George Myers GLOW-Plug Drivers glow-plug elec trical resistance gets hot run electrical current through Most designed reach temperature about 1 2000F installed dry engine powered 15VDC battery few designed 2-VDC lead/acid battery Without glow engine wont go Thats fundamental also explanation engine starting troubles Any engine will run has fuel air compression point ignition Miss requirements itwontrun three ways light glow-plug 1 Constantvoltage 2 Constant current 3 Pulsed current familiar Nicad clip leads constant-voltage device insert am meter leads will see dry plug draws about 15 amps youflood fuel oil current will increase about 5 amps current varies according power taken glowing element its environment Remember well come back again put power resistor series 12-VDC starter battery done some power panels create constant-current device current drawn glow-plug remains its pre-selected value regardless flooding Constant-current devices take longerto burn off flooded condition because lack ability supply large currents needed Glow-plug drivers constitute third class devices work approximately same way high voltage usually about 6 VDC pushes short spurts high current about 20 amps through glow-plug Fig 4 current continuous plug would bum out immediately like fuse on-off time ratio adjusted electronically average current through dry plug familiar 15 5 amps time-ratio variation gives glow driver its major advantage ability bum off flooded conditions automatically rapidly above require clean solid connections order work right penalty dirty connections constant-voltage constantcurrent device plug wont light penalty dirty connections pulsed-current device can severe Due higher available voltage automatic currentadjusting capability dirty connection may cause plug burn out contact estab lished everything right engine refuses start want know Thats like see meter kind glow-plug igniter current reads 0 either have bad connection battery dead plug has failed doesnt take long find out culprit current normal engine isnt running trouble has fueL Once again its easy prime engine see does good current too high have short circuit flooded plug damaged plug Once again know look Looking some representative glow-plug driv ers what find Northeast Engineering Plugdriver Kit price $2850 Assembled $3495 18 Model Aviation Fia 1 Northeast Engineering Plugdriver Except Du-Bro clip George added way widely used dri.k.. 1-1g ISle super inower Panel L R Taylor & Co combines just about features would want electrical ground-support system Face inscriptions fill picture first market has knob purpose adjusting average current glowplug LED indicate operating status Unfortunately LED gets dimmer indicate short circuit can easily overlooked after 30 seconds Unit damaged instruction manual suggests unit does provide ammetcr Lafayette Radio 99 AS 1120 0-5 DC Amps@ $399 iswhatluse backed up BUSS BGC-5 automobile fuse Most plugs glow normally indicated amp few draw 2 amps flooded 50 fuse blows before short circuit can cause damage easily replaced took photo before adding meter fuse Fig L K Taylor& Co Super Power Panel newer product $8995 device has some additional functions will Rapid-Charge trans mitter receiver batteries constant-current voltage-cut-of evaluate state charge expanded-scale voltmeter drop voltage fuel pump light glow-plug driver meter indicates glow-plug current driver use short-circuit occurs driver latches itself off before damage occurs reset disconnecting 12VDC battery momentarily dont have belongs flying buddy quite pleased Fig 2 Finally show pre-production driver different approach plain panel gives nothing look Instead unit ticks like clock connected usual 1 2-VDC motorcycle battery growls connect itto glow-plug operating normally plug gets flooded sound rises cat-like yowl extra power passed plug burn off flood sound drops back growL short-circuit develops unit screeches help Pretty nice dont have take eyes off sharp-edged propeller know status ignition like cant give details yet Fig 3 drivers make starting engine easier Most us flood engines overpriming choking too much driver senses fact glow-plug element has cooled off due cooling effect fuel lets longer pulses current plug heat back preset condition starting time counts competition driver considered necessity colder weather gets appreciate Thats another month folks Keep letters coming IN CREASING TIME 15 Amp 0 Amp 'FLOODED' - 2mS DRY 1st Pulse F - CycIeTimelOmS 2mS 2nd PulseETC F] George M Myers 70 Froeblich Farm Rd Hicks yule NY 11801 Fig 4 Operating characteristics Northeast Plugdriver measured Georges oscilloscope Amps x Time- Poweras milliamp- hours way batteries rated power storage capacityl As plug cooled raw fuel time becomes longer passing power plug Average dry condition current 15 amps forthis particular set-up averageflooded current is3O amps though actual current during conducting period 15 amps HENOERTOON -K_ N— jiLA March 1980 19 Fig 3 Tucked away top Georges buddys flight box talking plug-driver Nothing look because must listen Production plans finalized See text details
Edition: Model Aviation - 1980/03
