Bye Bye Sparks Plugs

Researchers have decided that spark plugs have got to go.  Spark plugs were invented in 1860 and have been in combustion engines and automobiles ever since.  That is a long time, and the technology really hasn't advanced since its start.

Lasers have been around since the 1950's, which is still a long time ago, but lasers have advanced a lot more than spark plugs have.  That is why researchers are now interested in replacing spark plugs with lasers to ignite fuel in combustion engines (source).  Previously, lasers were too fragile to withstand the harsh environment in the engine, but now lasers can be made out of tough ceramics.  These ceramics can survive in engines, and the lasers add some benefits over spark plugs:

Spark plugs use electrodes that corrode with every spark.  Lasers don't have this issue.  They just blast an intense laser beam into the combustion chamber and let the light do its work.

Spark plugs are positioned on the side of the combustion chamber, so the fuel is ignited unevenly which causes inefficiency and creates more pollutants.  Lasers can be sent straight through the center of the chamber to evenly ignite the fuel, bypassing those drawbacks from spark plugs.  Additionally, several lasers can be sent into the chamber to increase the uniformity of ignition.

Spark plugs can be ignited precisely within a few milliseconds, whereas lasers can be controlled down to the nanosecond.  This precision allows greater control over exactly when the fuel is ignited, which helps to increase efficiency.

Clearly, lasers are the hip new way to rotate your wheels.  Let's hope they work the wonders that I have stated here!