Ducati jet exhaust is something like a mini jet engine according to its filed patent designs.
The engineers over at Ducati are brewing something interesting. A patent was recently filed showing what appears to be an ingenious jet exhaust design, likely developed for use in MotoGP and perhaps in production superbikes later on.
Though we haven’t seen the scarlet marque’s race team adopt this piece of tech yet, the design is rather intriguing upon closer inspection. The aim of the Ducati jet exhaust design was to provide an alternative form of thrust by designing the exhaust pipe in similar fashion to a jet engine’s thrusters.
Clearly, Ducati have taken inspiration from the world of aviation, specifically from fighter jets. The jet exhaust design features an array of interlocking petals surrounding the jet pipe’s exit. Electrically operated, these petals can be widened or narrowed, thus altering the level or amount of thrust coming out.
In other words, this design replicates the variable geometry exhaust that’s common in most fighter jet engines. The principal is the same as when you’d purse your lips to blow out the candles on your birthday cake – the smaller the opening, the faster the exiting air flow becomes.
As a result, this jet-style exhaust design grants an alternative method of thrust, thus allowing a bit more fuel to be converted into additional forward motion without adding more stress on the rear tyre.
Equally ingenious too is the way this jet exhaust is positioned and angled as shown in the diagram. At such geometry and position as pictured, the thrust provided will counteract the bike’s natural tendency for front-wheel-lift (or wheelie of you will) as well.
Though most racing exhaust systems have unrestricted airflow to avoid sapping as much power away from the engine, Ducati have gotten above that through the electrically-operated petals that grants variable geometry. The biggest downside however is the fact more fuel will be burnt off to attain the added boost.
Despite that last bit, we reckon it is something the folks at Ducati are willing to live with so as long as it provides the necessary advantage. For now the system remains theoretical. If it does work when applied, we can expect the Ducati jet exhaust design to make its way into the brand’s new V4-powered superbike that’s coming in 2018.
Also, keep in mind that Ducati is a firm that rarely patents designs that it wouldn’t use. Have Ducati found a way to convert exhaust gases into added propulsion? We’d like to think so.
Source: BikeSocial
