Mazda Researchers to Receive JSAE Awards

Tokyo, May 8, 2009 - (JCN Newswire) - Six researchers from Mazda will be honored for their research achievements at the 59th annual Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE) awards presentation. The researchers will receive the Outstanding Technical Paper and the Technological Development awards. The Outstanding Technical Paper Award recognizes individuals and their co-authors for outstanding research in the field of automotive technology. The Technological Development Award is presented to individuals and their co-authors who have developed new products or new technologies that contribute to the evolution of automotive technologies. The award ceremony will take place on May 21 at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center.

The Outstanding Technical Paper Award

Awarded for: "Characterizing indices of driving style and their relevance to car following behavior"
Recipient: Motonori Ishibashi, Mazda Motor Corporation

This technical paper develops a checklist of indices that characterize individual driving styles, investigates how they affect actual vehicle response, and explains potential practical applications. The results are being used to further research into driving characteristics and system design and evaluation, which are expected to make a considerable contribution to development of driving support systems. This paper was produced as part of a research project on "Behaviour-Based Human Environment Creation Technology" being conducted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and as such three co-authors from outside Mazda shared the award. Co-authors:
Masayuki Okuwa, Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc.
Shunichi Doi, Kagawa University
Motoyuki Akamatsu, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


The Technological Development Award

Awarded for: "Development of a high-performance particulate burning catalyst with oxygen ion conductive materials"
Recipients:
Kouichiro Harada, Mazda Motor Corporation
Hiroshi Yamada, Mazda Motor Corporation
Hiroki Fujita, Mazda Motor Corporation
Kenji Okamoto, Mazda Motor Corporation
Akihide Takami, Mazda Motor Corporation

Mazda's high performance particulate combustion catalyst features an internal catalyst structure that enables the easy movement of oxygen stored within it. This means extra oxygen can be supplied to significantly increase the rate of combustion of soot that is contained in the exhaust gases. As a result, less fuel is required to burn off the soot, and the reduced fuel consumption means lower CO2 emissions and cleaner exhaust gases. This technology also won the Award for Technical Achievements from the Chemical Society of Japan in March 2009.


Recent Mazda Recipients of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Awards

2008 - Kenji Suzuki, Kouichiro Harada, Hiroshi Yamada, Kenji Okamoto and Akihide Takami won the Outstanding Technical Paper Award for "Study on low temperature oxidation of diesel particulate matters by oxygen storage component for the catalyzed diesel particulate filter."

2007 - Daisuke Shimo won the Asahara Science Award for "Emission Reduction in Diesel Engines through Large-Scale Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and Intake Air Cooling."
- Tsutomu Shigenaga and Toshihiro Yoshida won the Technological Development Award for "Development and Commercialization of Environmentally Friendly High Uniformity Electrodeposition Paint."

2006 - Taeko Shimizu won the Asahara Award of Merit in Technology for "Long-Term Achievements in Research and Development on Vehicle Emission Analysis Techniques and Noxious Substance Reduction Techniques."
- Katsuya Nishiguchi, Toshiyuki Gendo, Kenji Takase, Yohei Shoji and Kunihiko Tao won the Technological Development Award for "Development of Iron-Aluminum Spot Friction Welding Technology."

About Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com .