January 13, 2020
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published a patent granted to Ferrari titled “High-Performance Internal Combustion Engine With Improved Handling of Emission and Method of Controlling Such Engine”. The patent suggests Ferrari’s V12 engines in the future could use two different ignition methods based on different efficiency needs at any given time.
The patent design contemplates two combustion methods for a fuel and air mixture. One method involves injecting a small amount of fuel into the engine before the spark plug ignites, which increases airflow in the combustion chamber and creates a hotter air-fuel mix. The other method involves the spark plug in the main combustion chamber operating during start-up and/or low-load conditions. The new engine design helps decrease emissions, an important development in light of the global trend of more restrictive emissions standards for vehicles.
Authors: Amanda Bertucci and Matt McDonald