Technical Paper
Simulation Study of Cathode Spot Formation on Spark Plug Electrodes Leading to Electrode Erosion
2024-04-09
2024-01-2103
A multi-dimensional cathode spot generation model is proposed to study the interaction between the plasma arc and cathode surface of a spark plug during the ignition process. The model is focused on the instationary (high current) arc phase immediately following breakdown, and includes detailed physics for the phenomena during spot formation such as ion collision, thermal-field emission, and metal vaporization, to simulate the surface heat source, current density and surface pressure. The spot formation for a platinum cathode is simulated using the VOF (volume of fluid) model within FLUENT, where the local metal is melted and deformed by pressure differences on the surface. A random walk model has been integrated to consider the movement of the arc center, resulting in the formation of different types of spots.