Mazda i-ELOOP: Loopy name, clever contraption
A braking system that can reduce fuel use by 10 per cent is a new innovation — and a world first — from MazdaMazda has announced the i-ELOOP system, a capacitor-based braking-energy recovery system.
Claimed by the company to be a world first of its kind, the system recovers braking energy, converts the energy to electricity and stores it in a capacitor. The energy remains stored until required by the vehicle to power onboard devices such as the climate control and audio system, among others.
Mazda plans to begin introducing the system in production vehicles as soon as next year. In the real world it should reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10 per cent in traffic, according to the manufacturer.
In keeping with Mazda's SKYACTIV philosophy of doing a lot with little that's technologically new, the company has configured the i-ELOOP system to recover braking energy not from an electric motor/generator unit, as hybrids usually do, but from a variable-voltage alternator. According to Mazda, the alternator will discharge in a range between 12 and 25 Volts.
Since the automatic transmission of the current Mazda3 SP20 SKYACTIV is locked up most of the time it's in operation, the engine would provide some braking effort almost to a halt. In vehicles yet to be brought to market, this braking energy will be channelled from the alternator to the i-ELOOP system's electric double-layer capacitor (ELDC) via a DC/DC converter.
Mazda's settled on a capacitor-based system for the capacitor's resistance to deterioration over a long period of time and its ability to transfer large volumes of electrical energy in and out — faster than batteries can manage. The capacitor "can be full charged in seconds", according to Mazda's press material for the i-ELOOP system. The electrical energy from the capacitor can also extend the time the car's i-stop system keeps the engine switched off, saving even more fuel in stop/start traffic.
According to the press release, Mazda explained that the name for the new system is a contraction of 'Intelligent Energy Loop'.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
