Job Service names SmartPlug as month's top business

SANDPOINT — Some day in the not-so-distant future, you may very well be driving through the area with the newfound satisfaction of knowing your vehicle is not only more fuel-efficient and less polluting than ever before, but also independent of fossil fuels altogether. You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that this was made possible by technology that was developed right here in Sandpoint.

Your vehicle won't have spark plugs, nor will it have a distributor, coil, points, or moving parts in its ignition system, because all of these will have been replaced by the SmartPlug Catalytic Ignition System, invented by Mark Cherry and developed by SmartPlugs Corporation.

The SmartPlug is a self-contained ignition system that consists of a catalytic ignition source enclosed in a custom-machined metal body. The metal body fits into existing spark plug or diesel injector ports and functions as a pre-chamber adjacent to the main combustion chamber in the engine. Fuel ignition starts within this pre-chamber when fresh mixture contacts the ignition source during the compression stroke. Due to properties of the catalytic ignition source, this occurs at temperatures far below normal gas-phase ignition temperature. Combustion products then accumulate within the pre-chamber and are ignited when sufficient temperature is achieved due to compression. The mixture is then rapidly expelled through nozzles at the bottom of the SmartPlug, which cause the flame torch to swirl and cover the entire combustion chamber in an exceedingly short period of time.

SmartPlugs have been shown to be quite capable of running engines on traditional fuels, as was demonstrated when Mark took a few of us visitors on a spin around the block in a very ordinary gasoline-fueled automobile. However, the extraordinary qualities of this revolutionary product are most fully realized when nontraditional fuels are introduced into the equation. An article in the Spring 2003 issue of "Here We Have Idaho," published by the University of Idaho, detailed how a team of researchers has collaborated with Mark to find a way to run over-the-road vehicles on a fuel called Aquanol, a mixture of 70 percent ethanol and 30 percent water. According to the article, ethanol is "an easily and affordably produced biofuel made from straw, corn or in this case, Idaho potatoes at a Caldwell ethanol plant." The article said that the knowledge that water based fuels had the potential to burn stronger and cleaner than traditional fuels had long been known, but that past trials had been unsuccessful due to the difficulties of initiating and maintaining combustion with them. The drastically lowered ignition temperatures of the fuel made possible by the use SmartPlugs represented a solution to this problem. Besides the obvious advantages of eliminating use of fossil fuels, the article went on to explain that the fuel/igniter combination could also result in a significant reduction in pollutants that contribute to acid rain, smog and haze formation, and stratospheric ozone depletion.

Currently, the company is moving ahead on several fronts. They are working with the U.S. military on a project to convert Honda portable electric generators to run on military fuel rather than gasoline. They are hoping to move quickly into the recreational field. Biggest of all, of course, will be breaking into the Goliath automotive and truck market, where the established infrastructure has presented imposing challenges for this grassroots endeavor.

Revolutionary innovation has long been a cornerstone of American business, and a dramatic example of this is taking place right in our own back yard.

SmartPlugs Corporation has been selected as the Business of the Month by the Sandpoint Job Service office, where photos and sample products about the company are on display. More information about SmartPlugs can also be found on the company's website at www.smartplugs.com.