Abstract: To alleviate or eliminate a problem of unburned fuel discharged to the outside of a cylinder in a case in which an air fuel mixture is insufficiently combusted in a combustion chamber. During the expansion stroke in which a high voltage is applied to an ignition plug via an ignition coil, and a spark discharge is caused to occur at the ignition plug, thereby the air fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is ignited and combusted, in a case in which deterioration of combustion state is detected, a microwave electric field is created in the combustion chamber prior to an opening timing of an exhaust valve at an end stage of the expansion stroke, thereby plasma is generated and enlarged in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An spark ignition type internal combustion engine allows the spark discharge by the ignition plug to react with the electric field created in the combustion chamber and generates the plasma, thereby igniting the fuel air mixture to reduce the emission of the unburned fuel and to improve fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine in a spark ignition type internal combustion engine that allows an electric field created in a combustion chamber to react with a spark discharge by an ignition plug and generates plasma, thereby igniting fuel air mixture. The engine includes an electromagnetic wave emission device that emits an electromagnetic wave in the combustion chamber when the fuel air mixture is combusted, and a protruding member protruding from a partitioning surface that partitions the combustion chamber. At least a part of the protruding member is made of a conductor.

Abstract: It is configured such that plasma generated at a time of ignition should diffuse over an entire combustion chamber in a spark ignition type internal combustion engine in order to improve fuel efficiency. An ignition device for a spark ignition type internal combustion engine is provided including an ignition plug and a transmission antenna provided in the vicinity of the ignition plug and adapted to transmit an electromagnetic wave to a combustion chamber. The ignition device allows a spark discharge generated between a central electrode and a ground electrode of the ignition plug to react with an electric field created via the transmission antenna in the combustion chamber so as to generate plasma and ignite fuel air mixture. A receiving antenna is arranged on a combustion chamber-facing surface of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and is adapted to receive the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the transmission antenna.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a barrier discharge device capable of increasing the combustion efficiency of an engine while overcoming the problems of the cumbersome replacement of the electrodes and the commercialization of the device. The barrier discharge device of an engine includes a dielectric body and at least two barrier discharge electrodes which are held inside the dielectric body and to which voltages for barrier discharge are applied, wherein each of the barrier discharge electrodes are not exposed to the inside of a cylinder bore and are arranged so as to surround the cylinder bore.

Abstract: To alleviate or eliminate a problem of unburned fuel discharged to the outside of a cylinder in a case in which an air fuel mixture is insufficiently combusted in a combustion chamber. During the expansion stroke in which a high voltage is applied to an ignition plug via an ignition coil, and a spark discharge is caused to occur at the ignition plug, thereby the air fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is ignited and combusted, in a case in which deterioration of combustion state is detected, a microwave electric field is created in the combustion chamber prior to an opening timing of an exhaust valve at an end stage of the expansion stroke, thereby plasma is generated and enlarged in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A spark ignition type internal combustion engine 1 causes a spark discharge generated between a center electrode 22 and a ground electrode 23 and an electric field generated via an antenna 16 facing inside of a combustion chamber 6 to interact to generate a plasma and ignite a fuel-air mixture. A combustion state determination device used in the spark ignition type internal combustion engine 1 determines a combustion state of the internal combustion engine 1 by comparing a strength of a reflected wave of an electromagnetic wave applied into the combustion chamber 6 from the antenna 16 with a threshold of a combustion state derived in advance by an experiment. This allows for the determination of the combustion state of the spark ignition type internal combustion engine that causes the spark discharge and the electric field to interact to generate the plasma and ignite the fuel-air mixture.

Abstract: It is configured such that plasma generated at a time of ignition should diffuse over an entire combustion chamber in a spark ignition type internal combustion engine in order to improve fuel efficiency. An ignition device for a spark ignition type internal combustion engine is provided including an ignition plug and a transmission antenna provided in the vicinity of the ignition plug and adapted to transmit an electromagnetic wave to a combustion chamber. The ignition device allows a spark discharge generated between a central electrode and a ground electrode of the ignition plug to react with an electric field created via the transmission antenna in the combustion chamber so as to generate plasma and ignite fuel air mixture. A receiving antenna is arranged on a combustion chamber-facing surface of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and is adapted to receive the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the transmission antenna.

Abstract: An spark ignition type internal combustion engine allows the spark discharge by the ignition plug to react with the electric field created in the combustion chamber and generates the plasma, thereby igniting the fuel air mixture to reduce the emission of the unburned fuel and to improve fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine in a spark ignition type internal combustion engine that allows an electric field created in a combustion chamber to react with a spark discharge by an ignition plug and generates plasma, thereby igniting fuel air mixture. The engine includes an electromagnetic wave emission device that emits an electromagnetic wave in the combustion chamber when the fuel air mixture is combusted, and a protruding member protruding from a partitioning surface that partitions the combustion chamber. At least a part of the protruding member is made of a conductor.

Abstract: A method for control of spark ignition in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine that includes an ignition plug and generates plasma to ignite an air-fuel mixture, where the plasma is caused by a reaction between a product resulting from spark discharge generated by a high voltage applied via an ignition coil connected to the ignition plug and an electric field generated in a combustion chamber by an electric generation means via the ignition plug, the method including generating the electric field by a positive pulsating current. Thus, the method allows a spark-ignited internal combustion engine to promote expansion of combustion after ignition.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a barrier discharge device capable of increasing the combustion efficiency of an engine while overcoming the problems of the cumbersome replacement of the electrodes and the commercialization of the device. The barrier discharge device of an engine includes a dielectric body and at least two barrier discharge electrodes which are held inside the dielectric body and to which voltages for barrier discharge are applied, wherein each of the barrier discharge electrodes are not exposed to the inside of a cylinder bore and are arranged so as to surround the cylinder bore.

Abstract: Provided is a method for determining a combustion state of a spark-ignited internal combustion engine including an ignition plug to ignite a fuel-air mixture by a plasma generated by a reaction between a spark discharge generated by a high voltage applied through an ignition coil connected to the ignition plug and an electric field generated in a combustion chamber. In the method, a change in a secondary voltage secondarily generated in the ignition plug after the spark discharge in association with the spark discharge is detected. A case where the change in the detected secondary voltage deviates from a predetermined range is determined as an occurrence of misfire. This enables detection of a misfire state without being hindered from an ion current due to the plasma remaining in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A control method for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine includes generating plasma by interacting an electric field generated in a combustion chamber by electric field generation means with spark discharge caused by a spark plug, and igniting an air-fuel mixture, wherein the electric field generated by the electric field generation means is set to an intensity weaker than that of an electric field generated by the spark plug when the spark discharge is caused, and set to an intensity at which discharge into the combustion chamber is disabled, and the air-fuel mixture can be securely ignited and combusted at an intended ignition timing and at a position of the spark plug.