Spark Plug: Parts of The Plug

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 plugs have an insulated center electrode which is connected by a heavily insulated wire to an
ignition coil or magneto circuit on the outside, forming, with a grounded terminal on the base of the plug, a
spark gap inside the cylinder. Internal combustion engines can be divided into spark-ignition engines,
which require spark plugs to begin combustion, and compression-ignition engines (diesel engines), which
compress the air and then inject diesel fuel into the heated compressed air mixture where it auto-ignites.
Parts of the plug
Insulator
Insulates the terminal, center shaft and center electrode from the housing, preventing escape of high
voltage from the electrodes. Since the bottom of the insulator projects into the combustion chamber, high
purity alumina with superior heat-proof characteristic, mechanical strength, excellent insulation and
thermal conductivity at high temperature, etc. is used.
Terminal
The terminal is connected to a high-tension cord through which high-voltage current from the ignition
system flows.A terminal nut is installed so this type can support almost any high-tension cord in the world.
For vehicles not requiring a terminal nut, the terminal can be removed.
Ring, packing washer

Makes the insulator and the housing fit tightly to each other and maintains the airtightness.
Center shaft (stem)

Center shaft connecting the terminal and the center electrode.This shaft is made of steel and has the role
of allowing high-voltage current to flow from the terminal to the center electrode without loss.
Housing
The housing forms an outer shell that surrounds the insulator, supports the insulator, and installs the
spark plug in the engine. At the bottom the ground electrode is located, so current can flow through the
engine itself to the center electrode over the gap.
Glass Seal
Mounted between the center shaft and insulator to maintain the airtightness. Denso uses the glass seal
method. A special mixture of glass powder and copper powder is charged in the installation section for
the insulator and center shaft and center electrode and melted at high temperature. This bonds the center
shaft and the center electrode and fuses the insulator and the metal.
The sealing for both is good and the thermal ratio of expansion is appropriate, so even under harsh
conditions gaps do not occur and good airtightness can be secured.
Gasket
Makes the housing and the engine fit tightly to each other and maintains the airtightness of the
combustion chamber. There is a procedure for tightening and the appropriate tightening margin must be
secured.
Electrode with copper

Special nickel alloy is used for the center electrode to reduce electrode wear. Copper is sealed into the
center section to improve thermal conductivity.
Ring, packing washer

Makes the insulator and the housing fit tightly to each other and maintains the airtightness.
Center Electrode
A new iridium alloy tip with a diameter of 0.4 mm is laser welded to the tip of the center electrode to make
the center electrode. This lowers the spark voltage, secure reliable spark, reduces the quenching effect,
and improves ignition performance.
U-groove ground electrode

Nickel chrome material is used for the ground electrode and various measures are taken with the shape
to improve ignition performance.
One of these measures is the U-groove.
(1) The surface contacted by the air-fuel mixture is large,
(2) There is much edge section, and sparks occur easily.
(3) The flame core (flame size) widens easily.
Tapered cut ground electrode

The ground electrode has a shape in which the electrode tip is cut to a finely tapered shape.
This reduces the quenching effect, so it improves ignition performance.
Types of Spark Plug
There are two different types of spark plug listed below:
Hot Spark Plug
Heat range is a means of designating how hot a plug will run in operation. It refers to the ability
of the spark plug to heat transfer from the firing tip of the insulator to the cooling system of the
engine.
The temperature that a spark plug will attain depends upon this distance through which the
heat is transferred. If the oath of heat travel is long, the plug will run hotter than if the path is
short. This types of spark plug have a longer path of the heat travel and run hotter than the
cold spark plug which has a shorter path of heat travel and runs cooler.
Cold spark plug
This types of spark plug are used in the heavy duty of continuous running high-speed engine to
avoid overheating. When a plug runs tool cold, the carbon deposits on the insulator around the
centre electrode. A hotter running plug will burn this carbon away and prevent its formation. A
plug that runs hot will wear more rapidly since the high temperature causes the electrode to
burn away more quickly.
Different engine working in various condition need a plug having a specific heat range, and
manufacture producing plugs in several heat ranges. In between the hot and cold spark plugs,
medium hot and medium cold spark plugs are also available to suit the specific condition of the
engine. The projected core nose type of plug has the plug tip cooled by the incoming charge at
high engine speeds, enabling the plug to run hotter at low speeds so extending the heat range.
RAM EFFECT
Ram effect is used or works in a way by using the dynamic air pressure created by the vehicle
motion and increasing the static air pressure in the combustion chamber it allows a greater mass
flow through the engine and increase engine power.
Ram-air intake works by reducing the intake air velocity by increasing the cross-sectional area of
the intake ducting. When gas/fuel velocity goes down the dynamic pressure is reduced, while the
static pressure is increased. The increased static pressure in the plenum chamber has a positive
effect on engine power, both because of the pressure itself and the increased air density that this
higher pressure gives.
1. Supercharger: Supercharging of IC Engines - It is the process of increasing the mass (or in other
words density) of the air fuel mixture (in spark ignition engines) or air (in compression ignition
engines) induced into the engine cylinder. This is usually done with the help of a compressor or
blower known as supercharger. It has been experimentally found that the supercharging
increases the power developed by the engine. It is widely used in aircraft engines, as the mass of
air sucked in the engine cylinder decreases at very high altitudes. This happens, because
atmospheric pressure decreases with the increase in altitude.
2. Turbocharger: A turbocharger, colloquially known as a turbo, is a turbine-driven forced
induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's efficiency and power output by
forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber. This improvement over a naturally
aspirated engine's power output is due to the fact that the compressor can force more air—and
proportionately more fuel—into the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure (and for that
matter, ram air intakes) alone.
THE END

Spark Plug: Parts of The Plug

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Spark Plug: Parts of The Plug

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Spark plug

Parts of the plug

Ring, packing washer

Center shaft (stem)

Electrode with copper

Ring, packing washer

U-groove ground electrode

Tapered cut ground electrode

There are two different types of spark plug listed below:

Hot Spark Plug

Cold spark plug

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