Mission: to develop the “lean burn” engine, the Holy Grail of car engineers, which promises more miles per gallon and less pollution, The Economist, June 1986.

Lean Burn can be applied to any spark ignition engine, but more optimally to low-cost, 2-valve engines. Chrysler and Honda have the most efficient V-8 and 4-cyl engines but use more complex forms of 2-valve engines. See the SAE paper 2001-01-0548, and the Design News articles “Rebirth of Lean Burn Technology and Lean Burn Lives”. Chrysler referred to the CEI Ignition after testing it on its engines “as the enabling technology for the lean burn engines of the future”. The Economist introduced CEI’s lean-burn work as “the Holy Grail of car engineers”.

Today, the combined diesel-hybrid and the Electrical Vehicle (EV) are claimed to be the only systems that can meet tough fuel economy standards.  The Chrysler Hemi and the Honda Fit are the world’s most powerful and efficient engines. But they lack the lean burn capability of the Ward/May, or the Fireball’s 40% greater efficiency. The Ward/May and the 2-Stroke ICS  are similar to the Fiat 2-cylinder engine, but they have 2-valves per cylinder instead of 4-valves, and have other simplifications and advantages.

Unlike current ignition, CEI’s ignition helps make lean burn possible.  It is a low cost, light weight product covered by several patents. No ignition comes close in comparison. It can deliver 5 times the spark energy without increase in size, and 10 times the energy when it is needed, e.g. for cold-start of ethanol.  The ignition has been perfected with the development of the ignition coil and spark plug in 2008, and patented in 2009. The coil has an unheard of energy density of 1.25 mJ/gm, and the halo-disc plug has a large spark gap, and other advantages.

CEI conducted lean burn engine tests at Lucas (Ford), GM, Mazda, Diamond, Chrysler between 1985 and 1996, showing improvements in lean burn and fuel economy.  In 2007, CEI completed a prototype of its ignition for a four cylinder engine for Champion. In 2008-2009 the design of a 4-stroke and 2-stroke engine was perfected with a generic 2-valve, 2-plug system. The 4-stroke is similar to the May Fireball with its 40% higher efficiency. It has greater power and efficiency than the diesel, without its excessive weight, cost, complexity and emissions.

    We have a set of powerful, innovative technology going as far back as 30 years in ignition, combustion, engine design, which can lead to a powerful, clean, low-cost car, i.e. $10,000 vs. $20,000 to $40,000 for the hybrid and the EV. Car makers persist in suppressing lean burn and the CEI Ignition. The 4-stroke Ward/May can meet the goals of the hybrid, and the 2-Stroke ICS can meet the goals of the EV, at a much lower cost, and both requiring at most a new cylinder head. We could build a prototype of the 2-Stroke ICS in one year, modeled after the combustion chamber of the May Fireball.