CATALYTIC GLOWPLUGS FOR COLD STARTING

COLD STARTING OF DIESEL ENGINES AT THE MILITARY'S -25 F AND -60 F STANDARDS CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM FOR MOST ENGINES, AND EVEN AT TEMPERATURES WHERE THE ENGINES WILL START, THERE MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT WARMUP PERIOD BEFORE APPRECIABLE POWER IS AVAILABLE. CATALYTIC GLOWPLUGS OFFER THE SIMPLICITY OF A GLOWPLUG SYSTEM WITH INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS FROM CATALYTIC ACTIVITY. PRECISION COMBUSTION'S GLOWPLUGS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IGNITE ENGINE COMBUSTION AT MUCH LOWER TEMPERATURES THAN STANDARD PLUGS IN A CURRENT NASA SBIR PROGRAM FOR LOW COMPRESSION, DIESEL ROTARY ENGINES. THE LOWER TEMPERATURE OPERATION OFFERS MORE DURABILITY, OR THE PLUG CAN BE OPERATED AT AN INTERMEDIATE TEMPERATURE FOR GREATLY INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, A GLOWPLUG CAN BE FABRICATED THAT WILL IGNITE MUCH COLDER FUEL AIR MIXTURES, AND ALLOW ENGINES TO FIRE AND START AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, AS WELL AS RUN MORE SMOOTHLY SOONER. PHASE I WILL ENTAIL PROOF OF CONCEPT TESTING WITH DEMONSTRATION OF COLD START CAPABILITIES IN A DIESEL ENGINE AT -25 F. PHASE II WILL ADAPT THE TECHNOLOGY TO A DIESEL ENGINE IN USE BY THE ARMY.