Mazda's next-gen SkyActiv engines will drop spark plugs in favor of high compression

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[Fai Mao]

Homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, is the black art of of internal combustion engines that aims to produce diesel-like fuel efficiency for the cost of gasoline. Although some of its competitors have developed and subsequently given up on the tech, Mazda confirmed that the next-generation of SkyActiv engines will employ HCCI technology, improving fuel economy by 30 percent and at the same time reducing exhaust emissions.

[Fai Mao]

If Mazda can do this they've just revolutionized the internal combustion engine. A 30% improvement in efficiency would make the engine what, 70% efficient?

[Red Badger]

39%.....

[Gay State Conservative]

Sounds like they've reinvented diesel.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Incredible advancement.

[Secret Agent Man]

not that high. maybe 50% or a little more. not that the energy is not wasted or unburnt, just turned to heat.

[Red Badger]

Ping!.. .....

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

So this will be a diesel burning more-costly gasoline? Why not just go with a real diesel and try to maufacture them at a lower cost?

TC

[Popman]

I don’t believe it, we are told by liberals ad nausea that government is the well spring of new technology...

capitalism is greedy and evil...

[Getready]

I read along time ago they were working on this

I believe they need stronger engines to withstand the pressures....but then couldnt they also imcrease the pressures in diesels also. I dont know

[11Bush]

Unless you are talking about a premium grade of gasoline, diesel is more expensive. On average .20/gal.

[Red Badger]

Diesel is cheaper one cost per mile basis.........

[Blue Highway]

but using standard petrol.

[The Antiyuppie]

Infiniti has a manfacturable variable-compression engine, which at top compresision, is close to a diesel.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Something like the Wankel?
“Piston engine goes ping ping ping,
But the Mazda goes Hm-m-m-m-m.”

[onona]

Pressure and temp

[Pontiac]

For a Otto cycle engine detonation is usually bad.

From my hotrod days I remember things like bent valves and crank rods, shattered pistons and blown heads.

All makes for a bad day.

[redfreedom]

I’m skeptical. Remember the Mazda Wankel? It was a flop, I think because they could not keep the ceramic compression seals from cracking and it was dirty.

My concern with compression gasoline ignition is cold weather starting. Diesels can be a real problem, especially if the glow plugs quit, or the block is not preheated.

I wish them luck though. Maybe they’ve found solutions to problems the competitors couldn’t.

[caver]

Didn’t Mazda’s rotary engine also revolutionize engine technology?

[taildragger]

This is a huge claim. This is on top of rumors of the 16x aka the return of their Wankel.

I am enamored as of late with the Achates Power entry that is gaining steam. Their model is along the lines developing the architecture and technology and licensing it to any manufacture to do so, and they seem to have a lot of suitors lined up. An Opposed Piston 2 Stroke Diesel for starters. But they have gone after tweaking the porting w/ CFD as well as the pistons bowl shapes, I am impressed. I am equally impressed with the vertical layout and using a Roots Blower for External Scavenging for charging. I stumbled upon how Roots blowers in particular multiply torque in gobs at the low end. Paxton's and Turbo's can't compare. Tangent to this they didn't go with a stepped piston of other internal charging and it's problems.

Go here: http://achatespower.com/our-formula/opposed-piston/

Being an airplane nut, the Junker's Jumo engine was on my radar screen, and I had the pleasure of meeting an author that helped get it their. However, of all the inventor opposed engines out their I think this one has a shot at making it.

Now a Barrel ( Dyna-Cam type ) opposed piston is an interesting proposition, their is one out their....

[null and void]

Pressure and temp

That's what it Boyle's down to...