Mazda Rotary Patent Hints at More PowerMazdaIn an era dominated by electric motors and ubiquitous 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines, the general enthusiast community's desire for character-packed powertrains only continues to grow. Perhaps no cohort of fans has been as vocal as Mazda's—particularly those clamoring for the return of the Wankel rotary engine. While that isn't exactly around the corner from what we can tell, patent filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) prove Mazda is still working, at least on some level, to enhance the fan-favorite design.Mazda's recent submission to the USPTO, which was brought to broader attention by CarBuzz, relates specifically to a new design for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) setup for a rotary engine. EGR systems are nothing new in internal combustion vehicles, with nearly every modern gasoline and diesel-powered vehicle utilizing the tech—which reroutes some of the exhaust gases back into the engine to reduce emissions—to some extent. Nearly, however, is key: most of Mazda's rotary engines haven't used this system before, as the design differences of a rotary allow for some mixing to take place inside the housing itself. (That said, the range-extender unit found in the MX-30 Skyactiv R-EV does utilize an EGR setup.)Mazda / UPSTOThis particular new patent filing involved a different approach to an EGR setup inside a rotary engine. The patent explains that Mazda would split the exhaust pathways between the side port and peripheral ports of the rotary housing, with the hotter exhaust from the side port being routed directly into a turbocharger; the cooler exhaust from coming off of the peripheral port would be directed back into the block, before being fed into a dedicated EGR cooler. Because this exhaust gas is already cooler than what comes off of the side port, the cooler itself can be much smaller than it would need to be otherwise. In theory, this would allow Mazda to push more power through the engine without compromising on emissions.AdvertisementAdvertisementOf course, getting a rotary past modern emissions standards isn't exactly a straightforward task. Mazda has been hard at work trying to make this a reality for quite some time, but the best we've got is the aforementioned range extender unit found in international markets. Of course, given how frequently Mazda keeps talking about the potential for a sports car above the Miata in its lineup, we'll remain cautiously optimistic.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State