Posted on 08/09/2017 2:45:14 PM PDT by Red Badger
A new car engine will eventually come on the scene. This week's car watching sites have reacted to Tuesday's announcement from Mazda with interest. At a time when the total focus appears to be on electric cars as our driving future, Mazda is ushering in a type of car engine that they call Skyactiv-X.
The Hiroshima, Japan-datelined Tuesday announcement from Mazda said it is introducing the world's "first commercial gasoline engine to use compression ignition."
Reuters quoted what Mazda R&D head Kiyoshi Fujiwara told reporters. "We think it is an imperative and fundamental job for us to pursue the ideal internal combustion engine." He said, yes, electrification was necessary but "the internal combustion engine should come first."
Mazda's company release elaborated that this was a commercial gasoline engine using compression ignition, where the fuel-air mixture ignites spontaneously when compressed by the piston.
Mazda's combustion method is tagged Spark Controlled Compression Ignition.
Jalopnik said "Mazda's powertrain team has brewed up a fancy new engine that, like a diesel, uses compression to activate the combustion process." David Tracy in Jalopnik explored what their Spark Controlled Compression Ignition is all about. Tracy said, "it's a homogenous charge compression ignition engine sometimes, but it seamlessly changes over to a regular spark-ignition engine under certain engine operating conditions.
The Mazda release said the method overcomes two issues that impeded commercialization of compression ignition gasoline engines: "maximizing the zone in which compression ignition is possible and achieving a seamless transition between compression ignition and spark ignition."
The company said that compression ignition enabled "a super lean burn" (condition in which the ratio of gasoline to air is reduced to a level that would not ignite in a spark-ignition engine) that improved engine efficiency up to 20 to 30 percent over the current Skyactiv-G.
Autoweek's Jay Ramey similarly said reliable operation of these engines had eluded automakers until now.
Ramey wrote that "A homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) gasoline engine has been something of a holy grail for internal combustion engineers for decades."
Interestingly, Mazda's design will use spark plugs to achieve ignition under conditions such as low temperatures. CNET's Andrew Krok: "The engine will function like a traditional gas engine at low revs, using spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. At higher revs, though, the plugs will deactivate and the gas will ignite under piston compression alone."
Top Gear's Craig Jamieson also commented that "developing plugs that can sit idle, then work, for instance, is a massive engineering challenge on its own."
Reports said that the new engine 'SkyActiv-X' will debut in 2019.
Have you piped it in on top of diesel yet? I have... Using the right plates it works very well from just tap water and a bit of electrolyte.
My dad told me that during the war (I or II?)They would wrap the fuel line around the exhaust manifold, start the car on gasoline to get it hot, and switch to kerosene. The hot kerosene enter the chambers would fire just fine.
Gasoline was on ration, but obviously kerosene was plentiful in those days.
4000 feet in 12 miles, straight uphill no switch backs. If anyone has been through Needles Ca. headed west they know the hill. It is probably the best summer kill hill on I-40.
“so the business model must work”
I think you’re right about solar and wind. But I was talking about vertical farms where all the investment money is private and there are no subsidies.
I know exactly where you are talking about! Mine could do it but I also ran Evans Waterless coolant. I’m just saying the rotary can run in those conditions nowadays.
I think that is cool as hell, But I’m not the one to convince, The public has already rejected it because of the past problems unfortunately... :)
Like I say, I always respected the design for what it is. With proper gear ratios they are the cat’s ass and hard to beat in extended road racing.
Next best thing to a turbine engine. :)
You’ve got that right! I remember how unreliable they were, and how much maintenance they required. I’ve still got a timing light and a dwell meter in the toolbox.
I’m in agreement. MPG is cr** and keeping emissions down is a pain with all the pre cats and the regular cats. But for an engine that could put out (nowadays on 91 pump gas) 200 hp per rotor on 91 octane, its pretty cool.
Wasn’t it Mazda who introduced the Wankel? Great for snowmobiles. Maybe. But for cars? How did that work out? Torque taking a backseat to efficiency?
I was thinking about that just the other day. Great times.
That’s a fact! I drove a few and there was an addiction there. lol About the time I felt I should upshift to keep from over taching it my friend told me I had more, Much more. :)
And a flat file for the ignition points.
Maybe they could call it ... the Wankel engine?
;D
I have several friends at Mazda Corp and they “kinda” said this motor “might” be displayed at Sevenstock in early November.
Sounds cool! you are obviously “in” with the right crowd on these. I honestly think that is great. I would respect and appreciate your knowledge on this engine anytime man.
Please let me know if they do feature it! :)
Not to mention a zillion ignition wrenches.
“gas over electric hybrid into a VW “
I have no idea what a ‘gas over electric hybrid’ is so have no idea how they made one into a VW.
“You were cherry picking with photos.”
I was supplying the photos of the largest mines in the Congo.
“I left the thread about cobalt mines in Africa alone.”
Cobalt a by-product of the copper and nickel mines.
After many decades of modeling RC aircraft I eventually worked my way up to some 40cc engines.
That didn't last long though. Planes crash. So I took up building and sailing RC sailboats.
Gas engine>Generator>Electric motor>Drive train= Gas over Electric hybrid.
Oh yes you do...
The guy in the 70’s had a 12 HP Tecumseh running a DC 10 starter motor working as a generator to run another equal DC 10 starter motor as the output to the drivetrain on a Bug. He was getting 100 miles to the gallon at normal bug performance capabilities. With permanent magnets this would have been a very good set up. From what I understand they “disappeared” him at the time to keep this ability squashed.
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