Ford patents hydrogen-fueled combustion engine

Ford has filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a combustion engine running on hydrogen, Muscle Cars and Trucks recently discovered. In a typical hydrogen-powered vehicle, a propulsion system similar to that of an electric vehicle is used, where energy stored as hydrogen is converted to electricity by the fuel cell.

Ford’s new patent, however, is for a turbocharged combustion engine running on hydrogen. And on papers, the company’s engine will be capable of operating across a wide range of air/fuel lambda values. Just like in a traditional internal combustion engine, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and valve timing would be used to control the combustion process.

The patent also includes direct injection for delivering hydrogen to the cylinders and supplying hydrogen through direct injection could produce up to 15 percent more power than an equivalent gasoline engine. The patent documents show the hydrogen combustion engine as a part of a hybrid powertrain with a motor-generator positioned between the engine and the transmission. However, the patent only covers the method of combusting and controlling hydrogen mixtures, and not the entire engine.

It cannot be said at the moment if the patent will actually reach a production stage at some point in time. Some of Ford's recent patents include a technology that allows you to drive a car with your brain, and a deployable drone patent, among others.

The discovery of Ford's new patents comes after the company, earlier this month, announced that it is splitting its business into two separate divisions. The company has a number of brand new EVs currently under development under Model E. While the Blue Oval division will work on combustion models.