fails to tell is the size of the 'generator' required to produce a lazer for that purpose.

I'm guessing it is a high presssure freon/argon pumped to extremely high pressure thru an Xverse low frequency radio wave or magnetic field to produce an adequate lazer beam big enuf and bad enuf to pass thru such high pressure/heat of a combustion chamber to ignite the fuel.

Such generators about the size of a small house and to the best of my knowledge the freon (but not the argon or acetylene) becomes 'waste' but does not loose it's ability for AC operation.

So it is not really practicle for automotive operation of spark plugs.

Such a machine as i have described above is used in industrial welding and experimental reseach in other fields.

Your guess on how it's done is as good as any although the article did mention "up till now" it required high powered lasers as you surmised.

This one claims energy from a low power unit coupled by fiber optics is used to fire a new ceramic concoction which is in each of the plugs & does the high power work.. Irregardless, I don't expect it to be realistic or seen anytime soon but food for thought to the younger guys. In 20 years, who knows. Maybe it's time to start stocking up on electronic modules for whatever you think might be collectable down the road.