Hydrogen fired ignition system for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

A combustion system for operating an internal combustion engine, having a main combustion chamber which may contain a vaporized fuel-air mixture, comprising: igniting means located remote from the main combustion chamber for creating a spark; supply means for supplying hydrogen and oxygen gases to said igniting means; pre-combustion means housing said igniting means and connected to the main combustion chamber for projecting an explosive flame front created by the detonation of said hydrogen and oxygen gases by said igniting means into the main combustion chamber to ignite the vaporized fuel-air mixture when the fuel-air mixture is present in the main combustion chamber; valve means connecting said pre-combustion means to the main combustion chamber for spreading said flame front around the main combustion chamber when said oxygen and hydrogen gases are detonated by said igniting means, wherein said valve means comprises; a hexagonal head having a substantially planar surface; an externally threaded portion connected at one end to said substantially planar surface and extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom; a housing attached to the other end of said threaded portion and communicating with the main combustion chamber, said housing having open sides, a first plate abutting the other end of said threaded portion, a second plate having a plurality of apertures therein, a support member connecting said first and second plates and maintaining them in a substantially parallel relationship, and a disc valve movably sandwiched between said first and second plates; and transporting means communicating with said housing through said first plate for transporting said hydrogen and oxygen gases from said precombustion means to said housing through said hexagonal head and said threaded portion, wherein, during detonation of the hydrogen and oxygen gases by said igniting means, said disc valve is forced into contact with said second plate thereby forcing said flame front out of said open sides of said housing, and wherein, during firing of the vaporized fuel-air mixture, when it is present in the main combustion chamber, said disc valve is forced into contact with said first plate and said transporting means thereby preventing backflow of exhaust into the pre-combustion means.