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Tumble motion plays a significant role in modern spark-ignition engines in that it promotes mixing of air/fuel for homogeneous combustion and increases the flame propagation speed for higher thermal efficiency and lower combustion variability. Cycle-by-cycle variations in the flow near the spark plug introduce variability to the initial flame kernel development, stretching, and convection, and this variability is carried over to the entire combustion process. The design of current direct-injection spark-ignition engines aims to have a tumble flow in the vicinity of the spark plug at the time of ignition. This work investigates how the flow condition changes in the vicinity of the spark plug throughout the late compression stroke via high-speed imaging of a long ignition discharge arc channel and its stretching, and via flow field measurement by particle imaging velocimetry.

The influence of spark plug orientation on early flame kernel development is investigated in an optically accessible gasoline direct injection homogeneous charged spark ignition engine. This investigation provides visual understanding and statistical characterization of how spark plug orientation impacts the early flame kernel and thus combustion phasing and engine performance. The projected images of flame kernel were captured through natural flame chemiluminescence with a high-speed camera at 10,000 frames per second, and the ignition secondary discharge voltage and current were measured with a 10 MHz DAQ system. The combustion metrics were determined using measurement from a piezo-electric in-cylinder pressure transducer and real-time engine combustion analyzer. Three spark plug orientations with two different electrode designs were studied. The captured images of the flame were processed to yield 2D and 1D probability distributions.

“Multi-Spark” refers to the charging and discharging of an ignition coil multiple times during a single combustion event. This paper attempts to use multi-sparking to achieve an effect similar to a long duration spark to enhance combustion during slow burn conditions. Although multi-sparking is more typical of capacitive discharge (CDI) ignition systems, this paper discusses the multi-sparking of Kettering ignition systems to achieve the benefits of multi-sparking without CDIs' cost, packaging, complexity and reliability issues. The goal of the multi-spark calibration is to successfully initiate flame kernal development with the first spark discharge and add supplemental energy fast enough through restriking to prevent the flame kernal from quenching.