SPARK PLUG CLEANING AND TESTING 2016-17

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 IGNITION SYSTEM

To produce power, the gasoline engine must not only have a correct mixture of fuel and air, but
also some means of initiating combustion of the mixture. Essentially the only practical means is
with an electric spark produced across the gap between a pair of electrodes of a spark plug. The
electric arc or spark provides sufficient energy to cause combustion. This phenomenon is called
ignition. Once a stable combustion has been initiated, there is no further need for the spark.
Typically, the spark must persist for a period of about a millisecond (one thousandth of a second).
This relatively short period makes spark ignition possible using highly efficient pulse transformer
circuits in which a circuit having a relatively low average current can deliver a very high-voltage
(high peak power) pulse to the spark plug. The ignition system itself consists of several
components: the spark plug , one or more pulse transformers (typically called coils), timing control
circuitry, and distribution apparatus that supplies the high-voltage pulse to the correct cylinder.

1.2 SPARK PLUG

A spark plug is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion
chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air mixture by an electric spark,
while containing combustion pressure within the engine. A spark plug has a metal threaded shell,
electrically isolated from a central electrode by a porcelain insulator. The central electrode, which
may contain a resistor, is connected by a heavily insulated wire to the output terminal of an ignition
coil or magneto. The spark plug's metal shell is screwed into the engine's cylinder head and thus
electrically grounded. The central electrode protrudes through the porcelain insulator into the
combustion chamber, forming one or more spark gaps between the inner end of the central
electrode and usually one or more protuberances or structures attached to the inner end of the
threaded shell and designated the side, earth, or ground electrode.

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FIG(1)

Spark plugs may also be used for other purposes; in Saab Direct Ignition when they are not firing,
spark plugs are used to measure ionization in the cylinders – this ionic current measurement is used
to replace the ordinary cam phase sensor, knock sensor and misfire measurement function.[citation
needed] Spark plugs may also be used in other applications such as furnaces wherein a combustible
fuel/air mixture must be ignited. In this case, they are sometimes referred to as flame igniters

The plug is connected to the high voltage generated by an ignition coil or magneto. As current
flows from the coil, a voltage develops between the central and side electrodes. Initially no current
can flow because the fuel and air in the gap is an insulator, but as the voltage rises further it begins
to change the structure of the gases between the electrodes. Once the voltage exceeds the dielectric
strength of the gases, the gases become ionized. The ionized gas becomes a conductor and allows
current to flow across the gap. Spark plugs usually require voltage of 12,000–25,000 volts or more
to "fire" properly, although it can go up to 45,000 volts. They supply higher current during the
discharge process, resulting in a hotter and longer-duration spark.

As the current of electrons surges across the gap, it raises the temperature of the spark channel to
60,000 K. The intense heat in the spark channel causes the ionized gas to expand very quickly, like
a small explosion. This is the "click" heard when observing a spark, similar to lightning and
thunder.

The heat and pressure force the gases to react with each other, and at the end of the spark event
there should be a small ball of fire in the spark gap as the gases burn on their own. The size of this
fireball, or kernel, depends on the exact composition of the mixture between the electrodes and the
level of combustion chamber turbulence at the time of the spark. A small kernel will make the

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engine run as though the ignition timing was retarded, and a large one as though the timing was
advanced.

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review is a published research or information that will be used as reference and guide for
a new research. This literature review covers the previous study and information that are related to
this project. The information will be used as value added or reference for this project. The
information can be found from book, internet, journal, paper work and so on.

