Spark Plug

The first invention of the spark plug was made by Etienne Lenoir in 1860. That invention paved the way for a future Internal Combustion Engine. Many years later in 1898 Nikola Tesla, Frederick Simms and Robert Bosch all had patents for the Electric Spark Plug. Well deserved credit goes to Gottlob Honold, one of Robert Bosch's engineers who made the first commercially viable high-voltage spark plug.

Spark plugs are an essential part of an internal combustion engine. Without them the

engine would not start. For such a little part, there is a lot of information to cover. For instance there are different spark plugs, like a hot or cold plug, which one do you use? This essay will help you know the difference between the two. A spark plug delivers an electric current to the combustion chamber to ignite the compressed air/fuel mixture.

Spark plugs are used for gasoline engines, such as cars, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, snow blowers. There is a spark plug in each cylinder. The electric system sends electricity to each spark plug in a certain order. When the electricity gets to the spark plug the electricity jumps the gap or the spark plug and creates the spark that ignites the compressed air/fuel mixture which than makes an explosion. This explosion pushes the piston down which makes the engine go.

The spark plug is constructed of a shell, insulator and the central conductor. The top of the plug has a terminal for the spark plug wire from the ignition system to be connected. The insulator is the main part of the plug. It is typically made of sintered alumina, a very hard ceramic material. Its major function is to provide electric insulation for the central electrode. This is the extended portion of the spark plug which is good for engines with deeply recessed plugs, it makes it more accessible by extending the terminal above the cylinder head.