# Friggin Laser beams! \[To Replace Spark Plugs\] **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [July 15, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593 "2009-07-15T16:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Viper966](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/viper966/32/7268_2.png) [@Viper966](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Viper966)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/1 "2009-07-15T16:02:02Z")
> **[Cars to be started by lasers instead of spark plugs](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5803066/Cars-to-be-started-by-lasers-instead-of-spark-plugs.html)** > > The familiar sound of cars failing to start in the cold weather is set to become a thing of the past after scientists developed lasers which can be used to replace spark plugs in petrol engines. Scientists at Liverpool University and engineers at car giants Ford have developed a new ignition system which uses focused beams of laser light to ignite the fuel.The researchers claim the technology is more reliable and efficient than current spark plug technology and will enable cars to start more easily in cold and damp conditions. It is understood that Ford, the world’s fourth largest car manufacturer, hopes to put the laser ignition system into their top of the range vehicles within the next couple of years before making it more widely available. Dr Tom Shenton, a reader in engineering at Liverpool University who is leading the project, said: "We are running engines everyday in our laboratory with this system now and our ultimate objective is have it inside cars driven by consumers. "Lasers can be focused and split into multiple beams to give multiple ignition points, which means it can give a far better chance of ignition. "This can really improve the performance of the engine when it is cold, as this is the time when around 80 per cent of the exhaust emissions are produced and the engine is at is least efficient. “The laser also produces more stable combustion so you need to put less fuel into the cylinder.” In current engines spark plugs are positioned at the top or bottom of a cylinder and they can often fail to ignite fuel effectively if the petrol is not in the right position in the cylinder. In the new system the spark plug is replaced by a laser powered by the car battery which is sent along thin optical fibres into the engine’s cylinders where lenses focus the beam into an intense pinprick of light. When fuel is injected into the engine, the laser is fired, producing enough heat to ignite the fuel and power the engine. The researchers claim that the laser, which will need to fire more than 50 times per second to produce 3000 RPM, will require less power than traditional spark plugs. Some of the laser can be reflected back from inside the cylinder to provide information for the car on the type of fuel being used and the level of ignition, allowing the car to adjust the quantities of air and fuel automatically to optimise the performance. This raises the prospect of mixed fuel cars which can run on a number of different biofuels while ensuring they still run efficiently. A spokesman for Ford said: "Ford, like all vehicle manufacturers, is obliged by European legislation to reduce emissions and our work in this area is led by Ford’s UK R&D centre in Essex. “This collaboration with the University of Liverpool is part of that effort, with Ford contributing in kind, with engineering time and equipment use, as well as financially.” The project has now been awarded a £200,000 grant by the Carbon Trust to help develop the system further. Transport accounts for 25 per cent of carbon emissions and it is hoped new ignition systems can help to cut this level of pollution. Robert Trezona, Head of Research & Development at the Carbon Trust, said: "Laser ignition is attractive in a number of ways. “It has a real potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the future by improving the ignition and combustion of fuel, particularly in engines starting from cold, but it can also be used in mixed fuel engines such as biofuels.” ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/2 "2009-07-15T16:28:08Z")
That’s cool. Wonder what they’ll put it in first… And how well it will work. ---
**Author:** ![somedude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/3 "2009-07-15T18:40:04Z")
I wonder if the lazer needs a second point to reflect from to ignite the fuel. My mind says no and that the beam could be split many times to send the beam several directions into the cylinder so instead of having a single ignition source there would be 3, 4, 5 to more quickly ignite the fuel. Make sense to me. All I can think about right now is how a diesel combustion event happens… cool concept though. ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/4 "2009-07-15T22:06:39Z")
I wonder if the lazer will be able to ‘clean’ is self from combustion deposits. bad ass concept though. ---
**Author:** ![ultradriver10000](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ultradriver10000/32/7397_2.png) [@ultradriver10000](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ultradriver10000)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/5 "2009-07-16T06:15:33Z")
Seems stupid to me. How much is it going to cost to replace a lazer beam plug? ---
**Author:** ![Southtowns27](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/southtowns27/32/5002_2.png) [@Southtowns27](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Southtowns27)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/6 "2009-07-16T06:24:40Z")
Fiber optic falls off and starts shooting holes in the hood. lol. Really cool concept though. ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/7 "2009-07-16T06:55:15Z")
