Mazda Researchers to Receive JSAE Award

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Two researchers from Mazda Motor Corporation will be honored for their research achievements at the 61st annual Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE) awards presentation. Both researchers will receive the Outstanding Technical Paper Award.



The Outstanding Technical Paper Award
Awarded for: “A Study on the Relationship between Fuel Characteristics and Auto-ignition in Gasoline HCCI Engines”
Recipients: Takashi Youso, Powertrain Development Div., Mazda Motor Corporation
Masahisa Yamakawa, Powertrain Development Div., Mazda Motor Corporation



Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a form of internal combustion in which fuel and air are well mixed and then compressed to the point of auto-ignition. Using this method instead of a spark plug means that the fuel-air mixture burns at a lower temperature than in a conventional spark-ignition (SI) gasoline engine. Therefore, the exhaust gases from an HCCI engine contain only trace amounts of harmful compounds such as nitrogen oxide and soot. As a result, the HCCI engine offers high thermal efficiency, excellent fuel economy, and a considerable reduction in CO2 emissions. It has high potential to become the ultimate form of internal combustion.



The technical paper analyses the effects of different fuel components on ignition performance in a high-compression gasoline HCCI engine, and develops a theoretical model that predicts auto-ignition timing for the various grades of gasoline used in different markets. The paper also shows that, when the engine is operated with a standard spark ignition, the extra heat generated as the piston approaches top-dead-center does not increase the likelihood of knocking (abnormal combustion), enabling increased power output. Mazda’s breakthrough SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine, which significantly improves fuel economy and torque thanks to the world’s highest compression ratio of 14.0:1, utilizes the results of this analysis.



The Outstanding Technical Paper Award is presented to individual JSAE members and their co-authors who have published an outstanding research paper in the field of automotive technology. The following two researchers outside Mazda will share the award as co-authors.
Co-authors: Shigeyuki Tanaka, Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd.
Jin Kusaka, Waseda University



The award ceremony will take place on May 19, 2011 at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center.



For further information on the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, please visit:
http://www.jsae.or.jp/index_e.php

For further information on Mazda’s SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, please visit:
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/skyactiv/



Recent Mazda recipients of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan awards
2010 Seiji Miyoshi won the Asahara Science Award for “Development of platinum group metals (PGM) single-nanocatalyst technology,” and Naoko Yorozu also won the Asahara Science Award for “Absorption Technique for Road Noise.”
Kenichiro Saruwatari won the Technological Development Award for “Mazda’s unique combustion restart idling stop system, i-stop.”
2009 Motonori Ishibashi won the Outstanding Technical Paper Award for “Characterizing indices of driving style and their relevance to car following behavior.”
Kouichiro Harada, Hiroshi Yamada, Hiroki Fujita, Kenji Okamoto and Akihide Takami won the Technological Development Award for “Development of a high-performance particulate burning catalyst with oxygen ion conductive materials.”
2008 Kenji Suzuki, Kouichiro Harada, Hiroshi Yamada, Kenji Okamoto and Akihide Takami won the Outstanding Technical Paper Award for “Study on low temperature oxidation of diesel particulate matters by oxygen storage component for the catalyzed diesel particulate filter.”