Thread: Laser Ignition

As usual I'm a geek and love finding ways to improve fuel economy. This is something pretty cool. Replacing spark plugs with lasers would give you a ton of more room with power gaining too, no more spark blow out etc.
Lasers Could Boost Engine Efficiency by 27% - IEEE Spectrum

I would like to se this come to fruition! Only reason why is this would not work would be to maximize profit margine.

Give us laser plugs and lithium-ion car batteries.

youd have to have a lens that kept the combustion in the chamber that the lazer could shine through, issue with that would be carbon build up on the lens. or some kind of mechanical solenoid that opens to let the light shine through

Maybe one day we will be replacing lenses and mirrors as preventative maintenance. Or even changing mirrors for different focal patterns for different ignition characteristics. Cool stuff living in the future.

...or somehow incorporating microwaves to clean the carbon deposits off. Go fast bits include super polished mirrors and high output microwaves.

microwaves wont react with carbon in that way. maybe you mean ultrasonic?

Microwaves have been used in conjunction with plasma in the semiconductor industry for years to do just that....eliminate undesired carbon deposits.

now you are introducing a gas and electric field...