It could also be used to power a hybrid engine.
Ford has announced that it will split its business into two distinct divisions. The future all-electric vehicles will be handled by Model E. There are many new EVs in development. The Blue division will be responsible for combustion models. A recent patent suggests that they could be working on an interesting project. Muscle Cars and trucks discovered a Patent filed by Ford at the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. It describes a combustion engine that runs on hydrogen. A hydrogen-powered vehicle typically uses a similar propulsion system to an electric car. Energy stored in hydrogen is converted by the fuel cells to electricity. Ford’s patent covers a turbocharged combustion engine that runs on hydrogen. MCT states that the engine of a company should be able to operate across a wide range fuel/air lambda values. The combustion process would be controlled by exhaust gas recirculation and valve timing, just like an internal combustion engine. The engine could produce lambda values exceeding 2.00 according to available information. This would mean that the air/fuel mixture would have at least 68 parts hydrogen to one part air. A gasoline engine can range between 0.54 lambda to 1.25 lambda.
Direct injection is also included in the patent to deliver hydrogen to the cylinders. The direct injection of hydrogen could theoretically produce as much as 15% more power than a comparable gasoline engine. Ford’s patent also describes the hydrogen combustion engine as part of a hybrid powertrain that includes a motor-generator between the engine, transmission and engine. However, the patent on the Blue oval only covers the process of combusting hydrogen mixtures and not the engine itself. Keep in mind that not all patents issued by automakers are for products that will be produced. Ford has recently patents that allow you to drive a car using your brain, use a deployable drone patent and other technologies.