Audi recently filed a new method for controlling the ignition process in a car with an internal combustion engine. CarBuzz discovered the patent via the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which relates to an earlier patent filed in 2021.

Audi is suggesting a primary sparkplug, secondary sparkplug, and fuel injector located between two imaginary planes that run alongside each other parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the cylinder.

In addition to the above, the internal combustion engine has an antechamber separate from the combustion chamber by a wall. The two chambers are constantly communicating via one or more openings. The antechamber has its own spark plug and receives a portion of the fuel mix via the injector. The second sparkplug is located between the pre-chamber and the injector and does the usual job of igniting fuel.

Basically, this is Audi's take on the antechamber combustion patent Porsche filed earlier this year.

Audi's patent claims that a high power density is achieved through the unique arrangement of the sparkplugs and injectors mentioned above. A gas-powered car like the Audi RS6 Avant can run using only the primary sparkplug under light throttle. In contrast, the secondary sparkplug and chamber will kick in under certain circumstances, like engaging a sportier driving mode or overtaking on the freeway.

Furthermore, it reduces the thermal load on the fuel injector and sparkplugs, leading to a longer lifespan.

The arrangement also allows Audi to cast the exhaust manifold as part of the cylinder head. The reduction in thermal loads makes it possible, which leads to a more compact engine overall. It also allows Audi to install the engine in a space that doesn't require loads of cooling.

The main takeaway is that Audi is still working on internal combustion engines. The German brand has already announced that it has stopped the development of combustion engines and plans to introduce only electric vehicles by 2026.

The planned phase-out of internal combustion is scheduled for 2033. Even so, Audi says the best of combustion is still to come, and this new patent is a possible connection. Audi told CarBuzz that the next RS6 Avant is going to blow out minds, and this seems like a good way to do it.

We also see another possible use for the system since Audi makes such a big deal about multiple-cylinder configurations all the way down to a one-cylinder engine. We can easily see a small engine being incorporated into an electric vehicle as a range extender, especially since Audi makes a big deal about smaller engine sizes requiring less cooling.

Audi has loads of experience using a combustion engine to power a battery pack. It has competed in the Dakar Rally twice with an electric vehicle, but since the distances are so long, the battery pack uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot as a generator.