they said it would be fiber optic ‘cable’ that delivers the beam. kinda like a distributor I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 7:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/8 "2009-07-16T07:08:11Z")
I heard they are going to put ill-tempered sea “bass” in the sound system too. :rimshot: (crickets) ---
**Author:** ![L8APEX1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/l8apex1/32/7276_2.png) [@L8APEX1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/L8APEX1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/9 "2009-07-16T07:20:43Z")
> [@travisn](#): > > I wonder if the lazer will be able to ‘clean’ is self from combustion deposits. bad ass concept though. my sentiments exactly ---
**Author:** ![99\_civic\_si](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/99_civic_si/32/7319_2.png) [@99\_civic\_si](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99_civic_si)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/10 "2009-07-16T11:10:31Z")
With everything comes a down side…so what is the drawback going to be? ---
**Author:** ![somedude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/11 "2009-07-16T12:46:51Z")
> [@99\_civic\_si](#): > > With everything comes a down side…so what is the drawback going to be? it is more complicated and less efficient than a modern diesel engine? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/12 "2009-07-16T12:57:21Z")
> [@99\_civic\_si](#): > > With everything comes a down side…so what is the drawback going to be? People are going to use the lasers to kill each other.(?) ---
**Author:** ![Final\_GTS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/final_gts/32/7359_2.png) [@Final\_GTS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Final_GTS)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/13 "2009-07-16T13:51:13Z")
With Fords fantastic reputation of high quality electrical systems, how can we go wrong…? ---
**Author:** ![sobo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sobo/32/5267_2.png) [@sobo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/sobo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/14 "2009-07-16T14:09:00Z")
Downside… Probably will cost $$. ---
**Author:** ![ubengineering](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ubengineering/32/5171_2.png) [@ubengineering](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ubengineering)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/15 "2009-07-16T17:31:51Z")
> [@Final GTS](#): > > With Fords fantastic reputation of high quality electrical systems, how can we go wrong…? well i guess they cant be the worst, theyre not bankrupt! ---
**Author:** ![Final\_GTS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/final_gts/32/7359_2.png) [@Final\_GTS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Final_GTS)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/16 "2009-07-16T20:26:53Z")
> [@ubengineering](#): > > well i guess they cant be the worst, theyre not bankrupt! Well… all I can say is that I have seen Chryslers modules and electrical systems inside and out, as well as Fords… and Ford by comparison is absolute garbage. I do nothing but chase Ford caused problems on a particular Supercar around here. Anything with FORD stamped on it is trouble. They arent bankrupt because they are a bunch of cheap asses. ---
**Author:** ![turbojohnny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@turbojohnny](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/turbojohnny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/17 "2009-07-16T20:33:39Z")
shit, bad spark plug $3 tops to replace it, bad laser beam$$$$$$ to replace. what’s to stop the laser from eventually burning a hole through the piston? ---
**Author:** ![somedude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/18 "2009-07-16T21:50:00Z")
> [@turbojohnny](#): > > shit, bad spark plug $3 tops to replace it, bad laser beam$$$$$$ to replace. > > what’s to stop the laser from eventually burning a hole through the piston? my guess is that they are not set to death ray. ---
**Author:** ![sobo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sobo/32/5267_2.png) [@sobo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/sobo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/19 "2009-07-16T23:12:16Z")
> [@Final GTS](#): > > Well… all I can say is that I have seen Chryslers modules and electrical systems inside and out, as well as Fords… and Ford by comparison is absolute garbage. I do nothing but chase Ford caused problems on a particular Supercar around here. Anything with FORD stamped on it is trouble. They arent bankrupt because they are a bunch of cheap asses. Well there’s one thing for sure that ford got right. They didn’t make a super car that sucks balls. Honestly who can say they like any chrysler product that isn’t out of production or a jeep? Gotta wonder why they went failed, again. ---
**Author:** ![Violator](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/violator/32/7278_2.png) [@Violator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Violator)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593/20 "2009-07-16T23:32:45Z")
At least there are 1 or 2 people on here that can actually spell the word laser. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/friggin-laser-beams-to-replace-spark-plugs/70593.md?page=2)