Ferrari’s latest patent is so radical that even experts aren’t sure how its new engine design could function. The documentation filed along with the patent describes an upside-down hydrogen twin-supercharged inline-6 unit, and even this description boggles the mind. It’s not clear whether the model would be marketed in the United States if it ever does move into production, but the concept is enough to generate interest in America all the same.
Ferrari’s farfetched new patent is blowing people’s minds
The Italian luxury sportscar manufacturer’s latest patent contains not just one outlandish design aspect but several. It’s not unheard of for automakers to patent off-the-wall technology to safeguard the idea “just in case,” but this powertrain system of Ferrari’s is so unorthodox that it’s way beyond the norm and into the realm of the extreme.
The patent document is titled, Car Provided With a Hydrogen-powered Internal Combustion Engine. However, it’s actually made up of several sections that each describe some kind of weird system in the sportscar drivetrain. Patent applications have been made in the European Union and United States and each credits one single inventor: Fabrizio Favaretto. He holds the title of Vehicle and Powertrain Architectures Innovation Manager and has been employed by Ferrari for over two decades.
In other news about innovations in a different sector of the transport industry, German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions is working on a versatile new offering for the maritime world.
What’s contained in Ferrari’s radical patent application?
Favaretto’s patent documents detail a hybrid sportscar model that has a similarity to the Corvette E-Ray in that it has an electric motor in the front and a combustion engine at the back. But there are no more similarities to any other vehicle. A rear-mounted engine and transaxle are central to the design; however, little information is provided about the front axle’s electric traction system.
Speaking at the most basic level, the combustion engine can be described as an inline-6 that runs on hydrogen gas. The inline design works because the configuration allows room for hydrogen storage tanks on either side. The mounting of the engine is a talking point because it’s upside down: the crankshaft sits at the top while the cylinder head lies directly above the road.
There’s a reason for the upside-down engine, but we don’t know what it is
The reasoning behind this arrangement is that if the transaxle can be fixed higher up, a more aggressive diffuser can be utilized in the back. As strange as this idea sounds, this configuration was used successfully in some World War II fighter jets.
Interestingly, the same diffuser could still be installed without this unique arrangement, but the vehicle would have to be significantly longer. The patent insists that a short wheelbase is integral to the design, although it’s not clear why.
What are the chances we ever see this engine in real life?
The patent is being widely criticized and even ridiculed in some circles. Experts across the board have slammed the design as beyond unfeasible, so it’s more likely that Ferrari filed the patent as a strategic safeguard for their hydrogen technology rather than a realistic production plan.
Reports out of Ferrari state that the brand intends to continue with the development of combustion engines but look into electric vehicles at the same time.
Ferrari does have the engineering fortitude to pull off at least a prototype model, but even this is highly unlikely to come to pass.
In less radical news about innovations, Mazda is fully committed to rotary engines, and the design team proved it when they started working on laser ignition technology for its 16X model. The next generation of Mazda powertrains is expected to function without spark plugs.