Lasers May Replace Spark Plugs

By Mike Spinelli, Jalopnik Much like Jello molds and AC/DC, spark plugs haven't changed much since their invention 150 years ago. But researchers say lasers can ignite an internal combustion engine's fuel-air mixture far more efficiently than spark plugs. The researchers, based in Romania and Japan, say their system uses small lasers that focus beams into the cylinders at varying depths, allowing for more complete combustion than occurs with conventional spark plugs. They gather energy from compact, lower-power lasers sent through fiber optic cable in pulses 800 trillionths of a second long.