Sandia National Laboratories
High Power Electromagnetics Dep't.
G. Rohwein

September 25, 1996

Louis S. Camilli
8280 Bob-O-Link Drive
West Palm Beach, FL 33412

Dear Mr. Camilli,

In response to your request for clarification of the energy transfer efficiency presented in the puplislied paper "Advanced Automotive Ignitions", we have shown by experiment and analysis that utilizing DirectHits capacitors in a conventional automotive ignition circuit can significantly increase the electrical-to-plasma conversion efficiency.

In the referenced paper under Discussion: Ignition circuits were analyzed with a computer model and measurements made to confirm the accuracy of the model. We found in both cases the transfer efficiency of the original equipment manufacturers ignition system was typically around .2%. Adding the DirectHits capacitor raised the efficiency to nearly 50%. This represents a 250 times increase in energy transfer efficiency.

The DirectHits peaking capacitors produce significantly more peak current than the original equipment ignition system. The measured current in the spark of typical factory ignitions is on the order of 30 to 100 milliamps. Installing the DirectHits capacitor increased the peak current at 120psi cylinder pressure and .035 spark plug gap to over 1000 amps. This is over 10,000 times more "peak" current.

These statements can be, and in fact were, verified by computer analysis, experimentation and measurement.

If I can be of any further service please let me know.
 
 
Yours truly,

G. Rohwein