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).

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

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

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

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.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

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.

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You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

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

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint

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

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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.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

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

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
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No merc at the moment

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!

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
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I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

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

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

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1998 W210 diesel (wiped out by a texter)
Baum spring compressor "for rent"

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

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

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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)

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

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.

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1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
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