Mazda Skyactiv-Diesel has 14:1 compression
 

Pretty cool article on the low compression diesel engine.

How Mazda Reinvented the Diesel Engine | Popular Science

Mazda must be the BMW of Japan when it comes to innovation. I think it is amazing that the air will get red hot at a low 14:1 compression ratio.

I guess I will believe it when I see it (and hear it).

it must be having some pretty cool stuff to get a 14:1 diesel to start.

Many newer OTR truck engines are in that range or a little higher. What the article doesn't say is that the engine still needs the DPF and oxidation catalyst.

The exhaust valve opens partially during the intake stroke when starting. This draws warm air in from the exhaust. I think this recaptures some glow heat. The choked expansion of air via a shock wave also heats it.

So uncombusted air could be heated by choked expansion and blown into the exhaust manifold, and then pulled back into the piston for a second compression, which will heat it to autoignition temp. This would be accomplished with special lift & timing of the exhaust valve for starting.

I thought they did this so they wouldnt need the DPF or urea device.

Is that the car that the gasoline and diesel versions share half of the engine?

Isn't this backward, shouldn't it read "Diesel engines ignite by compressing air to extremely high pressure then injecting fuel."

they have improved so much the injection over the past years, now we can get so much more power and so much less smoke :)

I want to say the skyactiv does all this without the urea injection or lean-NOx trap, which is particularly interesting.

It seems the sweet spot for compression is somewhere around 13 - 15, as it gets more, the heat is too much and it gets lost into the cooling water...

it says the starting price is $20k. I wonder if they are referring to the gasoline version.

$20k is not bad. I think the TDI VW Passat is quite a bit more.

That's an insanely low compression ratio. I've heard of hot gas cars running 12:1

I like to surprise people who talk about CR with the 617's stock 22.5:1 :D

A low compression ratio for a diesel isn't that unheard of

Compression ratio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think they must have done lots of tricks to get it to be so economical and green though.

I wonder what it will be like in service - imagine a bad turbo on one of those => there goes a large chunk of your compression ratio...

...perhaps people will be fitting spark plugs to keep it going!

I'd drive a 14:1 gas car and spray water to keep the knocking down :)

Guys:
 

Sounds like it's based on the same underlying engine design. Both the highest compression gas engine and lowest compression diesel engine! lol

I saw a video once of a SAAB variable compression engine, it was being translated to me by a Swedish guy, in between the video they spoke of using this technology to lower diesel compression ratio.

What they meant was that the engine would do to a high ratio 22:1 to start and would change to about 16:1 to run.

It had a connecting rod type setup to tilt the block away from the cylinders.

I think that Mazda must have been using their history books for this - their miller cycle engine was also a strange design that played around with compression (not static)

Uberwgn,

We are talking about the Skyactive-D engine. There is a gas and Diesel version.


I showed the new Mazda 6 to my girlfriend and now she wants one. Can't afford it but still wants one.

I wonder how the engine holds up over time. A lightened aluminum block and heads plus Diesel sounds iffy to me but then again they are using very low compression. It is a thoughtful design but I'll venture a guess that it won't have the reliability of a 617. Top that off with the added difficulty of working on it.

I "saw and heard it" at Daytona. It sounded pretty darn good to me! It is amazing how much of the engine was left alone for those races (probably too much). A few issues. But, they are slowly ironing them out.

Hopefully they will make it to the American public at some point. All speculation right now.

Pretty cool to see a 4 door diesel sedan at Daytona!!

Thank you. I'm well aware of that. I posted the 14:1 gasser compression number to share with folks that the Japanese are doing things in a manner we're not accustomed to. I strongly believe their new gas and diesel technology will be succesful and possibly set new standards. Give them a chance.


The Japasese sell and market some great diesel technology we've never seen. I'm willing to bet the Subaru and Mazda diesels, as sold in the USA, will be tempting products...and long over-due. Let's kick back and see what appears on the horizon over the next 12 months ;)

I believe the 14:1 compression ratio is ex-USA. I think the equivalent product sold in the USA is 13:1, FWIW.

Yes, 13:1 here to allow use of 87 octane fuel.

Thanks. That's sorta what I recall hearing. And an impressive feat to be able to run on regular!

I agree completely. The Japanese are very innovative. The cars they make are reliable and economical and I respect that. I expect the new Mazda Diesel will be the same. Hopefully it will be just as reliable as the old MB Diesels.