IGNITION AND CARBURETION RESEARCH AT ARCTIC TEMPERATURES

• Main Author: Beavers, R. G.
• Other Authors: KENTUCKY UNIV LEXINGTON AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1953
• Subjects: Geography; *TEMPERATURE; OUTPUT; COILS; PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING); ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; COMBUSTION; HEATING; IGNITION; POWER; SPARK PLUGS; INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARCTIC REGIONS; GASOLINE; AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS; PLUGS; HEAT; FUEL INJECTORS; MANIFOLDS(ENGINES); ENGINES; FUELS; TEST EQUIPMENT; HIGH TEMPERATURE; DISTRIBUTION; INJECTION; Arctic; Merz
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0008003; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0008003

An investigation was made to determine the effect of arctic tem perature on automotive ignition equipment, a gasoline engine equipped with a fuel injector, and a gasoline engine equipped with a carburetor. Eight commercially available spark plugs underwent 4 tests each to determine the relative performance at various operating conditions. A Merz single-cylinder Otto-cycle engine was operated in an arctic test cell. The performance of the ignition coil improved as its temperature was reduced. Spark plugs of higher heat range had better performance characteristics. The performance of the spark plug was better at high temperatures during the tests in which the plugs were heated and the coil temperature remained constant. The performance of the regular plugs was superior to that of the resistor-type. The power output of the engines increased as the combustion air temperature was reduced; manifold heating devices were detrimental to engine performance. The only advantage in the use of the injection system was an improvement in fuel distribution.