I-ELOOP – Intelligent Energy Loop
Automotive Dictionary

I-ELOOP – Intelligent Energy Loop

26.05.2022 /

It is the first braking energy recovery system developed by Mazda Motor Corporation to use a capacitor (also called a capacitor) instead of a battery for a passenger car.

Mazda I-ELOOP system consists of the following parts:

  • an alternator providing a voltage of 12 to 25 volts;
  • double layer type (i.e. double layer) low impedance electric capacitor EDLC;
  • DC to DC converter that converts DC current from 25 to 12 volts.
I-ELOOP - Intelligent Energy Loop

The secret of the I-ELOOP system is the voltage regulated EDLC capacitor, which stores a large amount of electricity during the deceleration phase of the vehicle. As soon as the driver takes their foot off the accelerator pedal, the vehicle's kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by the alternator, which then sends it to the EDLC capacitor with a maximum voltage of 25 volts. The latter is charged for a few seconds and then returns energy to various consumers of electricity (radio, air conditioning, etc.) after the DC-DC converter brings it up to 12 volts. Mazda claims that a car equipped with i-ELOOP, when used in stop-and-go city traffic, can save 10% in fuel compared to a car without the system. The savings are achieved precisely because during the deceleration and braking phases, the electric power systems are powered by a capacitor, and not by a generator-heat engine unit, the latter being forced to burn more fuel just to drag the former along with it. Of course, the capacitor can also charge a car battery.

Other examples of braking energy recuperation systems already exist on the market, but many only use an electric motor or alternator to generate and distribute the recovered energy. This is the case for hybrid vehicles that are equipped with an electric motor and special batteries. The capacitor, compared to other recovery tools, has a very short charge / discharge time and is capable of recovering large amounts of electricity every time the motorist brakes or decelerates, even for a very short time.

The i-ELOOP device is compatible with Mazda's Start & Stop system called i-stop, which turns off the engine when the driver presses the clutch and places the gear in neutral, and turns it back on when the clutch is pressed again to engage. gear and reload. However, the engine stops only when the volume of air in the cylinder in the compression phase is equal to the volume of air in the cylinder in the expansion phase. This makes it easier to restart the engine, shortening restart times and limiting consumption by 14%.

Add a comment