Sparks plugs in an IC-Engine to be replaced by Laser plugs.

A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.

Spark plugs work by sending small, high-voltage electrical sparks across a gap between two metal electrodes. The spark ignites the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder producing a controlled explosion that forces the piston down to the bottom of the cylinder, generating the horsepower needed to move the vehicle.

Engines make NOx as a byproduct of combustion. If engine runs leaner burn's more air and less fuel they would produce significantly smaller NOx emissions.

Spark plugs can ignite leaner fuel mixtures, but only by increasing spark energy. Unfortunately, these high voltages erode spark plug electrodes so fast, the solution is not economical. 

At this year’s Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO: 2011), held in Baltimore on May 1-6, researchers from Japan describe the first multibeam laser system small enough to screw into an engine’s cylinder head.

According to Taira, conventional spark plugs pose a barrier to improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a key component of smog.

Lasers also improve efficiency. Conventional spark plugs sit on top of the cylinder and only ignite the air-fuel mixture close to them.

Taira explains, they can focus their beams directly into the center of the mixture, expanding the Flame more symmetrically and up to three times faster than those produced by spark plugs.

Equally important, he says, lasers inject their energy within nanoseconds, compared with milliseconds for spark plugs. “Timing — quick combustion — is very important. The more precise the timing, the more efficient the combustion and the better the fuel economy.

A commercial automotive engine will require 60 Hz (or pulse trains per second), Taira says. He has already tested the new dual-beam laser at 100 Hz. The team is also at work on a three-beam laser that will enable even faster and more uniform combustion.

Read full story:-

http://scienceblog.com/44560/laser-sparks-revolution-in-internal-combustion-engines/

The Worlds Cheapest TAB (Aakash) launched in India.

Products such as Apple's iPad or Samsung's Galaxy Tab are too expensive for the majority of India's 1.2 billion population, even the country's growing middle class. To tackle this problem, the Indian government is buying a pilot run of 100,000 units of the Aakash - or "sky" in Hindi - touchscreen tablets for $50 a piece from British company DataWind.

This Low Cost Access Device (LCAD) is priced around Rs 2250 or 45 USD shall be made available to students at 50 percent discount. It will help the users to perform mediocre computing tasks such as Word Processing, Internet Surfing, Image Processing, Music and Video Playing etc. Aakash can also be used as an ebook reader. A student will be able to access online streaming of course material and web-based research. It will have Wireless Lan 102.11g (Wi-Fi) connectivity and can also be connected to 3G Mobile Services.

Naturally, the Aakash has limited specs because it is so cheap, but they aren’t that bad.
It runs on Android 2.2,
Features a 7-inch resistive touch screen with 800-x-480-pixel resolution
Has a 366-MHz processor
256MB of RAM, 

2GB of internal storage
A microSD slot to add more storage.
Two USB ports for connecting accessories
A 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to music.

After giving out the first Aakash tablets for free, the Indian government aims to sell them to students for the subsidised price of $35 next year, followed by a retail version hitting shops in India costing about $60

All new Bajaj Pulsar to be lunched by 2011.

Bajaj once again all set to take the Indian bike market to a much higher level with its brand Pulsar. Couple of months back Mr. RajivBajaj officially announced to the media, the launch of a new Pulsar by the year 2011. The rumors, speculations and wishes just don’t stop yet as Bajaj Pulsar 250 / 300 / 350 powered by a KTM motor featuring advance technology. He also said the Bajaj Pulsar line-up will be getting all new styling.

Both the companies are developing power plants for 125-350cc range. The Pulsar 125 Flag ship model will be powered by a Parallel Twin Cylinder Engine which points towards the technology that will be used. The Pulsar 250/350cc will carry a Parallel Twin Cylinder Engine with 4-Valves per cylinder featuring DOHC. This Engine will get Liquid cooling and Fuel Injection technology.

These engines are being co-developed by Bajaj and KTM in Mattighofen. 125cc Prototype Engine is already in the testing phase in various Chassis-Dyno at Bajaj Facility's in around Pune.