Plasma Jet Ignition

[Clarence L.Snyder]

Tony Bryant wrote:
> 
> > bob at bobthecomputerguy.com (Robert Harris) wrote:
> >
> > >Re-reading my Heywood and have become re-in-love with the concept of
> > >plasma jet ignition.   Essentially, a normal CD ignition fires the
> > >plug in a cavity connected to the main chamber by an orifice.  Once
> > >the arc is established, a second low voltage high current capacitive
> > >discharge is routed into the arc.
> >
> > Hey - I like the sound of THAT.  Did someone get this working?
> >
> > This reminds me of the arc stabilizers you find on TIG welders - a high
> > frequencyt current starts the pilot plasma/arc which then allows the
> > main welding current to flow on through...
> >
> 
> I've also been toying with this idea for a while, but I can't see how
> you can connect a HV, LC and a LV, HC source together. The
> seemingly inevitble problem is the LVHC source must be low
> impedence, and therefore absorbs the HV in preference the spark
> gap? How are these TIG welders arranged?

Something called a DIODE, I think. Actually on the TIGs it may be an
SCR.