Search Results

This paper discusses the growing use of electronics to provide improved fuel economy and control of engine emissions. The advantages of electronic engine controls are outlined, transducers utilized in a 1980 EEC III CFI application are described, and potential future expansion of electronic engine control is discussed.

A second generation automotive speed control system using electronic circuits to perform the necessary logic and memory functions is described. Important considerations, such as performance and environmental factors, are discussed in relation to their design implications. Component function and system operation are covered using generalized circuit concepts. The unique Philco-Ford electronic speed control system is decribed in detail. IT IS THE INTENT of this paper to describe the design factors, functional elements, and general operation of an automatic electronic speed control system for motor vehicle use. Automatic electronic speed control is a feedback control system that has the ability to hold the vehicle speed constant for varying load conditions. This system relieves the driver of the boring task of maintaining the vehicle speed and allows him to concentrate on more significant aspects of his driving.

A planar dielectric barrier discharge device has been tested for exhaust emission reduction in simulated engine exhaust. This device's electrical characteristics have been measured and are presented in this paper. The device consists of two dielectric barriers which act like series capacitors, with the gas gap between them. At low gap voltages, the gas gap also acts like a capacitance, with a much smaller capacitance than the barriers. At higher voltages, the gas gap breaks down and a blue–purple glow visually fills the gap. The partially ionized gas conducts charge across the gap, building electrical charge on the dielectric barrier inner surface. When the AC excitation voltage peaks and starts to go toward an opposite polarity, the discharge momentarily extinguishes, trapping charge in the dielectric barrier capacitance.