Is the next Mazda Renesis rotary set to get direct-injection?
Mazda rotary engine patent diagrams - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Last October, it seems that Mazda quietly filed a patent for a twin-spark, direct injection version of the automaker's iconic rotary engine. It's taken this long for anyone to actually notice application 20090101103, which appears to have been approved just last month, but it's still an interesting development in the ongoing saga of the engine design.
First developed and patented by German engineer Felix Wankel way back in the early 1950s, the rotary engine has always been able to make lots of power relative to its small size, but it's also proven extremely difficult to keep emissions and fuel consumption at acceptable levels. Adding direct injection may be one effective way to manage the fuel consumption issue, and it's long been assumed Mazda would go this route on the next version of its Renesis rotary.
Further, it seems the automaker is working to slightly change the dimensions of the rotor housing (increased displacement?) and the distance between the twin spark plugs, which may have desirable effects on the engine's tailpipe emissions. It's certainly no sure-thing that this engine is going into production, but it shows the Japanese automaker is intent on improving its rotary technology. Click here to see the actual patent application, and check out all seventeen diagrams in our gallery below.
Gallery: Mazda rotary engine patent drawings
[Source: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office via SWDELAW]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gorr 7:39PM (5/21/2009)
I say to put a direct gazeous hydrojen injector to introduce directly gazeous hydrogen
and water mist into the combustion chamber. This way it can lead to a 2000+ h.p internal combustion ice engine. The hydrogen come from a water electrolyzer.
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Derk McRockgroin 7:51PM (5/21/2009)
Cool, do you have one?
Chris M 11:51PM (5/21/2009)
Nah, Gorr just wants someone else to build it for him and sell it to him real cheap. He keeps hoping, even though the H2 tank alone would cost several times more than the $10K Gorr is willing to spend.
Bill 9:04PM (5/21/2009)
I don't see a solution for their poor fuel economy,
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Unni 10:01PM (5/21/2009)
Wondering one Wankel block will do a 3 cylinder engine job with one rotor, 2 plugs, one air intake, one air exhaust and a direct injector.
means a 1000 cc 3 cylinder engine can be replaced with one block of this ? I think its a great design for small cars and 2 blocks for a 2000 cc suv/minivan if they can push it out.
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contact 3:47AM (5/22/2009)
Mazda has announced that D.I. would be used almost a year ago. Their new 16X engine will use it and should go into production next year. Larger displacement means much better low end torque and an estimated 300bhp 200btq from such a small engine.
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mapoftazifosho 9:09AM (5/22/2009)
Do they have projected fuel economy numbers? Projected oil consumption? Reliability?
Rob 11:00AM (5/22/2009)
They haven't announced any specific numbers yet, but they have said it will be significantly more efficient in both power and fuel economy. Having said that, there is no way it will be as efficient as the most efficient equivalent V6's out there. Frankly, that's fine with me. I'm just so impressed that Mazda is able to continually improve and develop the rotary, even with the hydrogen RX-8 they've been showing, too.
sundoggy 8:01PM (9/26/2009)
@mapoftazifosho: What kind of question is "projected reliability?" for a brand new engine? Are you serious?
Oh, np. Reliability will be up 27.763%, on Tuesday nights in the south eastern hemisphere, between 8:00 and 8:14 pm. However, on Wednesday nights in North America during the same time period, reliability will be down a remarkable 11.7108 %.
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