Page Numbers: 18, 19
George Myers GLOW-Plug Drivers glow-plug elec trical resistance gets hot run electrical current through Most designed reach temperature about 1 2000F installed dry engine powered 15VDC battery few designed 2-VDC lead/acid battery Without glow engine wont go Thats fundamental also explanation engine starting troubles Any engine will run has fuel air compression point ignition Miss requirements itwontrun three ways light glow-plug 1 Constantvoltage 2 Constant current 3 Pulsed current familiar Nicad clip leads constant-voltage device insert am meter leads will see dry plug draws about 15 amps youflood fuel oil current will increase about 5 amps current varies according power taken glowing element its environment Remember well come back again put power resistor series 12-VDC starter battery done some power panels create constant-current device current drawn glow-plug remains its pre-selected value regardless flooding Constant-current devices take longerto burn off flooded condition because lack ability supply large currents needed Glow-plug drivers constitute third class devices work approximately same way high voltage usually about 6 VDC pushes short spurts high current about 20 amps through glow-plug Fig 4 current continuous plug would bum out immediately like fuse on-off time ratio adjusted electronically average current through dry plug familiar 15 5 amps time-ratio variation gives glow driver its major advantage ability bum off flooded conditions automatically rapidly above require clean solid connections order work right penalty dirty connections constant-voltage constantcurrent device plug wont light penalty dirty connections pulsed-current device can severe Due higher available voltage automatic currentadjusting capability dirty connection may cause plug burn out contact estab lished everything right engine refuses start want know Thats like see meter kind glow-plug igniter current reads 0 either have bad connection battery dead plug has failed doesnt take long find out culprit current normal engine isnt running trouble has fueL Once again its easy prime engine see does good current too high have short circuit flooded plug damaged plug Once again know look Looking some representative glow-plug driv ers what find Northeast Engineering Plugdriver Kit price $2850 Assembled $3495 18 Model Aviation Fia 1 Northeast Engineering Plugdriver Except Du-Bro clip George added way widely used dri.k.. 1-1g ISle super inower Panel L R Taylor & Co combines just about features would want electrical ground-support system Face inscriptions fill picture first market has knob purpose adjusting average current glowplug LED indicate operating status Unfortunately LED gets dimmer indicate short circuit can easily overlooked after 30 seconds Unit damaged instruction manual suggests unit does provide ammetcr Lafayette Radio 99 AS 1120 0-5 DC Amps@ $399 iswhatluse backed up BUSS BGC-5 automobile fuse Most plugs glow normally indicated amp few draw 2 amps flooded 50 fuse blows before short circuit can cause damage easily replaced took photo before adding meter fuse Fig L K Taylor& Co Super Power Panel newer product $8995 device has some additional functions will Rapid-Charge trans mitter receiver batteries constant-current voltage-cut-of evaluate state charge expanded-scale voltmeter drop voltage fuel pump light glow-plug driver meter indicates glow-plug current driver use short-circuit occurs driver latches itself off before damage occurs reset disconnecting 12VDC battery momentarily dont have belongs flying buddy quite pleased Fig 2 Finally show pre-production driver different approach plain panel gives nothing look Instead unit ticks like clock connected usual 1 2-VDC motorcycle battery growls connect itto glow-plug operating normally plug gets flooded sound rises cat-like yowl extra power passed plug burn off flood sound drops back growL short-circuit develops unit screeches help Pretty nice dont have take eyes off sharp-edged propeller know status ignition like cant give details yet Fig 3 drivers make starting engine easier Most us flood engines overpriming choking too much driver senses fact glow-plug element has cooled off due cooling effect fuel lets longer pulses current plug heat back preset condition starting time counts competition driver considered necessity colder weather gets appreciate Thats another month folks Keep letters coming IN CREASING TIME 15 Amp 0 Amp 'FLOODED' - 2mS DRY 1st Pulse F - CycIeTimelOmS 2mS 2nd PulseETC F] George M Myers 70 Froeblich Farm Rd Hicks yule NY 11801 Fig 4 Operating characteristics Northeast Plugdriver measured Georges oscilloscope Amps x Time- Poweras milliamp- hours way batteries rated power storage capacityl As plug cooled raw fuel time becomes longer passing power plug Average dry condition current 15 amps forthis particular set-up averageflooded current is3O amps though actual current during conducting period 15 amps HENOERTOON -K_ N— jiLA March 1980 19 Fig 3 Tucked away top Georges buddys flight box talking plug-driver Nothing look because must listen Production plans finalized See text details