MAZDA

Rotating motor electric returns in 2019

Mazda is by far the manufacturer that most seriously bets on the rotary engines, taking over as a fan of its advantages. They are simpler, compact, guarantee more bangs by rotation of the crankshaft and reach high rotation with a joy never seen in an engine with reciprocating pistons. They also have some limitations, but Mazda is clearly thinking more about the half-full glass than on the empty half.The subject of rotary engines is now back because, on 19 September, the Japanese Patent Directorate issued a Mazda registration, in which the Japanese brand has patented a very small rotary motor with only one rotor, intended to act as a autonomy of an electric vehicle to battery, basically acting as an electric current generator.Despite all the advantages of rotary engines, known as Wankel, this solution has some technical problems that have justified the fact that nobody uses them. The difficulties are concentrated in the sealing of the chambers, which makes it difficult to prevent the oil that lubricates the rotor from entering the combustion chamber and is burned along with the gasoline, increasing the toxic emissions.
But this is exactly where the creativity and knowledge of the Mazda engineers come in, who believe they have managed to overcome these Wankel deficiencies. And, as far as it seems, Mazda already has under eye a model where it will apply this extender of autonomy. It will necessarily be compact and, while it may also be aimed at the European market, it will certainly represent the brand in the US, where the range extender solution is much more popular.




Autonews