Ferrari working on all-wheel drive hybrid

[Tommy_F]

Patent search confirms Ferrari working on all-wheel drive hybrid

by Jeremy Korzeniewski on May 22nd 2009 at 7:59PM


We've known for quite some time that Ferrari was working on a hybrid sportscar, so it's not too surprising to see these patents for a new all-wheel-drive vehicle with hybrid propulsion filed by Ferrari back in February. The Italian automaker's documents suggest that this particular design is intended to "improve the drivability of a sports car in conditions of poor grip," not necessarily to improve the vehicle's overall environmental friendliness.

Ferrari outlines four possible ways it could introduce its hybrid technology and illustrates the design with six individual diagrams, which you can see below. In each of these possible designs, one set of wheels would be powered by the car's internal combustion engine through a locking differential, while the other set of wheels would be motivated by either a single electric motor or by two smaller in-wheel electric motors.

Ferrari believes a system such as this could provide the advantages of all-wheel drive while keeping the weight low and allowing the driver to choose standard rear-wheel drive when desirable. Of course, depending on the on-board batteries and electronics used in such a system, the car could potentially be powered solely on electricity under certain circumstances, reducing fuel consumption and lowering overall emissions. Click here to see the actual patent filing and check out the images in our gallery below.

source (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/22/patent-search-confirms-ferrari-working-on-all-wheel-drive-hybrid/)



http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_1.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_2.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_3.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_4.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_5.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/TSN_Tommy/ferrari_hybrid_patent_6.jpg

images from here (http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/ferrari-all-wheel-drive-hybrid-patent-images/2030799/full/)


Can any of the forum engineers explain what's going on on those drawings?

[Ken]

Figure 1 is the typical layout for Electric assistance to a combustion engine. the compbustion engine drives the rear wheels and the eclectric motor drives the front wheels.

From there on if you follow the the the diagrams. They show how how electric motors could be used to drive all 4 wheels, as in 4WD or Front whell drive and or rear wheel drive.

By figure 6 the combustion engine has become more or less simply a Generator to charge the batteries.

The advantage of electric drive replacing the combustion engine drive is "instant torque " which has proven in some prototype cars to give phenomenal acceleration.


I hope that helps and I have'nt over simplified .

[Tommy_F]

Thank you! :thumb

[Red Rocket]

Interesting Ferrari knows it must move forward.

[Testarossa6000]

Here's another article on the same from Pistonheads

HYBRID FERRARI POWERTRAIN SKETCHES REVEALED

Green future of Ferrari leaked via patent office

http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news/19970/tn_2-t.jpg

Drawings of Ferrari’s four-wheel-drive hybrid future have emerged, showing details of how the Maranello based firm intend to produce greener powertrains in the future.

The Ferrari drawings, believed to be part of a patent application, show an independent electric motor in all of the proposed layouts that powers one axle while a conventional engine operates the other set of wheels.

Each of the drawings shows a different proposal, some with regular axles and differentials and others with small, in-wheel electric motors. The ‘part time’ system outlined in the patent application will help improve the road manners of future Ferraris as drivers will be able to disengage the four-wheel drive system.

That means future hybrid models will have the option of rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. An intelligent new electronics system may also dictate when power is delivered through four or two wheels, improving the car’s stability in poor road conditions.

The addition of a hybrid system should also improve the overall economy of Ferraris as the electrical power can be used to drive the car up to a speed where the engine is more efficient and less polluting.

(more sketches here)
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=19970