The Role of the Electrodes for the Ionization Sensor Signal 2003-01-0714

The effect of the electrodes on the early signal of the ionization sensor has been studied experimentally and with a model for the sensor. Experiments in a constant-volume combustion chamber with a generic electrode configuration allowed to investigate the role of electrode contact and the main path of the current. A framework for a model allowing the inclusion of electrode processes is introduced, and a first implementation of this model is presented. The results from the simulations are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Our conclusion is that electrode processes can limit the current during early combustion, and that the geometry of the electrodes, and especially the cathode, govern the characteristic shape of the first current peak.