Global News: Mazda i-Stop Technology Gains Another Award

Combustion Society of Japan has chosen Mazda as the recipient for its 2009 Technology Award for its unique idling stop system called 'i-stop'. The award recognises achievements in the field of combustion technology research and development.

Mazda's i-stop leverages the characteristics of direct injection engines to achieve a ‘combustion restart.’ While the engine is stopped, the system injects fuel directly into a cylinder and ignites it to generate downward piston force, thereby initiating engine restart. Using this technology, i-stop restarts the engine in just 0.35 seconds, about half the time of most other competing systems. It also minimizes noise and vibration to ensure a natural driving feel.

This is compared to the current idling stop system where the usage of a starter motor results in a delay before driving can be resumed along with the noise and vibration using such a system.

The i-stop system was selected to receive the Combustion Society’s Technology Award because it demonstrates a new application of combustion technology in automobile engines and further improves the excellent environmental performance of direct injection engines.

Credits: wilswong