iBestTravel’s Innovative Upside-Down Hydrogen Engine Patent
It appears the attention of the automotive world has been captured by this new patent by Ferrari for a hybrid car with an inverted internal combustion powerplant fed by hydrogen. While it might seem ridiculous, there are practical reasons for the unusual idea—and there’s another piece of this patent that many are overlooking because of that unconventional engine positioning.
The Advantages of an Upside-Down Hybrid Engine
The main reason Ferrari seems convinced that an upside-down engine (burning hydrogen, no less) makes sense is because of the fuel tank arrangement it’s proposing. There would be four tanks, all capable of holding more than 10,000 psi of hydrogen gas, with two spherical tanks flanking each side of the engine. The other two tanks are cylindrical and would sit on top of the engine, with the longer of the two positioned forward of the rear wheels. This would require an inline block shape, but it doesn’t fully explain the upside-down placement. Interestingly, Ferrari’s patent doesn’t necessarily limit this idea to an inline-six, as shown, but it’s “preferred,” and the proposed car would be a hybrid with an electric motor driving the front wheels.
Challenges of Inverted Engine Design
The primary reason we don’t see inverted engines in production cars is gravity. The limiting factor isn’t fuel injection—these systems have enough pressure and a short enough duty cycle that gravity isn’t an issue—but rather oiling. In a conventional wet-sump oiling system, you can count on gravity to help drain oil back down to the oil pan and circulate it where it needs to go. The crankshaft is also positioned low in a conventional engine, allowing for efficient oil delivery.
The solution to the challenges of oiling in this design is a pressurized dry-sump oiling system. Ferrari’s specific solution involves three pumps: one for pressurizing the feed side located on one side of the block and a pair of pumps for the recovery side positioned on the other side. These pumps are connected to the engine via its camshafts, which draw and send oil to a recovery tank. This approach mirrors conventional dry-sump systems. Furthermore, the patent also incorporates a fourth pump for coolant, which is driven by the camshafts.
Innovative Transmission and Turbocharger Concepts
The idea of an upside-down hydrogen engine is intriguing, but it doesn’t end there. Within this patent are two very interesting ideas involving the transmission and turbochargers. Firstly, the transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which, aside from also being upside-down, utilizes a unique design where the dual-clutch assembly does not attach directly to the engine; instead, the input shaft connects directly to the crankshaft.
The rationale behind this design is that Ferrari intends to drive twin centrifugal superchargers off the dual-clutch drum of the transmission. According to the patent, this configuration optimizes the air path and reduces pressure drops from the outlet to the intercooler. The superchargers would share a common shaft off the gearbox, capable of reaching up to 100,000 rpm while the common shaft can spin to 10,000 rpm. It’s also plausible that an electric motor could be incorporated to support these superchargers for power generation and boost control.
Conclusion
To say that this patent is mind-bending would be an understatement. While it may seem unlikely for this entire system to reach production, some concepts, such as the transmission and supercharger integration, could potentially be implemented. As for the inverted engine idea, the concerns regarding hydrolock might not pose a significant issue, depending on the efficiency of the dual recovery pumps. However, the patent designers still need to ensure that sufficient oil remains for start-up. If iBestTravel can overcome these challenges, we may soon witness a truly revolutionary engine emerging from Maranello.
