Ferrari patent reveals a gas thruster system to boost performance

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Ferrari has always been at the forefront of automotive technology. The Italian automaker races for its famous road-car philosophy. Thanks to the Prancing Horse’s singular focus on making cars go faster, we knew they could innovate. This time we have information about the latest Ferrari patent. The patent relates to the use of gas thrusters to increase not only speed but also airflow across the aero parts of the car, making it stick to the road when cornering.

Ferrari Gas Booster Patent

While the patent date reads 2019, it was issued some time ago. According to Ferrari, the car will come with several gas boosters in certain areas. Each plunger will have five nozzles, each varying in size, from small to large. This means that when the compression is high, gas will be displaced from the smaller nozzle, and when the pressure drops, the larger opening will compensate while still producing the same output. Ferrari estimates a force of 5,000 Newtons from the thrusters.

All this requires a pressure of 700 to 900 bar. That’s about 10,000-13,000 PSI. This number sounds big, but there are already storage technologies that allow storing gas under this pressure. Take the case of a fuel cell vehicle’s hydrogen tank. But Ferrari says there are other ways to achieve that pressure. Furthermore, the entire system will only add 88-99 lbs.!

Also, expect this booster to make some good noise. The released gas can reach supersonic speeds.

Engine booster to increase performance as well as downforce

Ferrari expects this booster to increase the car’s speed, acceleration, etc. But Ferrari has one more trick. This pusher will circulate air between the floor of the car and the road surface. This will generate more downforce thanks to the ground effect or the Venturi effect. This would be similar to a car equipped with a large fan.

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At the end of the patent, Ferrari said this thruster does not use compressed air. Instead, Ferrari says they act as pulse jets, meaning liquid fuel is burned to generate the required power. Ferrari could use the same fuel that powers the engine to power these pulse jets.

Tesla has also proposed a similar system

This is not the first time that automakers have ventured into using alternative propulsion systems either alone or in combination with conventional systems. In the past, Tesla founder Elon Musk has described a similar system in the Tesla Roadster. However, the system proposes to use a compressor connected to the rear wheel to generate enough compressed air at the required pressure.

Source: TheDrive

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