ED GARSTEN – 2
A California start-up has produced a vehicle ignition system it says reduces harmful emissions and raises fuel economy, while tossing aside century-old science still being used today, as the world awaits greater consumer acceptance of electric vehicles.
The system developed by Transient Plasma Systems (TPS) of Torrance, Calif. substitutes low-temperature plasma for the traditional spark and also does away with ignition coils.
The issue with sparks, said TPS CEO and co-founder, Dan Singleton, is the fuel/air mixture must be exactly right to create a strong combustion.