Electric mobility is a step forward towards the decarbonization of our roads, but not the only one we are taking. What is the most futuristic and greenest fuel in use today? You know which one we’re talking about, and today we’re going to introduce you to a new breakthrough that has the industry buzzing. Meet the hydrogen engine that runs without a battery, is upside down and defies gravity.
Ferrari, leading the way to the perfect hydrogen engine: the first patent
Ferrari has established a legacy in the performance sports cars field some of which are considered to be the most powerful vehicles in the planet. Whilst the hydrogen engine technology development by the Italian automaker may have been rather covert but has been going on for over a decade.
At the Bologna Motor Show in 2011, Ferrari revealed the hydrogen version of its 599 GTB Fiorano grand turismo as a fuel cell-powered vehicle. The lone-shoticism conveyed the car forward to an exposed V12 12 engine known to run on hydrogen fuel.
Surprisingly, in 2022 a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine was patented by Ferrari which is a brand that is recently in the news due to recent projects like hydrogen internal combustion engine. This is now due to the specific inverted cylinder arrangement, that features cylinders at the bottom and crankshafts.
The Ferrari hydrogen engine, at detail: check out its incredible performance
In addition, the Ferrari hydrogen engine patent breaks with the norm of a traditional internal combustion engine by rotating it inside out. Conversely, the hydrogen gas is injected into the combustion chamber, but the fuel is not injected directly into the cylinders.
The hydrogen-air mixture is thus able to be compressed the higher temperature which is achieved in the lower chamber resulting in a higher thermal efficiency. Such an engine may be dubbed an “ep cyclic engine,” because the pistons in motion match the crankshaft spins and ignite the sparkplug to keep the power cycle ongoing.
Besides the rate of combustion is ensured and emission is minimized by the schemes of burner. Another point to highlight is that as the hydrogen engine technology evolves and advances over time, the vehicle’s efficiency and power might go beyond the prevailing performance of the famous “Cavallino Rampante”.
This Exhaust Heat Recirculation system helps to preheat the hydrogen and air mixture which entering the engine, again increasing the efficiency. The engine dimensions are small enough for installing it inside the same space where the engine is usually located.
Energy efficiency and a totally new ICE: a glimpse to what Ferrari has achieved
Like the Ferrari hydrogen engine which is able to get high efficiency and power. Whereas the gasoline engine combines the hydrogen and oxygen and then ignites them to draw the energy, it is a combustion engine with separation set-up. This is why the combustion reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy is just water.
In a no mechanical energy conversion steps the hydrogen fuel cell 60% can be higher compared to 30-40% of that in gasoline engines. Fuel cells are full torque right from the first turn and that provides instant acceleration. A characteristic feature is high efficiency which allows utilizing most part of the chemical energy.
Patented approach of Ferrari makes the fuel cell hanged upside down which simplifies the water removal and prevents formation of dissolved salts that downgrade efficiency. The engine is expected to deliver maximum power between 800-1200 horsepower, matching up with the brilliance showcased by Ferrari’s current elite lineup.
It is clear that a hydrogen engine like this one is going to mark a historic milestone in sustainable mobility, not only by defying gravity, but also by reaching new heights of internal efficiency. The ICE was not obsolete, the problem was that we had not managed to implement it in a way that was feasible at low temperatures, something that has just changed with this new type of injection.