Design of a big energy electric ignition system and experimental study on its spark discharge characteristics

In order to meet the experimental demands of testing explosion limits and detonation direct initiation, we designed and established a large-energy electric ignition system based on the theory of spark discharge. Using a test system, we investigated the spark-discharge characteristics of the ignition system at energy scales of 0.01 kJ, 0.1 kJ and 1 kJ through discharge experiments. We calculated parameters including oscillation period, total inductance, total resistance of discharge circuit and effective resistance of discharge channel were calculated by using curve fitting method with exponential attenuation and sinusoidal periodic function, as well as the effective energy and its change rules of spark discharge under experiment condition by two methods. The results show that a higher energy scale corresponds to longer oscillation period is longer, smaller total resistance and effective spark resistance, and higher rate of effective spark energy. This work contributes to the system design of large-energy electric ignition apparatus, the research of spark discharge characteristics, and the calculation of effective spark energy in aspects of both theory significance and application value.