Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a heated underbody fuel tank that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on November 30th, 2022, published on May 30th, 2024, and assigned serial number 1074161.
The Ford Authority Take
Back in November 2022, Ford filed a patent for a vehicle water heating system, which uses thermal energy to heat water in the tank instead, moving water around in the tank to heat it up. That idea is aimed squarely at those that use their vehicles for camping or overlanding, or more specifically, those that need hot water for things like showering or washing dishes and currently utilize a water tank and propane to heat that water. Now, this new patent filing presents us with another way to use an underbody tank that may be used in future Ford vehicles as well.
That tank could be used to heat a variety of fluids, however – everything from coffee or water for warm beverages on the go to oil when that vehicle is traveling in very cold conditions. That’s a pretty broad range of uses, but as Ford points out, there are also many reasons why one might want to heat up various fluids while they’re traveling around.
To accomplish this, Ford’s proposed system would ask users to set a target temperature, then it would use sensors to determine when that point is reached. An inductive heating element would be tasked with heating up those fluids, and the tank itself could be raised or lowered to ensure that the target temperature is retained as well. It’s an interesting idea for certain, and one that may prove useful for a wide variety of reasons if it becomes a reality.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Why heat the tanks? Is the diesel jelling up and the cow pass freezing?
When you are disconnected from modern convenience, having hot water is a game-changer. When it is cold out, being able to make coffee, tea, soup, or drop pre-packaged food into hot water to warm it up makes all the difference in the world. I’ve always been surprised that trucks, especially, don’t have a hot water making feature.