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How would you revolutionize ignition in our combustion engines?
Challenge Type: engineering
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$1,600
top 50%
44
submissions
DONE
66 months

Our gas-powered turbine engines require heat, fuel, and oxygen, like all combustion engines. The “heat” aspect comes in the form of ignitors, which essentially “spark” or start a fire within the fuel and oxygen mix, causing an explosion within the chamber.

Currently, our ignition system consists of a spring-loaded igniter assembly. As combustor shell air pressure overcomes spring force, the igniter retracts out of the flame zone. One version of an ignitor consists of a single piece igniter, high tension exciter (~25kV), and igniter cables with a Teflon insulator. Some combustors have one ignitor in each basket, whereas others only have two baskets with ignition points that carry the flame 360° around.

We want your help finding a completely new way to introduce heat and a spark to start the combustion process of the fuel-and-oxygen mix.

To better understand the concept, please see these videos:

Deliverables

Explain your redesign of our combustion engine ignition process. Specifically:

  1. Submit a visual that illustrates your idea, demonstrating how ignition is changed from the current method and design. Your visuals should be original, not something found online. CAD renderings or other high-quality formats are preferred.
  2. Explain your idea. What materials are used, how does it function, and what benefits does it offer?

NOTE: If you attach your submission as a PDF, PPT, Word Doc, or other file type, you must still paste your answer text into the body of the submission window. Failure to do so will result in a lower score.

Answers must be submitted in English.

    Submissions will be graded on the following criteria:
  • Quality of Visual
  • Creativity
  • Clarity
Reward Tiers
Top 10%
will share $1,000
Next 15%
will share $400
Next 25%
will share $200
Actual individual rewards will be based on the total number of eligible solutions.
Leaderboard
$200.00 Christopher Adjei-Frimpong University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa
$200.00 Joshua Y. Ansong UMaT
$200.00 MarkAntony Oketch KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
$200.00 Raympond Sheen Massachusetts Institute of Technology
$200.00 Jamal Syed Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
$66.70 Jamila Abdul Maroof
$66.70 Nathaniel Mensah Adoko University of Mines and Technology, Ghana
$66.70 McCartney K University of California at Berkeley
$66.70 K R Georgia Institute of Technology
$66.70 Josef Zwack TU Munich
$66.70 Aveek Choudhury Indian Institute of Management-Indore
$18.20 Tanaquil Miller California State University
$18.20 Matthew Gaiser Queen's University
$18.20 Jorge Mario Vega Iglesias Universidad Santo tomas
$18.20 Gianna Nicole San Jose State University
$18.20 Edwin Okero Egerton university.
$18.20 Bolanle Dahunsi Louisiana State University
$18.20 alice bekker University of Phoenix
$18.20 Paco n1 world knowledge
$18.20 Efosa clinton Omobude University of Benin
$18.20 Natalie mason University of Central Florida
$18.20 Charity Samora Penn Foster
Submission questions


0 characters Average: 1698 characters
Your solution must be at least 200 characters long
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