Analysis and improvement of a spark plug for less radiated electromagnetic emissions

One of the oldest electromagnetic interference (EMI)-source in combustion engine vehicles is the spark plug. It causes interferences problems to surrounding electronic devices in a wide frequency range. In this contribution, this well established technology is extensively characterized and analyzed using a combination of numerical simulation and measurement from 1 kHz to 100 MHz. Based on these results, a perspective is given for an advanced mechanical construction to improve EMI in the aforesaid frequency range by implementing a filter capacitor into the spark plug.