Pulse plugs..., who's heard of and/or using them? Options

[ericread]

I don't get it. They say these plugs "store incoming electrical energy from the ignition system." Where is it getting extra power to "store up" and then release? A plug only gets power when the dizzy sends it, and then it gets all there is to get. I don't see how these things could store and release more power if no more is being sent to them.

That's what a capacitor does. To put it a little more plainly, if you've got something you need power to, say an electric motor, but the power source you have is inadequate, adding a capacitor to the circuit would store the power until its sufficient to run the motor. That's not a very good example but that's the basic idea.

Pulstar is claiming the same thing- by delivering more power to the electrodes in the plug, you are essentially getting a bigger spark and theoretically, a more efficient burn.

Go to this website if you're still unclear on the details: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/capacitor.htm

This is what the coil is already doing.
Currently, at higher rpms, the stock coil, and even the blue coil, dont have enough time to recharge the coil/capacitor as it is currently engineered.
Where is the extra, spare electricity coming from to charge the capacitor in the plug???

Not saying they dont work, but I would question if they would help or hurt the type of ignition system (coil/condensor) that we typically run now.
With an MSD type system or other multi spark system, it would work, those have more stored energy already.

Rich

One more time.... A capacitor is a battery that automatically discharges at a specified value. The capacitor collects energy during the pulse from the distributor (out of the coil/condensor). It then discharges out at a higher value. How does it do this??? It sparks for a much shorter time at a higher voltage.

You are right, there's no free lunch... You cannot "create" energy. Energy out = energy in - inefficiencies. So, the capacitor collects the charge for the length of the distributor provided pulse, then discharges it out in at a higher voltage and for a shorter duration through the spark plug gap. The total energy is actually less than the original pulse from the distributor. But since it for a shorter duration, it has a higher value.

If we have to, we can go to the "buckets of water from a hose" analogy, but I don't think anybody wants that...

So the question remains, is it better to have a hotter spark, or a longer duration spark that's cooler?

[904svo]

My son has a Dyno we have seen small power gains with cars with STOCK ignition,
cars with MSD showed NO gains!! from what I seen these only work with cars with stock ignition. That my $.02 and my opinion.
Save your money

[Brando]

How about on a CDI ignition setup?

[Tom]

Capicators do not automatically discharge. They merely store energy until some kind of switch or electronic circuit connects them to a load, then they discharge.
Tom

[Rand]

This is getting fun.

I understand how a capacitor works. But you canNOT get power OUT of a capacitor until you first put it IN.

So these plugs are somehow introducing MORE power into the combustion chamber than a regular plug, and they are doing that by storing up excess power first? From where again?

I haven't seen an answer that computes yet.

edit: Ok, I see this is getting redundant. Need to read all the posts later.

[Tom]

OK , after further thought, in certain circumstances a capacitor could "automatically" discharge.
This must be what is happening with these plugs. As a the cap charges up, it at some point overcomes the ability of the resistance of the air gap on the plug to prevent current flow. Then it completely discharges very quickly as a spark.
I see another possible issue with these plugs. Caps don't instantly charge up. It takes time. The time period for the cap to charge to 90% of it's capacity is called TAU and in usually in micro seconds. A cap is considered to be fully charged after 3 TAU. So, depending on what the time period for the cap to charge to a level high enough to discharge, you would need to retime the engine. As the caps is charging, the engine is still turning- waiting for the plug to fire.
These look like another thing to break down in the middle of nowhere. Keeping it simple is usually more reliable, although maybe not the best way when searching for extra HP or mileage.
Just my thoughts anyway,
Tom

[mskala]

Not to get extremely technical, which I couldn't back up with the math anyway at my age, but a single capacitor in-line is not going to add voltage, add current, or add power (electrical) in any way. And they don't discharge 'at a certain point', except once when you exceed the dielectric breakdown voltage and it fries for good.

People will sell anything, and many times even have real data from real studies showing decent gas mileage increases. What they rely on is consumers not knowing the scientific method. If you go to a school bus depot and announce you're fitting Fantastic Framastats to all the buses to get better mileage, you will get better mileage because people subconciously will adjust their driving.

Double-blind studies are the only way to prove anything scientifically.

[ericread]

OK , after further thought, in certain circumstances a capacitor could "automatically" discharge.
This must be what is happening with these plugs. As a the cap charges up, it at some point overcomes the ability of the resistance of the air gap on the plug to prevent current flow. Then it completely discharges very quickly as a spark.
I see another possible issue with these plugs. Caps don't instantly charge up. It takes time. The time period for the cap to charge to 90% of it's capacity is called TAU and in usually in micro seconds. A cap is considered to be fully charged after 3 TAU. So, depending on what the time period for the cap to charge to a level high enough to discharge, you would need to retime the engine. As the caps is charging, the engine is still turning- waiting for the plug to fire.
These look like another thing to break down in the middle of nowhere. Keeping it simple is usually more reliable, although maybe not the best way when searching for extra HP or mileage.
Just my thoughts anyway,
Tom

Tom; Thanks for your comments. I thought I was going to have to re-state the properties of a self-discharging cap. Thanks for explaining it better than I did.

Eric

[Tom]

Eric,
You're welcome.
It almost seems like these plugs may be using some of the stun-gun, taser type, of theory with the cap charging then discharging rapidly at a very high voltage.
I still prefer the KISS theory. Keep it simple stupid.
Tom