Mazda to develop BEV and EREV with rotary engine range extender
02 October 2018
Mazda Motor Corporation announced electrification and connectivity strategies, based on Mazda’s long-term vision for technology development, “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030.”
Mazda said that overall, it will deploy compact, lightweight electrification technologies while further refining the internal combustion engine. The company will introduce electric vehicles as the optimal solution in regions that generate a high ratio of electricity from clean energy sources or restrict certain vehicle types to reduce air pollution.
Mazda will deploy some form of electrification in all production vehicles by 2030. Mazda expects that by 2030, internal combustion engines combined with some form of electrification will account for 95% of the vehicles it produces and battery electric vehicles will account for 5%.
Mazda will develop two battery electric vehicles, one powered solely by battery and another that pairs a battery with a newly developed range extender powered by Mazda’s small, lightweight and exceptionally quiet rotary engine. The range extender will recharge the battery when necessary to effectively increase the vehicle's driving range.
The concept behind the rotary-powered range extender is to leverage the rotary engine's small size and high power output to make multiple electrification technology solutions possible via a shared packaging layout.
Taking advantage of the rotary engine's compatibility with gaseous fuels, the rotary-powered range extender is designed to also burn liquefied petroleum gas and provide a source of electricity in emergencies.
Steady speed and load might just work for rotary.
Posted by: SJC | 02 October 2018 at 07:27 AM
I really hope this allows them to use more exotic sealing and lubricant solutions, reducing or removing the need to burn oil.
Posted by: David Freeman | 02 October 2018 at 10:43 AM
"Mazda expects that by 2030, internal combustion engines combined with some form of electrification will account for 95% of the vehicles it produces and battery electric vehicles will account for 5%." No wonder they have never become a serious company, overtaken by Subaru.
Posted by: Paroway | 02 October 2018 at 12:07 PM
2030? They won't be around in 2030.
Posted by: TM | 02 October 2018 at 04:39 PM
If you are interested here is some additional information about the Mazda EREV Rotary and possible directions where a EREV Rotary could develop.
. . . . .
Mazda details the EREV Rotary in Japanese Patent 6,390,553 (https://ipforce.jp/patent-jp-B9-6390553).
"the power generation engine in the range extender car is disposed below the rear floor panel" and "arranging the rotary engine of one rotor below the rear floor panel in a posture in which the axial direction of the eccentric shaft faces up and down".
This means the engine is simple, does not take up useable space in the vehicle, and being a rotary has low vibrations. (Think of a BMW I3 that is not noisy in range extending mode.)
. . . . .
No mention is made of how efficient the rotary would be, which is important for a series hybrid. However, it would be possible for Mazda to apply some of it's Skyactiv-X tech (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition) to the rotary.
Rolf Reitz at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) which patents and licenses discoveries arising from UW–Madison research has a patent 9057321 on "Improved Compression Ignition Combustion in Rotary Engines for Higher Efficiency and Lower Pollutant Emissions" which details their work with Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition. This is similar to the Mazda Skyactiv-X tech.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 02 October 2018 at 08:49 PM
I think it is a great idea.
They can put in a battery enough for 90% of your driving and use the range extender for the rest.
The problem with pure EVs is that the batteries end up being way too large for normal use - you have a 60-80 KwH battery, mainly for spec (rather than use) purposes.
With a range extender, you don't need to oversize the battery, and can build 2-3 cars with the battery capacity of one long range pure EV.
Posted by: mahonj | 03 October 2018 at 04:59 AM
Hi people, I used to comment on this site a while back.
I actually have some working rotary engines, similar to the Mazdas' in terms of rotor shape.The housing is ellipse-like in the diesel version, and hypocycloid in the gasoline versions.
Improvement over the mazda types are.
1) apex seals improved for longer life
2)Ability to run any fuel
3)No more uses the eccentric shaft, rotor and shaft rotate at same rpm. (Meaning a single rotor is equivalent to mazdas'three rotor) . Meaning insane power to weight ratio,and huge torque from low rpm.
4)Ability to use lower eccentric ratio R/e in the design(5 and above)
5) No expensive gearing involved
Please I need connection and direction to either funding or serious investors. This is not an engine on paper. I have running prototypes.
I live in Vancouver Canada,by the way. I am a mechanical engineer,but did all the machining myself.
Posted by: D | 03 October 2018 at 11:07 AM
D
Welcome back, your developments sound interesting.
It is difficult to find investors, I wish you luck.
Posted by: SJC | 04 October 2018 at 08:12 AM
Thanks. I was not really focused on or given much thought to the part of investors and such. I was just focused on proving that the concept works and works well. I believe I have something much more better than many of the engines that have received DARPA funding in recent years.
Posted by: D | 04 October 2018 at 10:35 AM
Whether public or private they look for credentials, the days when Ford did it in his barn are over. Crower had the 6 cycle working engine, he has not been able to create interest in it over many years.
Posted by: SJC | 04 October 2018 at 12:06 PM