2.2MOTORCYCLE IGNITION SYSTEM

In early motorcycle internal combustion engine design development there are three elements that
are important. The elements of engine design are ignition, carburetion and lubrication. To achieve
the rotational force it is necessary to make the engine crank by using force from explosion of a
substance. The substance that is most commonly used is a mixture of fuel and air and ignition
source that will cause the explosion. In early development of internal combustion engine, both
mixing of fuel- air mixture and igniting are quite tricky and dangerous. (Steven E. Alford, Suzanne
Ferriss , 2007) Early design of ignition system undergoes three type of system that is flame, hot
tube and magneto ignition. Between all the system, the magneto system is commonly use because it
has a controlled spark that ignites the mixture. These systems use an external power like battery,
rather than using an internal flywheel magnet to create a spark to ignite the mixture. These
technologies lasted until 1960s because introduced of more advanced ignition system. (Steven E.
Alford, Suzanne Ferriss, 2007). For more advanced ignition system, the first modern spark ignition
systems use in motorcycle is beginning in late 1960s were of points and condenser type. This
ignition system was used for a long time as it facilitate and have a great reliability but being
mechanical, it has some inherent failings. Later it is enhanced to electronic ignition system. (Adam
Wade, 2004) The main purpose of an ignition System is a spark that will ignite the air and fuel
mixture in the combustion chamber. For each cylinder in the engine, the ignition system has three
main functions that are to generate enough electrical spark to ignite the mixture in combustion
chamber, must maintain the spark to allow complete combustion, and it has to deliver the spark on
time to each cylinder.

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FIG(2)

Figure shows the basic component of ignition system and the connections and interactions between
components to allow the system to be functional. The functions of all components are different.
Power source uses the magnetism principle to produce a voltage and ignition switch allows the
power source to provide electrical power to the ignition system. In ignition coil the current will
pass through the transformer. From 12 volt input, the ignition coil will produce 20,000 to 60,000
volts or even more and the high voltage is connected to the spark plug. Then spark plug will create
the spark to start the combustion of air-fuel mixture.

2.3 COMPONENTS OF SPARK PLUG

FIG(3)

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The Figure shows the illustration of cross sectional of a typical spark plug. That figure shows the
important parts in a spark plug that is ground or side electrode, center electrode, threads, resistor,
insulator, steel shell, and terminal. The shell holds the ceramic core and electrodes in a gas-tight
assembly and the threads are used to install the spark plug in the engine. The insulator material is
made by using ceramics materials to give the durability and strength of the spark plug. Current
manufacture spark plug mostly has a resistor between the top terminal and the center electrode and
normally the size of the resistor is about 5000 ohms. Some of the spark plugs are using
semiconductor materials to act as resistor. The terminal parts of spark plug are used to connect the
spark plug to spark plug cable.

2.4WORKING PRINCIPLE OF SPARK PLUG

Spark plug working principle is quite simple. They conduct high voltage of electricity created in
the ignition coil to the inside combustion chamber. Spark plug also provide a space between side
electrode and center electrode that called as gap thus the electric current can jump across to create
the spark as shown in Figure 5 below that ignite the mixture of air – fuel in combustion chamber.

FIG(4)

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CHAPTER 3

WORKING METHODOLOGY

3.1 SPARK PLUG CLEANING

Spark plugs are vital to making an engine Run. They ignite the vapor of the Fuel, Which starts the
engine. Though they are small parts of what makes an engine run, they can also contribute to
problems with the engine's capabilities if they are dirty. Also called fouled, Dirty spark plugs are
the result of the insulating noses at the firing tips getting clogged with debris, such as carbon, oil
and fuel. The firing mechanisms of the spark plugs will no longer work properly when fouled, and
the automobile will not use fuel efficiently. It also may make a sputtering noise, a result of the
miss-firing of the spark plugs. When this occurs, if you choose to save a little money by cleaning
your spark plugs instead of purchasing new ones, following a few simple steps will lead to clean
spark plugs.

