Why a rotary engine?
Mazda is the only automobile manufacturer to sell cars with rotary engines. When using conventional fuel, this kind of engine can put out increased power in proportion to its displacement. The current RX-8’s engine can pump out 233 hp from 1.6 litres of displacement. And given its super-compact dimensions, this engine is easier to fit in the vehicle. The weak points are higher than average fuel consumption and occasional lubrification troubles. But Mazda continues to refine and develop this engine, and one of the reasons for this is that it works very well with hydrogen. How? Hydrogen has a much higher burn rate than gasoline, which makes it tricky to use in a conventional engine. In rotary engines, however, the temperature in the combustion chamber is lower than in a conventional engine, which optimizes output. This means that a clean-burning fuel can be used, because the only by-product of burning hydrogen is water vapor. What’s more, these engines are relatively easy and cheap to ma
