Ignition source for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

An improved ignition system for an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and means for feeding an ambient fuel-air combustible mixture to said combustion chamber by a conventional fuel injection system or by a conventional gas mixing system, the ignition system comprising an injection electrode assembly consisting essentially of: (i) an injector nozzle provided with a fast-acting valve opens in 10-20 microseconds; (ii) a source of gaseous fuel which is gaseous at normal room room temperature and at five to six times normal atmospheric pressure; (iii) means for feeding the gaseous fuel from the source to the injector nozzle; (iv) means for actuating said fast-acting valve; (v) a spark electrode for providing a spark gap, said spark electrode projecting a predetermined distance into said combustion chamber so that the axis of the injector nozzle passes through said spark gap, whereby a puff in the form of a short, abrupt blast of said gaseous fuel is expelled across said spark to produce a well-defined turbulent plume of injected gaseous fuel, mixed with ambient fuel-air combustible mixture in the combustion chamber; (vi) means for supplying electrical energy to said spark electrode; and (vii) means for controlling the time and duration of the electric spark and said fast-acting valve actuating means to control the length of time it takes to open said fast-acting valve and the length of time said fast-acting valve remains open so that said electric spark occurs after an appropriate predetermined time after the opening of said fast-acting valve, when said turbulent plume passes in the vicinity of said spark electrode, so that said ambient fuel-air mixture and said injected gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber are simultaneously ignited.