Mazda has won an award for its diesel research, which will cut fuel consumption of future models and achieve cleaner exhaust emissions, together with reduced CO2 output.

The study, which will aid development of highly efficient diesel particulate fuels in the future, looks at combustion mechanisms to eliminate particulate matter, mainly soot, from diesel engine exhaust emissions.

By developing an analytical method, the Japanese carmaker has shown that oxygen exchange characteristics of catalysts play an important role in accelerating the combustion of particulate matter.

Mazda received the Outstanding Technical Paper Award 2008, from the Annual Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan. The award is the fourth won in recent years from the society.