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Laser ignition was used to operate a four-stroke, four-cylinder, multipoint fuel injection gasoline passenger car engine, replacing the engine classical ignition device. The laser ignition system was compactly built with diode end-pumped Nd:YAG/Cr 4+ :YAG composite ceramics, each laser spark plug delivering pulses at 1.06 μm with 4 mJ energy and 0.8 ns duration at variable repetition rate, in accordance with the engine speed. The engine was operated at constant speed-constant load condition of 2000 rpm-2 bar equivalent brake mean effective pressure, and different ignition timings, thus simulating city traffic situations. Two relative air-fuel ratios have been considered: λ~1 for the stoichiometric mixture operation and λ~1.25 for the lean mixture condition. Parameters indicating engine performance, efficiency, combustion stability, and emissions have been measured and registered when groups of 500 consecutive cycles were acquired. The engine brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, coefficient of variability for indicated mean effective pressure, initial and main combustion stage durations, as well as exhaust emissions like carbon monoxide (CO) and total unburned hydrocarbons (THC) emphasized that significant improvements can be obtained for lean air-fuel mixture operation. Increases of the nitrogen oxides emission (NO x ) were measured when laser ignition was used.

Laser sparks that were built with high-peak power passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr(4+):YAG lasers have been used to operate a Renault automobile engine. The design of such a laser spark igniter is discussed. The Nd:YAG/Cr(4+):YAG laser delivered pulses with energy of 4 mJ and 0.8-ns duration, corresponding to pulse peak power of 5 MW. The coefficients of variability of maximum pressure (COV(Pmax)) and of indicated mean effective pressure (COV(IMEP)) and specific emissions like hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured at various engine speeds and high loads. Improved engine stability in terms of COV(Pmax) and COV(Pmax) and decreased emissions of CO and HC were obtained for the engine that was run by laser sparks in comparison with classical ignition by electrical spark plugs.