 Remove and clean the spark plug from engine with the help of suitable tool
 Brush off any visible dirt and debris from your spark plug with a clean rag
 Clean the firing end of the spark plug with a quick drying liquid
 Blow any excess particles while cleaning spark plug with the help of air blower
 Use a spark plug gap tool check the gap between the electrodes

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FIG(5)

FIG(6)

FIG(7)

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FIG(8)

FIG(9)

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3.2 Spark plug testing

The following components required to test the spark plug

 Battery
 Ignition coil
 Connecting wires
 Clipping plugs
 Spark plug

3.2.1 BATTERY WITH BATTERY CLIP

FIG(10)

An electric battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external
connections provided to power electrical devices such as flashlights, smart phones, and electric
cars. When a battery is supplying electric power its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative
end is anode. The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons that when connected to an
external circuit will flow and deliver energy to an external device. When a battery is connected to
an external circuit, electrolytes are able to move as ions within, allowing the chemical reactions to
be completed at the separate terminals and so deliver energy to the external circuit. It is the
movement of those ions within the battery which allows current to flow out of the battery to
perform work. Historically the term “battery” specifically referred to a device composed of
multiple cells, however the usage has evolved additionally to include devices composed of a single
cell.

 Specifications
 Capacity : 9V

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3.2.2 IGNITION COIL

FIG(11)

An ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile’s ignition system that transforms the
battery’s low voltage to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark
plugs to ignite the fuel. Some coils have an internal resistor while others rely on a resistor wire
or an external resistor to limit the current flowing into the coil from the cars 12-volt supply. The
wire that goes from the ignition coil to the distributor and the high voltage wires that go from
the distributor to each of the spark plug are called spark plug wires or high tension leads.
Originally every ignition coil systems required mechanical contact breaker points and a
capacitor. More recent electronic ignition systems use a power transistor to provide a pulses to
the ignition coil. A modern passenger automobile may use one ignition coil for each cylinder
eliminating fault-prone spark plug cables and distributor to route the high voltage pulses.

Specifications
 Maximum voltage - 42000V
 Coil shape - Round
 Primary resistance - 1400 ohms
 Secondary resistance -9.2k ohms

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3.2.3 CONNECTING WIRES AND CLIPPING PLUGS

FIG(12)

A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear
mechanical loads or electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by
drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Wire gauges come in various standard
sizes, as expressed in terms of a gauge number. The term wire is also used more loosely to refer to
a bundle of such strands as in “multistranded wire”, which is more correctly termed a wire rope in
mechanics, or a cable in electricity.

Clipping plugs are used to get a exact connections . There are two types of clipping plugs. One is
positive, another one is negative. Black color indicates positive while red color indicates negative.

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3.2.4 Spark plug gap tool

FIG(13)

There are several varieties of tools used to measure the gaps of spark plug, some of which are more
appropriate for more modern plugs, which sometimes feature delicate precious metals. Most
measuring tools will also feature a flat edge typically used for bending the bottom electrode on the
spark plug to adjust the gap slightly.

We use the tool to adjust bottom electrode.When you hold the spark plug with the electrode facing
the floor you will want to bend the bottom one very gently either in toward the other electrode if
you want to narrow the gap slightly.

3.2.5 SPARK PLUG

A spark plug is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion
chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air mixture by an electric spark,
while containing combustion pressure within the engine.

SPARK PLUG CONSTRUCTION

A spark plug is composed of a shell, insulator and the central conductor. It passes through the wall
of the combustion chamber and therefore must also seal the combustion chamber against high
pressures and temperatures without deteriorating over long periods of time and extended use.

Spark plugs are specified by size, either thread or nut (often referred to as Euro), sealing type (taper
or crush washer), and spark gap. Common thread (nut) sizes in Europe are 10 mm (16 mm), 14 mm
(21 mm; sometimes, 16 mm), and 18 mm (24 mm, sometimes, 21 mm). In the United States,
common thread (nut) sizes are 10mm (16mm), 12mm (14mm, 16mm or 17.5mm), 14mm (16mm,
20.63mm) and 18mm (20.63mm).[5]
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PARTS OF SPARK PLUG

TERMINAL

The top of the spark plug contains a terminal to connect to the ignition system. The exact terminal
construction varies depending on the use of the spark plug. Most passenger car spark plug wires
snap onto the terminal of the plug, but some wires have eyelet connectors which are fastened onto
the plug under a nut. Plugs which are used for these applications often have the end of the terminal
serve a double purpose as the nut on a thin threaded shaft so that they can be used for either type of
connection.

