*MAZDA'S BREAKTHROUGH MAKES SPARKLESS PETROL ENGINE AS EFFICIENT AS DIESEL ENGINE*
The automobile industry is going to witness yet another revolution,this time from Mazda Motor Corp which is ready to introduce a breakthrough engine technology which rivals have been trying to develop for the past few decades.
The automaker will be the first company to commercialize the *Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition(HCCI)* engines called *SkyActiv-X,*which is 20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than the current SkyActiv-G,and up to 45% more than Mazda's 2008 petrol engine and have surpassed the likes of General Motors,Daimler AG etc
Current petrol engines rely on a spark plug to ignite their air-fuel mix.
The SkyActiv-X will ignite the air-fuel mix spark-free through compression,like a diesel engine.
This,according to the Japanese manufacturer,combines the advantages of petrol and diesel engines to achieve outstanding environmental and power performance
*How HCCI Works*
Mazda’s homogeneous charge compression ignition(HCCI) engine ignites gasoline through compression,just like diesel.
HCCI injects fuel(petrol)during the intake stroke.
However, rather than using an electric discharge (spark plug) to ignite a portion of the mixture, HCCI raises density and temperature by compression until the entire mixture reacts spontaneously.
A *spark plug* is still needed to ignite the fuel at certain RPMs,and juggling the two combustion methods is a complicated puzzle that Mazda claims it has solved.
Unlike diesel engines,and unlike others who attempted a gasoline-fueled diesel,Mazda decided to use a spark plug in each cylinder under some conditions,mostly when the engine is cold at startup.
It calls this *spark controlled compression ignition (SCCI)* Mazda says the brief period of changeover from spark to compression ignition was tuned to be seamless.
The SkyActiv-X engine will be fitted with a supercharger and will produce 10 percent to 30 percent more torque that current (SkyActiv-G) engine.
HCCI makes possible a super lean burn mode that raises engine efficiency 20 to 30 percent over the current petrol engine,is 35 percent to 45 percent more economical than Mazda’s 2008 petrol engine,and *equals* or exceeds the diesel engine in fuel efficiency.