Since its early days, Ferrari has always been on the cutting edge of engine technology. But recently, the brand has patented a new engine that looks different from everything we are used to seeing out there. It’s safe to say that even Enzo Ferrari, the famous founder of the Scuderia Ferrari, would be impressed with the release.
What is Ferrari’s new patent?
Ferrari has recently filed a patent for a groundbreaking V12 engine design featuring oval-shaped pistons, marking a significant departure from traditional engine architecture in the automotive industry.
If you’re not familiar with engine parts, a piston is either a short, solid tube or a round, flat object that moves up and down – or forward and backward – inside a cylinder with liquid or gas, generating an internal combustion or a pump that causes other parts of an engine to move as well.
This innovative approach of pistons by Ferrari could also translate to lower friction in the system, which would lead to more power and efficiency on engines, something in line with modern demands for both effectiveness and hybrid integration.
What is the big difference between the old pistons?
While traditional pistons are perfectly round, Ferrari’s new design introduces “pill-shaped” or oval pistons. By flattening the sides of it, the world famous manufacturer can position them closer together, effectively shortening the engine’s length without compromising displacement.
As the overall engine length would be shorter, this is an important step for its V12 road cars, especially taking into account the future electrification plans (for hybrid systems) and mid-mounted V12 engines.
In case you’re wondering, V12 engines are 12-cylinder internal combustion engines where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a “V” shape around a common crankshaft.
This model is well known for its smooth power delivery and balanced nature, which in practice means it is used mostly in luxury cars, racing cars, and other applications. It was also once used in Formula 1 cars, but the V12 was just far too fuel-thirsty, which was slowing the cars down.
Aside from the unique piston shape, Ferrari’s patent also describes a novel connecting rod arrangement. Instead of each piston having its own connecting rod, opposing pistons share a single crankshaft journal through an articulated rod system.
This design reduces the engine’s overall length and weight, potentially enhancing high-RPM performance – or High Revolutions Per Minute, refers to an engine operating at a rapid rate of rotation.
Historical Context and Implications for Ferrari’s Future
Although Ferrari’s patent brings novelty to the car-related world, gearheads will probably remember that Honda has already tried oval pistons before. In the late 1970s, the manufacturer experimented with a similar design for its Formula 1 engines.
Later, Honda actually built it for its motorcycles for a very brief time. At the time, their idea was to use a very long, oval-shaped piston – long enough that it could fit eight valves in every cylinder instead of the usual four. The result was a motorbike engine that was effectively a V8 with four pistons that they planned to use in the World Motorcycle GP series with the NR500.
While it was greatly innovative at the time, Honda faced many fabrication difficulties and struggled with the manufacturing complexity to machine the oval parts. Nowadays, with the evolution of 3D printing and advanced materials, Ferrari has a much bigger chance of success of potentially overcoming past obstacles with this compact V12 approach.
Ferrari’s patented oval piston design represents a bold step in engine development, blending tradition with innovation. As the automotive industry evolves, such advancements may play a crucial role in maintaining the allure and performance of classic engine configurations such as the V12 in modern vehicles, increasingly focused on efficiency and sustainability.
