PR-309-06201-R01 Pre-Production and Production Ion Sense Hardware and Cylinder Level Sensing

In 2001, the Compressor and Pump Station Technical Committee (CAPSTC) recognized the importance of cylinder level sensing and control to minimize NOx emissions while maintaining optimum engine performance, therefore, a CAPSTC member brought the concept of ion sense to the committee as an alternative to fiber optic pressure sensors for continuous combustion performance monitoring. Derived from automotive technology, ion sense utilizes post ignition ionization measurements from a standard spark plug to monitor the combustions process. Based on successful feasibility tests at Colorado State University’s (CSU) GMV-4, the commercialization team focused their efforts on developing a product for Open Combustion Chamber (OCC) Two Stroke Cycle (2SC) lean burn engines. By 2010, the commercialization team of Advanced Engine Technologies Corporation (AETC), Altronic, and Mecel developed commercial hardware and conducted extensive mapping and long term testing on three different 2SC OCC engines operated by three different companies.