INSULATOR

The main part of the insulator is typically made from sintered alumina,[6][7] a very hard ceramic
material with high dielectric strength, printed with the manufacturer's name and identifying marks,
then glazed to improve resistance to surface spark tracking. Its major functions are to provide
mechanical support and electrical insulation for the central electrode, while also providing an
extended spark path for flashover protection. This extended portion, particularly in engines with
deeply recessed plugs, helps extend the terminal above the cylinder head so as to make it more
readily accessible.

A further feature of sintered alumina is its good heat conduction – reducing the tendency for the
insulator to glow with heat and so light the mixture prematurely.

RIBS

By lengthening the surface between the high voltage terminal and the grounded metal case of the
spark plug, the physical shape of the ribs functions to improve the electrical insulation and prevent
electrical energy from leaking along the insulator surface from the terminal to the metal case. The
disrupted and longer path makes the electricity encounter more resistance along the surface of the
spark plug even in the presence of dirt and moisture. Some spark plugs are manufactured without
ribs; improvements in the dielectric strength of the insulator make them less important.[citation
needed]

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INSULATOR TIP

On modern (post 1930s) spark plugs, the tip of the insulator protruding into the combustion
chamber is the same sintered aluminium oxide (alumina) ceramic as the upper portion, merely
unglazed. It is designed to withstand 650 °C (1,200 °F) and 60 kV.

The dimensions of the insulator and the metal conductor core determine the heat range of the plug.
Short insulators are usually "cooler" plugs, while "hotter" plugs are made with a lengthened path to
the metal body, though this also depends on the thermally conductive metal core.

Older spark plugs, particularly in aircraft, used an insulator made of stacked layers of mica,
compressed by tension in the centre electrode.

With the development of leaded petrol in the 1930s, lead deposits on the mica became a problem
and reduced the interval between needing to clean the spark plug. Sintered alumina was developed
by Siemens in Germany to counteract this.[8] Sintered alumina is a superior material to mica or
porcelain because it is a relatively good thermal conductor for a ceramic, it maintains good
mechanical strength and (thermal) shock resistance at higher temperatures, and this ability to run
hot allows it to be run at "self cleaning" temperatures without rapid degradation. It also allows a
simple single piece construction at low cost but high mechanical reliability.

SEALS

Because the spark plug also seals the combustion chamber or the engine when installed, seals are
required to ensure there is no leakage from the combustion chamber. The internal seals of modern
plugs are made of compressed glass/metal powder, but old style seals were typically made by the
use of a multi-layer braze. The external seal is usually a crush washer, but some manufacturers use
the cheaper method of a taper interface and simple compression to attempt sealing.

METAL CASE/SHELL

The metal case/shell (or the jacket, as many people call it) of the spark plug withstands the torque
of tightening the plug, serves to remove heat from the insulator and pass it on to the cylinder head,
and acts as the ground for the sparks passing through the central electrode to the side electrode.
Spark plug threads are cold rolled to prevent thermal cycle fatigue. It's important to install spark
plugs with the correct "reach," or thread length. Spark plugs can vary in reach from 0.095 to 2.649
cm (0.0375 to 1.043 in), such for automotive and small engine applications. Also, a marine spark
plug shell is double-dipped, zinc-chromate coated metal.

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CENTRAL ELECTRODE

The central electrode is connected to the terminal through an internal wire and commonly a ceramic
series resistance to reduce emission of RF noise from the sparking. Non-resistor spark plugs,
commonly sold without an "R" in the plug type part number, lack this element to reduce electro-
magnetic interference with radios and other sensitive equipment. The tip can be made of a
combination of copper, nickel-iron, chromium, or noble metals. In the late 1970s, the development
of engines reached a stage where the heat range of conventional spark plugs with solid nickel alloy
centre electrodes was unable to cope with their demands. A plug that was cold enough to cope with
the demands of high speed driving would not be able to burn off the carbon deposits caused by
stop–start urban conditions, and would foul in these conditions, making the engine misfire.
Similarly, a plug that was hot enough to run smoothly in town could melt when called upon to cope
with extended high speed running on motorways. The answer to this problem, devised by the spark
plug manufacturers, was to use a different material and design for the centre electrode that would
be able to carry the heat of combustion away from the tip more effectively than a solid nickel alloy
could. Copper was the material chosen for the task and a method for manufacturing the copper-
cored centre electrode was created by Floform.

