All you ever hear about it major Auto shows these days is how everyone's electrifying their cars.
So why is Mazda blowing their horn so much about what they're doing with combustion because they're doing some really interesting things in their lineup called skyactiv.
The worst named Tech in Auto dumb judging by the name, you might guess it's a yoga studio or an internet provider.
It's neither.
Let's get it straight.
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Skyactiv actually refers to a whole suite of oddly named technologies but we're going to explain the most interesting.
The Skyactiv engine.
First of is SKYACTIV-G.
The G stands for gasoline engine.
This was the first SKYACTIV engine.
And what it does is apply a modern take on automotive holy grill, a high compression engine.
That's an engine that highly compresses the air and fuel in the cylinder before lighting it off.
That means you get more power from each combustion and downstroke on the piston.
So why don't all enf=gines do it?
Because high compression is hard.
It rapidly leads to a mass of uncontrolled pre detonation, what you and I call, spark nut, but Mazda has achieved roughly 30 percent higher compression Without that issue by using a domed piston with a little well curved in the top of it injecting fuel in really short sharp bust so that it has less time to hang around and get in trouble and doing careful exhaust scavenging with a four to two to one header system.
Next step is skyactive D, D for diesel.
Now diesel engines have traditionally been high compression by their nature.
Mazda found some interesting benefits in going the other way, lowering the compression ratio.
Normally, a diesel takes in air, compresses it to about 16 to 1. Which makes it really hot.
Then when fuel is sprayed in, it combusts immediately without a spark.
But that method often comes at the expense of fuel and air mixing well, which causes some loss of power and spews more emissions due to incomplete combustion.
Mazda says by lowering diesel compression a bit and using a more nuanced spray of fuel, they get better mixing, a cleaner more thorough burn, and an engine that can use somewhat lighter parts.
And slightly looser tolerances for less energy-sapping friction and weight.
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Finally the newest member of the family, Skyactiv-X.
Burns gasoline but ignites it using diesel-style compression ignition.
That's been hard to achieve in the past.
Most of the time you end up with an engine that's just a mess of uncontrolled detonation.
They got it under control and it's got interesting benefits.
Unlike a true diesel, they also use a spark plug to finally control combustion timing.
Secondly, this engine runs lean, inhaling relatively more air than fuel.
Now, normally, that would give you a measurable little econo box engine.
But in this case, thanks to the high compression.
You still get a healthy bang, and since it's running more on air than a typical gas engine, you can keep it in the sportier high RPMs without wasting a bunch of fuel like you normally would.
You can also avoid using boring, tall gears as a way to get fuel efficiency.
That Sky Active X technology is really interesting but it goes to Europe first where their CO2 regulations really make it a top priority before the US By the way, there are also be pairing it with mild hybrid system.The overall target 20% better efficiency than it already eficient Skyactiv-G/D.
There is a lot going on there as you can see.
But i think this ends field in the concept that, there is a lot left to be done with combustion engines Before we stick a connecting rod in them and call them done.
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