AU662144B2 - Automotive fuel tank - Google Patents

Description

I I ~j :1 It 66 4 S F Ref: 212126

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Ir t Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [311 Application No(s) PK6345 Banlaw Australia Rail Pty Ltd 17 Strathmore Road Caves Beach New South Wales 2281

AUSTRALIA

John Richard Warland Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, NewSouth Wales, 2000, Australia A+i FaL aming4uel Tank

CC

4 APPLICATION DETAILS [33) Country

AU

[321 Application Date 27 May 1991

A

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815/3 LOCOMOTIVE FUEL TANK The present invention relates to locomotive fuel tanks, typically diesel fuel tanks for locomotives.

Fuel tanks presently employed may cause fuel to foam as it is added thereto, and thereby increase the time required to fill the tanks, since time must be allowed for the foamed fuel to subside. Furthermore, known fuel tanks provide no means by which air may rapidly escape therefrom when the internal tank pressure is too high.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

In one broad form this invention provides a locomotive fuel tank comprising; an inlet opening near the top of the tank for admission of fuel thereto from a fuel supply nozzle adapted to recognize the internal pressure of the fuel tank as fuel is being delivered thereto, and to shut off should the internal pressure of the tank reach a predetermined level, 15 a pipe extending from said opening to a 1 ocation near the tank bottom to conduct fuel admitted through said inlet opening to a disgorging location near the tank bottom, and a plurality of air vent valves located in the top of the tank and calibrated to open at a pressure slightly higher than that at which said fuel supply nozzle is adapted to shut off.

Preferably, said fuel pipe is of 50 mm diameter.

Preferably, said air vent valves are fail safe air vents.

Preferably, the existing air vent pipe is terminated by sealing thf outlet of the air vent pipe with a Welsh plug.

Typically, four air vents are installed.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: C C C

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CC C C CCC C C (ct C C C .(C CaC C C CC C CC

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:i ~II [N:\lib11]00227:dss i- f-- -2- Fig. 1 shows a fuel tank of the present invention; Fig. 2 shows the manner in which an existing locomotive diesel fuel tank may be modified to accord with the present invention.

In the drawings, a fuel tank 1 having upper 2 and lower 3 portions and a base 4 has four air vent valves 5 installed in the upper portion 2. A fuel inlet 6 is also installed in the upper portion 2, having a dust cap 7 and fuel pipe 8 (of approximately 50 mm diameter) leading from the inlet 5 to the lower portion 3. A pipe 15 may extend from each air vent 5 to an outlet position adjacent to tank 1.

In use, fuel is received at the fuel inlet 6, which then travels via the fuel pipe 8 to the lower portion 3. By virtue of the constricted pipe diameter and the fact that the fuel only travels a short distance in air before reaching the base 4 of the tank 1, the foaming of the fuel is reduced.

Of course, after being partially filled the fuel will no longer travel through air, the foaming being thereby further reduced. The fact that the fuel must then still travel through the constricted pipe will also reduce foaming.

When filling tank 1 with fuel, nozzles adapted to deliver the fuel 20 via inlet 6 may recognise the internal pressure within tank 1. Such i- nozzles may further be adapted to shutdown upon the internal tank pressure reaching a predetermined level. For example, shutoff may occur when internal tank pressure reaches 28 to 30 kPa.

Furthermore, although tank 1 may be designed to withstand an S 25 internal pressure of say 56 kPa, vent valves 5 may be adapted to recognise the internal pressure of tank 1 and open to allow escape of internal pressure upon reaching a pressure marginally higher than that at which the fuel supply nozzles are adapted to cut out.

c Fig. 2 shows how a conventional fuel tank may be modified to be in C C accordance with the present invention. The existing fuel inlet 10 is sealed, and the existing vent pipe 11 is sealed with a Welsh plug or similar 12. The inlet 6 is installed into the access bung 13, and holes 14 to provide for the four air vent valves 5 are provided, the valves being attached therethrough.

TMS/l 575w r m r r 7-

Claims (6)

1. A locomotive fuel tank comprising; an inlet opening near the top of the tank for admission of fuel thereto from a fuel supply nozzle adapted to recognize the internal pressure of the fuel tank as fuel is being delivered thereto, and to shut off should the internal pressure of the tank reach a predetermined level, a pipe extending from said inlet opening to a location near the tank bottom to conduct fuel admitted through said inlet opening to a disgorging location near the tank bottom, and a plurality of air vent valves located in the top of the tank and calibrated to open at a pressure slightly higher than that at which said fuel supply nozzle is adapted to shut off.

2. The locomotive fuel tank of claim 1 wherein said fuel pipe is of 50 mm diameter.

3. The locomotive fuel tank of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said air vent valves Cj CC 15i are fail safe air vent valves. SC

4. The locomotive fuel tank of any one of the preceding claims wherein four air vent valves are installed.

The locomotive fuel tank of any one of the preceding claims wherein said air vent valves are adapted to open at a pressure marginally higher than 28 to 30 kPa.

6. A locomotive fuel tank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 28 June, 1995 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON i C C t II CC [N:\libll]0(227:dss ANTI-FOAMING FUEL TANK ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fuel tank comprises an opening near the top of the tank for admission of fuel thereto, a pipe extending from the opening to a location near the tank bottom to conduct fuel admitted through the opening to a disgorging location near the tank bottom. The tank also comprises a number of vents located in the top of the tank to allow escape of air from the tank as the tank is filled with fuel. A method of modifying an existing tank is also disclosed. A locomotive fuel tank for example may be modified by sealing the existing fuel inlet, sealing the existing air vent pipe, fitting an internal fuel pipe to the existing access bung opening or elsewhere near the top of the tank, and installing a plurality of air vent 15 valve in the top portion. Fig. 1 I T1 /1