glow plug modulator - starting aid for model engines

Modellers using glow plug engines are often plagued by starting problems. These are caused by the glow plug not being able to cope with the sudden inrush of the cold fuel mixture that extinguishes the filament so that ignition cannot take place. The circuit proposed here ensures that the filament continues to glow under all circumstances so that any engine controlled by it becomes a ready starter! glow plug glow plug modulator elektor may 1985 modulator The filament, a spiral-shaped piece of thin, durable metal wire, acts as the spark- ing plug for model diesel engines. When a current flows through it, the wire begins to glow, which ignites the fuel mixture. Once the engine runs, the ensuing heat in the cylinder is sufficient to keep the fila- ment glowing, and the current can therefore be switched off. On the face of it, this seems to be an excellent system, but in practice, the situ- ation is somewhat different, because glow plug engines use volatile fuels. As soon as the cold f...