There are indications that Mazda's iconic rotating engine is making a comeback. There has been speculation that the upcoming Skyactiv-R rotary engine will be used as a small capacity expansion engine for hybrid or electric car batteries.
In the current car design, the rotary engine cannot be used as the engine of the car, because the unique characteristics of the rotary engine cause it to fail to pass the strict regulations of automobile exhaust emissions.
At least that's what we know about rotary engines. Mazda has reportedly applied for a patent for a capacitor-based four-wheel-drive hybrid with an electric in-wheel motor.
The basic principle is to transmit power to the rear wheels through an internal combustion engine mounted on the front wheels, while lithium-ion (characterized by light weight and small capacity) batteries and capacitors drive a pair of electric motors mounted on the front wheels.
The most exciting part of the patent report is that internal combustion engines can come in different forms, whether piston, inline or even rotary.
In order to meet the requirements of low emissions, rotary engines obviously cannot be used as the main power source as in the RX-7. Electric devices are essential.
This is not the first time the concept of an in-wheel electric engine has been proposed. Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have already proposed various ideas for this scheme before. The advantage of this is that the precise control of the torque vector can be significantly agile. But unfortunately, so far, these conceptual and theoretical solutions have not been implemented, because it is not only cumbersome but also expensive and heavy.
The solution given by Mazda is to reduce weight by using lighter and smaller capacity lithium-ion batteries, and assist with capacitors that are smaller and lighter than batteries.
Mazda also gave another method that can theoretically reduce weight--running the electromotor at a high voltage. If you can recall some physical formulas you will be easier to understand. Power is equal to the results of voltage and current (P=IV). Therefore, if the power output is given, the higher the voltage, the smaller the current required. When the current of the device is reduced, the thickness of the cable can be reduced accordingly, which reduces the total weight of the device.
But reasonably, the theory is easy to explain, and the actual operation is still difficult. The new power system is likely to be implemented on Mazda RX-Vision Concept.
This article was reprinted with the permission of Wapcar.