Automakers continue to find ways to make combustion engines cleaner as the transition to EVs is taking longer than expected. Jaguar Land Rover has filed a patent with the UK Government for multi-position lasers that target multiple points in the combustion chamber to ignite unburnt fuel vapors to further clean up combustion. Automakers like Mercedes-Benz still use twin-spark technology in some of their engines, where two spark plugs are fitted per cylinder and fire in tandem to make sure less unburnt fuel is left in the combustion chamber. The innovation aims to build on this by addressing issues in lean-burn engines, where slow flame speeds can lead to misfires and incomplete combustion.
Laser Ignition for Cleaner Combustion
The idea is simple in principle – ignite unburnt fuel vapors after the main combustion event by firing lasers at them – but the execution is complex.
Key system features include:
- Multiple laser focusers and optical windows
- Laser emitters and beam splitters in various configurations
- Ability to fire multiple lasers simultaneously
- More complete combustion by ensuring all fuel vapors ignite within the chamber
Unanswered Questions
The patent doesn’t clarify whether the lasers supplement the spark plug or replace it entirely. Given the reliability of spark plugs, it’s likely they will remain the primary ignition source, with lasers firing afterward to eliminate any remaining unburnt fuel.
Jaguar Land Rover also hasn’t revealed how it plans to integrate high-precision, multi-focus lasers into an engine’s cylinder head—a harsh environment with extreme heat, vibration, and combustion byproducts like carbon buildup. The technology will likely take time to mature, be costly to implement, and remain exclusive to high-end luxury models.
