Rotary motor known for a lot of good things. It is compact and lightweight. It’s super smooth. So happy to return to the superior revs. It even won 24 hours of Le Mans. What is rotation? Not known to be environmentally friendly. In fact, camcorders are notoriously thirsty for fuel. But Mazda trying to change that reputation. It just came out MX-30 R-EVa series Dip into the mixture with a rotating motor. And for many years, decadea little before this Cross each other, the Hiroshima-based company tried to make the wheel green. One could argue that was the case in the first place with the job of making conventional gas-powered rotary spinners more efficient, but even the most efficient production spinners, RX-8Renesis engine, never frugal. And the ethanol-powered engines like that in the dearly departed Furai concept aren’t particularly green either. So we’re specifically looking at the larger endeavour: Mazda’s hydrogen and scope expansion projects.
Mazda’s green wheel development has focused on hydrogen before crossbreed. As early as 1991, Mazda showed off a concept called the HR-X, shown here. It had the slick, organic shape typical of the time, especially Mazda’s, certainly also meant to give the hydrogen engine the best chance of being efficient. This was followed by the HR-X2 in 1993 with a slightly more squarish look. Both run on existing rotary engines converted to run on hydrogen. Mazda also had a Miata prototype in 1993 with one of those hydrogen engines, and in 1995 it began testing a few Capella engines. Cargo (Mazda626) station wagon with them.
Part of the reason Mazda is testing hydrogen in rotary engines is that they have an inherent advantage over reciprocating engines when it comes to igniting hydrogen. Hydrogen is very flammable, sometimes too easily, so pre-combustion is a real problem. That can lead to backfire in reciprocating piston engines if it comes early. That’s less likely to happen with propellers that are constantly spinning in one direction, rather than back and forth. Furthermore, since the design of the rotary engine means that combustion occurs in only part of the rotor housing, the intake area is kept much cooler, reducing the risk of ignition before hydrogen is introduced. air-fuel mixture.
The next major milestone for the hydrogen camcorder came in the mid-2000s. Mazda introduced the latest version of its gasoline-powered model, the Renesis, and once again it developed a hydrogen-powered variant. What’s particularly neat about the engine is that it’s designed to run on hydrogen or gasoline. It’s also not limited to a flashy concept. This engine was first shown in 2003, then appeared in a number of cars, RX-8 and Premacy (Mazda5) in 2005. The former was more than just a show car, as it was available for lease starting in 2006. Some even sent to Norway for fleet use.
In the RX-8, the powertrain isn’t much different from the conventional automatic RX-8. In fact, at 207 hp on petrol, it’s only down a few hp (the regular automatic makes 212 hp). The big difference is that four injectors, two for each rotor, are added to the top of the rotor housing to run on hydrogen. Dual injectors are needed to provide enough hydrogen for sufficient power; emphasis on “full.” Running on hydrogen reduces power to 108 hp.
Despite having both a fuel tank and a high-pressure hydrogen tank, the RX-8 retains all four passenger seats. However, it did take up quite a bit of cargo space for the hydrogen tanks. However, the range is rather short at only about 60 miles, possibly because the combination of hydrogen’s low energy density and fuel tank is limited by the RX-8’s relatively small package and having to save room for a less gasoline.
The Premacy was originally shown with the same engine, but with an extra 40hp electric motor to make it a hybrid. Along with the obvious efficiency benefits of running partially on electricity, electric motors can help with offline performance, as camcorders are notorious for lacking torque. The Premacy has the entire drivetrain mounted horizontally and powers the front wheels just like in a standard model. Lithium-ion the battery The package is under the second row of seats and the hydrogen tank is behind the third row. Though later, Mazda shows it as simply two rows with storage behind the second row of seats and cargo space behind both. Premacy begins road test in 2008and it entered fleet service in 2009. The range is about 120 miles on hydrogen.
This is where Mazda’s hydrogen spin development reaches its zenith, at least publicly. Rumors have been circulating for years that the company is working on more modern hydrogen cameras, but nothing has really surfaced. Some of them rumor regarding the engine used as a range extender and while hydrogen has not been involved, Mazda has certainly experimented with the idea of a range extender.
In 2013, Mazda introduced Mazda2 tram with a tiny rotary motor that supplies power after the onboard batteries are depleted. We mean small too, because it only has a capacity of 330 cc, which is half the allowable capacity for Japanese microcars in kei strata. It only makes 30 horsepower, but all it has to do is generate electricity. The actual thrust comes from the 100-horsepower electric motor that powers the front wheels, equivalent to the power of a traditional engine. Mazda2 perform. The battery on the Mazda2 electric extended range is about 124 miles. Its small revs and 2.6-gallon fuel tank give it a range of up to about 250 miles. By our math, that means the petrol engine gets around 48 mpg.
Which of course brings us to today with Mazda MX-30 R-EV. The balance between electric and gas is slightly more petrol-biased than the Mazda2 range-extension model. Its 17.8 kWh battery is half the size of a conventional electric battery and offers a range of about 50 miles. But the remaining space makes room for a 13.2-gallon gas tank. However, the basic idea is the same. The 168 hp electric motor provides all forward thrust and the single propeller, 830 cc, 75 hp motor generates electricity as needed. The rotary engine uses the same side intake and exhaust ports as the RX-8’s Renesis engine, but uses an aluminum propeller housing and direct fuel injection.
As for the future of cameras, it’s hard to say. All-electric cars are slowly gaining momentum, making the future of the internal combustion engine bleak. However, there are automakers that continue to pursue the use of hydrogen, even in internal combustion. That might be the best case scenario to spin around, maybe a generator like in the MX-30, or probably for limited production model enthusiasts. But if anyone can find a future for camcorders, it’s Mazda.
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