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Edited By Paul Proctor

Initial tests of a catalytic ignition (CI) system on a reconditioned Continental 0-200 general aviation engine have demonstrated the system's ability to improve engine performance while operating on multiple fuels including 100LL avgas, 87-octane unleaded automotive fuel and Jet A, without using magnetos. Called Smartplug, the technology replaces spark plugs with a similar-size device that consists of a heated catalyst mounted in a small precombustion chamber. The fixed position of the catalyst determines engine ignition timing at all rpm, according to Bill Burnett, president of Sandpoint, Idaho-based AquaLytic Technologies Inc., which is commercializing the technology. Although a small electrical heater is used to bring the catalyst to operating temperature for engine start and warm-up, no electrical power is required to sustain ignition during normal operations on unleaded fuels. Flame jets, created when atomized fuel reaches the catalyst, smoothly and thoroughly ignite combustion in the engine cylinders. Smartplug benefits include improved engine performance, lower emissions, reduced noise and vibration, and the ability to maintain engine power during electric system failure or when fuels are inadvertently mixed, Burnett said. The engine's sparkplugs, timing and high-voltage systems are eliminated. CI technology was developed by San Diego-based Automotive Resources.