Pulstar spark plugs or snake oil? (fwd)

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Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:01:15 -0600
From: Daniel Hess <dhess1@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Pulstar spark plugs or snake oil?

Would anyone care to comment about these 'high-tech' spark plugs? They 
sound like snake oil to me. Some of my family asked me about them so I 
thought I'd defer to the list for some intelligent analysis.

For example, 'the incoming voltage (which has nowhere to go) heats up 
ignition components including the spark plug. This is wasted energy.' 
Until the gap fires there is no current flow so therefore no heating can 
occur due to circuit resistance, yes? This sounds like baloney to me.

Also, the text of this ad claims that a normal spark plug dissipates about 
50 watts when it fires (presumably in the gap) but these new Pulstar plugs 
claim 1 million watts at firing? That's a gain of 20,000, pretty 
impressive if true. Sounds right up there with perpetual motion.

Comments please?

Daniel

More at;

http://www.pulstarplug.com/howtheywork.html

"When the ignition signal is sent to a traditional spark plug, it begins 
to ionize the spark gap. This means that the voltage builds in the gap 
until a spark can be formed. During this ionization phase, which lasts 
about 5 millionths of a second, the incoming voltage (which has nowhere to 
go) heats up ignition components including the spark plug. This is wasted 
energy. When the ignition voltage overcomes the resistance in the spark 
gap, the spark is created with an initial discharge of approximately 50 
watts. Once created, the spark resides between the electrodes at very low 
power for over a period of 30 millionths of a second.
What is different about a pulse plug is that instead of heating ignition 
parts during the ionization phase, this energy is stored in the integral 
circuit inside the pulse plug. When the ignition power overcomes the 
resistance in the spark gap, the pulse circuit discharges all of its 
accumulated power - 1 million watts - in 2 billionths of a second!"