Automobiles and it's parts

SPARK PLUGS

As this is my first ever blog, I would like to start something related to automobiles and I personally like to study about cars and bikes mechanism and different factors influencing on their performance. Spark plugs are considered to be a very important part in the fuel ignition.

 What is a Spark plug?

Spark plug is an ignition device that is attached to the Spark- Ignition Engine (SI Engine) to generate a spark which helps to combust or burn the mixture of fuel and air to start the engine.

Parts of spark plugs:-

As shown in the above figure, these are various parts of spark plug and they can be defined as below:-

Terminal :- It is the top most part of the spark plug and to understand it in a simpler way, consider it as a connector to the ignition system which directs the spark to the chamber. This terminal is basically made up of ceramic that is an insulator and has a good resistance towards the adverse effect that may damage it due to the heat generation.

Insulator :-  As the name suggests, insulator is a protective layer made up of highly strong and some amount of good conductor of electricity. Generally, this provides a strong support to the body of the spark to any external forces and as it is kind of a good conductor, it controls the flow of heat and resist it that saves the damages. Insulator tip also is made of the same material and it does the same function with an extra advantage of good mechanical shock resistant to the electrodes.

Gap :- The gap between the ground electrode and the center electrode as shown in the above figure is basically a mandatory space in between them in order to generate a proper and sufficient amount of the spark because excessive amount of spark can burn more amount of mixture than required which goes to waste and if there is less amount of spark generated than it can lead into misfires of engine because sufficient amount of fuel is not burnt. The gap differs from vehicle to vehicle as per the type of fuel used and the type of engine it is. The gap is set with the help of GAP GAUGES or FILER GAUGES.

Shell :- It is a supportive element to the body of spark plug because the spark plug must always be tightened only up to a certain point and thus, the torque is managed by the shell and it is for sure made up of strong metal and generally, chromium is widely used in its making.

Central Electrode :- As it is an electrode, it definitely transfers the electrons and the reason is to generate the spark. Now, to make it an easy spark, the material used in this electrode becomes very hot and thus, the transfer of electrons becomes smooth due to high heat. The central electrode is also a very crucial part of the spark plug because the type of spark it helps to generate is all where the ignition relies.

Ground Electrode :- Now, this is a supportive object to the central electrode in many possible ways such as mechanical influence or electric or anything else, so it necessary for this to be very strong and resistive to such failures so it is made up of steel.

How does the spark plug affects performance?

It is necessary to understand the importance of this part because it seems to be a small part of the vehicle but it does one of the main function .i.e. ignite the fuel. Now, if insufficient spark is generated, there will be misfires in the engine that plays an adverse effect on the life of the engine and if the spark is more than required, the fuel will be consumed more and thus, it will affect on the mileage of the vehicle.

If there are no such faults in the spark plug, it is still necessary to get the spark plug checked because the gap might get decreased due to the overlapping of dirt particles or unwanted layers that get formed because there is a chance of bad quality fuel and thus, this problem leads to a big issue for the vehicle in future.

Remedies :-

• Do have the spark plug checked at least after every 2 services of your vehicle.
• Avoid using bad fuel and try to use the fuel appropriate for your engine.
• If the gap is increased, do not continue using it and if possible, change it after certain period of time.
• The color of the spark must be bluish in color, if it turns into yellow, it either needs to be cleaned or it should be replaced.