Automotive: Ferrari Files Patent for Tesla-like Gas Thruster
Ferrari, like any good supercar manufacturer, is always looking for ways to get more performance out of its cars. Whether it’s funky new shocks from Multimatic or advanced hybrid systems coupled to ever more powerful turbocharged engines, the Italian automaker has a slew of tricks up its sleeve. One recent patent application is out of left field, though. The Maranello brand is looking into gas thrusters.
This may sound familiar to any Tesla fans out there. Elon Musk has talked about a similar system for the new Tesla Roadster and Ferrari’s concept is roughly the same. I wasn’t able to find a patent on Tesla’s system, though—at least not describing something like this so explicitly. Ferrari’s patent was also filed in late 2019, although it was only published a few days ago.
As Jason Fenske at Engineering Explained has… uhh… explained before, gas thrusters to increase the performance of a car are actually plausible. A good way to do it is with compressed air, but the pressures are huge. Ferrari’s patent states that between 700 and 900 bar is necessary, or between 10,000 PSI and 13,000 PSI. Creating such a pressure vessel to contain this immense force is surprisingly possible; hydrogen storage tanks in fuel cell vehicles already do it. That’s not the only method Ferrari suggests, however. More at The Drive