E-mail: info@jamesengine.com

After working on the HEX-4 engine for awhile, I realized it would be difficult to drive the glow plugs for a 4 cylinder with individual batteries.  After attending a BAEM club meeting, they mentioned using MOSFETs to drive a glow plug.  This is the prototype that I came up with.

The design guidelines were to drive 4 glow plugs from a 12v starter battery.  This would reduce the power supply requirements since 12v batteries are commonly used as starters for model engines. The Microchip PIC is a single chip microcontroller that turns on one glow plug for 1mS then turns it off, then repeats the on off cycle for the other three plugs. on the second, third and fourth.  The off time between the pulse to each glow plug is 10mS.  So each plug sees 1mS on and 10mS off - commonly referred to as pulse width modulation.

Here is the current schematic: Glow Plug Driver.  The design is for individual use only.

If you need a programmed PIC12C508 please email me.  The cost is $2 plus a self addressed self stamped envelope for shipping.  Note: the 12C508 is the same as a 12F208 except it is one time programmable.

Glow Plug Driver

For Model Engines

Pat. # 7,331,324

James

Engine

Prototype glow plug driver for 4 glow plugs.  Only one glow plug wires are attached in this photo.  The other red and black wires are the power supply wires.  The yellow wire is a ground connection for the o’scope and only used for testing.

Glow Plug driver hooked up to COXtm head and cylinder.