Hydrogen fueled Mazda RX-8 goes to Norway
Click on the RX-8 for a high res gallery
Mazda has delivered the first of thirty hydrogen-fueled vehicles to the HyNor project in Norway this week. HyNor is the Hydrogen Road of Norway project which is working on developing hydrogen-fueled transportation in the Scandinavian country. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE is the first to be used on public roads outside of Japan, where Mazda has been testing them for a number of years. Mazda has focused its hydrogen efforts on the rotary engine, which is better suited to the fuel than piston engines. Like BMW's Hydrogen 7, the RX-8 is dual-fueled vehicle that can run on gasoline when there is no hydrogen available. While BMW is the only carmaker using a liquid hydrogen storage system, Mazda uses compressed hydrogen gas. The rest of the thirty car fleet is likely to include some examples of the Premacy (Mazda5 in the U.S.) RE as well.
[Source: Mazda]
Mazda's Green Hydrogen Rotary Vehicle takes to the Road in Norway
Hiroshima, Japan, 15th October 2008. Mazda Motor Corporation announced today that it has introduced the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE (Rotary Engine) vehicle to Norway‟s public roads in collaboration with the Hydrogen Road of Norway (HyNor) project, which aims to establish a clean energy transport system based on hydrogen fuel. On-road validation is prelude to delivery of 30 more vehicles that Mazda will lease to HyNor. This is the first time that a Mazda hydrogen rotary vehicle has been put into regular use on public roads outside of Japan.
The RX-8 Hydrogen RE is another example of Mazda‟s „Sustainable Zoom-Zoom‟ strategy of developing technologies that have less of an impact on the environment, and still provide exhilarating driving enjoyment and safety. Mazda is the only carmaker in the world to mass produce the RENESIS rotary engine. Not only does its unique architecture make it better suited to combusting hydrogen than a piston engine, it is relatively easy to convert.
The RX-8 Hydrogen RE is also dual-fuel and allows the driver to switch between petrol when need be, and hydrogen where available, making it an ideal vehicle for use now in those areas in Europe where a hydrogen infrastructure currently exists. During the validation process, the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE will also be exhibited to potential customers interested in leasing a hydrogen vehicle at environmental and other events.
"Participation in the HyNor project marks our advancement to the next stage," says Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda Program Manager in charge of hydrogen RE development. "We are pleased to be a part of the establishment of a society based on hydrogen energy in Norway. Mazda plans to use the wealth of data and experience that will result from this project for the further development of hydrogen vehicles."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott 1:31PM (10/17/2008)
What is your basis for saying that a rotary engine is better suited to hyrdogen than a piston engine? I'm not criticizing, i'm curious.
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GoodCheer 6:43PM (10/17/2008)
If I had to shoot from the hip on this one (and nobody else has replied, so I'll give it a swing) it's this:
Hydrogen burns at a cooler temperature than gasoline (it releases less energy per volume), so it is well suited to combustion chambers with fairly low compression ratios. If you're BMW you can run it through TWO turbo chargers to increase the volumetric energy density and get around this, but that adds cost and volume to the engine.
Rotary engines, by the nature of geometry, have very low compression ratios, defined by the area swept by the bulbous triangle thingy that takes the place of pistons. This fact, coupled with the really long narrow form of the combustion chamber, contribute to their low efficiency in gas applications.
That's my guess... anyone else care to pitch in?
Chris M 1:34AM (10/18/2008)
I'd say that its because Mazda is an expert on rotary engines, and they are much cheaper than fuel cells. With an appallingly short range using H2 fuel that costs twice as much per mile as gasoline, it isn't really practical, but it is sufficient to get government development grants and subsidies.
It wouldn't do to admit that hydrogen is a lousy automotive fuel, so they pretend that their rotary engine is just the ticket for the "Hydrogen Hyway" hype.
smincoln 11:07AM (10/18/2008)
From http://www.autoweb.com.au/cms/A_55754/title_Mazda-Showcases-Renesis-Hydrogen-Rotary-Engine/newsarticle.html
"By virtue of its construction --with separate chambers for induction and combustion--the rotary engine is ideally suited to burn hydrogen without inviting the backfiring that can occur when hydrogen is burned in a traditional piston engine. The separate induction chamber also provides a safer temperature for fitting the dual hydrogen injectors with their rubber seals, which are susceptible to the high temperatures encountered in a conventional reciprocating engine."
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Lane 10:18AM (10/19/2008)
The reason is that the intake ports are physically some distance from the combustion chamber, so the hydrogen doesn't flash off when injected, whereas in a piston engine, where everything occurs in essentially the same space, the intake valves can reach the flash point of H2, and cause ignition during the intake stroke.
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