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View Full Version : Mazda leasing gas/hydrogen hybrids in japan


attgig
02-15-2006, 01:24 PM
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-02-15T082922Z_01_T29522_RTRUKOC_0_US-AUTOS-MAZDA-HYDROGEN.xml

pretty sweet, though I still don't understand why a rotary engine is better equipped for this type of hybrid instead of regular engines... can anyone explain?
DarkFury
02-15-2006, 01:48 PM
It stated the reason for this in the article here...



A rotary engine is suitable for hydrogen fuel because the separate chambers for fuel intake, combustion and exhaust significantly reduce the danger of the fuel's backfiring compared with a conventional recipro engine.


In a conventional engine air and fuel mix, combust, then exhaust from the same chamber... and hydrogen is a very volatile gas. (i.e. it can make your car go BOOM in a bad way) :eek:

Maybe a better question for you to ask is.... "How does a rotary engine work" to understand how rotary is different than conventional. :D

http://travel.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine8.htm
attgig
02-15-2006, 02:11 PM
yeah, i know how the rotary engine works, tvm, so no, that's not the better question

anyways, it really is the same chamber... it's just that the chamber moves around. but i think i know what they're getting at by saying it reduces the risk.
DarkFury
02-15-2006, 02:22 PM
yeah, i know how the rotary engine works, tvm, so no, that's not the better question

anyways, it really is the same chamber... it's just that the chamber moves around. but i think i know what they're getting at by saying it reduces the risk.
Ok.. my bad. I was just trying to figure where the confusion was. (The link was just there in case you didn't know... I wasn't trying to offend your intelligence.)

You actually have 3 separated "sealed areas" inside the chamber as the rotor revolves. The article was being generic in saying "chambers".

The chamber doesn't actually move, the rotor inside the chamber does and as it moves it seals off the section where the fuel and air go, compresses it, and allows it to be ignited without fear of it blowing back through the intake port (i.e. backfiring).

Sorry I wasn't more clear about that before. :D