Spark Plug essays

Spark Plug essays I am doing a report on spark plugs. Spark plugs have become a very big part in life today. With out them we probably would not be where we are today. The spark plug was invented early on by a French citizen born in Luxemburg. He was named Etienne Lenoir. In 1860 he manufactured an engine which used an electric spark ignition system. At this time in history many inventors and people were tired of the big and bulky steam engine and wanted something new. Etienne Lenoir fixed that by making one of the first internal combustion engines. In such a little thing there is a lot of information to be covered. For instance there are even different kinds of spark plugs, like a hot or cold plug, which one do you use? This paper should help you know the difference between them. The basic job of a spark plug in theory is it forces electricity across a gap just like a bolt of lightning. Therefore the voltage must be very high, it could be any where from forty thousand volts to one-hundred thousand volts. The spark plug must also have an insulated passageway for this high voltage to travel down to the electrode. From there it can jump the gap (see picture A.) and be conducted into the engine block and be grounded. When it jumps the gap there is a spark that ignites the fuel. If the gap is too big or small it will not spark properly. Therefore it is important that the gap is set correctly. The plug also has to withstand an extreme amount of heat and pressure inside the cylinder. It has to be designed in a way that deposits from fuel additives do not build up on the plug. The electrode is the shaft going down the middle of the spark plug (shown in picture A). Another part in the spark plug is connector, which obviously connects to the plug wire. The plug wire carries the electricity from the ignition system. Another part that plays a big role is the ceramic insert. It isolates the high voltage at the electrode an ...