Smart spark plug cleaning system

In automotives, specifically in SI engines, a spark plug is a device to produce an electric spark which plays a vital role in the combustion of the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder. In lieu of this, continuous burning of the mixture happens. During the running of an engine, due to the presence of carbon in fossil fuels, carbon gets deposited on the tip of the spark plug electrode. The problem that has been identified is that carbon that gets deposited between the central electrode and the ground electrode, which results in an improper spark and leads to incomplete combustion. Through the improper cleaning method of the spark plug, the gap in the discharge part of the plug will increase because of wear that happens during cleaning. To overcome this difficulty, an attempt is made in this work to design and fabricate a cleaning system which cleans only the carbon deposit so that the efficiency and life of the spark plug are increased. To achieve the objective, the cleaning process of the plug is carried out with the help of a wire brush. An extensive literature survey is carried out with respect to the spark plug types and their various carbon cleaning methods, along with brush materials. A Data Envelopment Analysis based Ranking (DEAR) algorithm is applied for the selection of the best material for brush. Conceptual modelling of the entire system design was done. The model is then fabricated, tested, and validated for the required performance and improved efficiency.