GROUND ELECTRODE

The side electrode (also known as the "ground strap") is made from high nickel steel and is welded
or hot forged to the side of the metal shell. The side electrode also runs very hot, especially on
projected nose plugs. Some designs have provided a copper core to this electrode, so as to increase
heat conduction. Multiple side electrodes may also be used, so that they don't overlap the central
electrode.

Since electrons flow in the opposite direction (from "-" to "+" electrode) than electrical current
itself (from "+" to "-" electrode), it is actually more often from the surface of the side electrode, that
is grounded to "-" electrode of the car battery and alternator, where electrons are ejected from
towards central electrode. That's why it is important to have edge shaped area or even more areas
there (just like some Bosch spark plugs with two edges in spear-like head), that are least exposed to
the erosion forces from combustion process thus keeping ignition system in good working
condition as long as possible (10,000–25,000 km [6,200–15,500 mi] for common spark plugs).
Edge or pike is the area from where the spark jumps off most easily (if there are different options
for current with similar gap between "+" and "-" electrode) and with less voltage drop (since the
gap creates resistance in the circuit). Therefore, some spark plugs can be easily and sometimes even
repeatedly renewed by just mild re-sharping these edges (as long as other vital parts and

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characteristics of spark plugs are not compromised) to the original working state or even re-
modelating the original side electrode design (which is very tricky if you are not qualified
electrician or physicist). But one has to be careful with a welded joint side electrode as repeatedly
re-adjusting the gap between the electrodes may cause metal fatigue and losing part of the side
electrode in the cylinder chamber will result in immediate ignition malfunction and almost certainly
result in serious damage to the specially surface-treated cylinder walls or piston sealing rings. The
very same problem can occur as a result of protruding flakes due to poor quality welding, since
they are prone to become loose during prolonged service life of common spark plug. Therefore, any
flaking should be treated by rubbing off if spark plug is reused beyond its recommended service
life.

SPARK PLUG GAP

Spark plugs are typically designed to have a spark gap which can be adjusted by the technician
installing the spark plug, by bending the ground electrode slightly. The same plug may be specified
for several different engines, requiring a different gap for each. Spark plugs in automobiles
generally have a gap between 0.6 and 1.8 mm (0.024 and 0.071 in). The gap may require
adjustment from the out-of-the-box gap.

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CHAPTER 4

4.1 ADVANTAGES
 Less man work need
 Complete cleaning is possible
 Eco friendly
 Less time to operate
 Little or no maintenance needed

4.2 DISADVANTAGE
 Initial investment is high.
 Rough use of gap tool may result in breakage of electrode.

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CHAPTER 5
5.1 CONCLUSION
The most spark plugs don’t need to be replaced; they are simply less efficient because of the carbon
content spreader over the spark plug. The electrode is present in the centre of the spark plug. In the
spark plug always we need to maintain the gap between the electrode and the spark pin. While on
engine running the high voltage current will be passing through the spark plug to generate the spark
inside the engine to burn the air fuel mixture inside the engine cylinder. Due to this process the
carbon content spread over the spark plug. By running the vehicle with out cleaning the spark plugs
causes many damages to the vehicle. For eg, mileage drop, produce sound, damage the cylinder due
to uneven sequencing of spark produced inside the cylinder. After removing the carbon content in
the spark plug we can reuse the spark plug. It will give more efficiency as compare to old one.
Automobile workshops the spark plug cleaning and exact testing consumes more time by using the
manual testing, so make simplification setup in testing and cleaning, we are going to design and
fabricate a single setup to save the time.

CHAPTER 6
FINAL DESIGN

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REFERENCES

 Book-Understanding automotive electronics (Newnes)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqPQbHV6y0E

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