Folks,
I used to think I knew a bit about spark plug
gaps, but I did a simple expermient and now I am not so
sure. I took a 30K volt power supply and connected up
a typical spark plug to it in open air. Nice thick arc
was apparent. I then gently blew on the arc and the
arc formed into about a 1/4" simicircle. When blowing
very hard the arc could be blown even in a bigger
simicircle. Now explain to me how a spark plug gap
has any meaning inside a cylinder when the incomming
air velocity is much much higher than my breath (and in
Florida just as humid)? I assume that air entering
the cylinder is in the range of 100+ Mph. I assume that
the formation of ionization through the air /fuel mixture
is much much faster, i.e. the speed of a lighting bolt;
but once the arc starts, does it get blown around due to
the incomming air/fuel mixture? It would seem to me that
wider gaps would have more of a problem with the arc being
blown around.
James Barrett Tiger II 351C and others
|