RU200771U1 - Vehicle fuel tank with gasoline vapor recovery tank and optical sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model "Fuel tank of a car with a tank for capturing gasoline vapors and an optical sensor" relates to transport engineering. The technical device includes a double-walled fuel tank connected through a steam line, which has a valve with a catching tank. The tank is connected, in turn, by a ventilation line to the engine inlet line and is equipped with a drain cock. The steam line is designed to supply steam to the container. The fuel tank is also equipped with an optical sensor with the ability to determine water and mechanical impurities, while the sensor is mounted below the fuel intake filter and is connected to the vehicle instrument panel by a communication line. The technical result is achieved by capturing gasoline vapors from the fuel tank into a container with further combustion of vapors in the engine cylinders, and also the determination of water and mechanical impurities in the tank using an optical sensor, due to a change in the refractive index of various liquids and media. This change will be reflected on the car dashboard, for example, in the form of a red lamp lighting up. Water, mechanical impurities, and motor gasoline have different refractive indices.

Description

The proposed utility model relates to devices for receiving, storing and dispensing fuels in cars and can be used in transport engineering.

This utility model is most applicable to the tanks of vehicles with gasoline engines.

Air pollution with petroleum product vapors has a harmful effect on the environment and human health. Vapors of petroleum products belong to the fourth hazard group. Therefore, the main requirements for environmental safety in the operation of vehicles is to reduce the concentration of vapors of oil products released during the process of evaporation from fuel tanks. Fuel tanks of such car brands as Gazelle, ZIL, PAZ hold 100 liters of gasoline and more.

Combating the loss of gasoline vapors during the operation of equipment is becoming an important environmental and economic task.

During the operation of the car, due to changes in night and day temperatures, as well as temperature changes over the seasons, water (condensation) may form in the tanks of cars. Also, water and mechanical impurities can get into the tank of a car when refueling with low-quality fuel at filling stations (gas stations) and when filling gasoline using cans.

Water and mechanical impurities, getting into the fuel system of the car, lead to engine breakdowns and equipment failure.

Known system for capturing fuel vapors [Ushakov S.I. and other Patent for utility model No. 45477 dated 05/10/2005].

The system contains a fuel tank connected through a steam supply pipeline to a collecting tank - a separator. Further, the separator is connected by a pipeline for supplying non-condensed steam to a tank with an activated carbon-adsorber. A fuel tank valve is installed on the non-condensed steam supply line.

The adsorber is connected via a purge line to the intake system - the intake receiver of the engine through the purge solenoid valve of the adsorber.

The steam supply pipeline is intended both for supplying fuel vapors from the fuel tank to the separator and for draining the fuel condensed in the separator into the fuel tank.

The separator is made in the form of a hatch cover and is installed in the floor panel, under which the fuel tank is located. The fuel vapor recovery system is designed to limit the emission of fuel vapors into the atmosphere from the vehicle's fuel tank. The system uses the following principles: condensation of hydrocarbons on the surface of the separator; capturing the remaining vapors with a coal adsorber; burning them while the engine is running (adsorber purge mode).

The separator is designed for condensation of fuel vapors coming from the fuel tank through the steam supply pipeline. Condensation occurs when fuel vapors, which have a higher temperature, come into contact with the walls of the separator, and then flow back into the fuel tank through the pipeline. The rest of the fuel vapor, which has not passed into a liquid state, enters the adsorber through the non-condensed steam supply line through the fuel tank valve.

The adsorber is designed to capture gasoline vapors and retain them when the engine is not running. In the upper part of the adsorber, an adsorber purge valve is installed, designed to switch the adsorber to the purge (regeneration) mode, during which the adsorber is connected to the engine intake receiver. Purging is done by vacuum in the receiver.

Such an implementation of the utility model makes it possible to effectively limit the emissions of fuel vapors into the atmosphere from the fuel tank of a vehicle with a relative simplicity and manufacturability of the design.

The disadvantages of the system are:

1. Low efficiency of vapor condensation.

2. The absence of a water drain device in the fuel tank.

3. A large amount of vapors when refueling a car at a gas station.

4. The absence of a device in the fuel tank to determine water and mechanical impurities.

Also known "Fuel tank of a car with a vapor recovery unit and a device for draining water" [Matveev YU.A. and others. Patent for utility model No. 158487 dated 20.01.2016].

The technical device contains a fuel tank with a neck cap and a bottom plug. Inside the fuel tank there is a fuel intake with a filter, an electric fuel level sensor with a rod and a float. The fuel supply and drain lines leave the fuel tank. The return fuel line is equipped with a non-return valve. With the help of a steam line and a pipeline, the fuel tank is connected to the trapping tank of gasoline vapors. In this case, the steam line is designed to supply vapors to the container, and the pipeline is used to drain gasoline into the fuel tank. There is a valve designed for a certain pressure to supply gasoline vapors to the collecting tank and drain gasoline.

A ventilation pipeline is discharged from the collecting tank, on which a solenoid valve is installed for removing vapors from the tank to the engine inlet pipeline. The catching tank is double-walled with filling of the inter-walled space with carbon dioxide.

To drain water into the fuel tank, a water drain pipe with a valve is additionally installed. For the purpose of sealing when refueling at a gas station, the neck of the fuel tank is equipped with a sealing ring made of petrol-resistant rubber.

The utility model works as follows. When refueling a car at a gas station, the fuel tank cap is unscrewed. After that, the dispensing gun is hermetically inserted into the neck. The sealing is provided by an O-ring. When refueling, the oil product, increasing in volume, increases the vapor pressure of gasoline. When a pressure of 0.5 kPa is reached, the exhaust valve is triggered, and gasoline vapors enter the container through the steam line. In this case, part of the vapors condenses in the collecting tank, and part remains in the gaseous state. Condensation occurs when fuel vapors, which have a higher temperature, come into contact with the walls of the container, with the subsequent flow of liquid back into the fuel tank through the pipeline.

Cooling in the collecting tank in comparison with the vapor space of the fuel tank occurs due to the fact that the tank is equipped with an inter-wall space filled with carbon dioxide, which has a low thermal conductivity coefficient. The rest of the fuel vapors, which did not turn into a liquid state, remains in the collecting tank. When a certain vapor pressure in the tank is reached, the solenoid valve of the ventilation line opens. As a result, when the engine is running, vapors of oil products are diverted into the intake manifold of the engine and then burned in its cylinders.

If the ambient temperature is more than 30 ° C, “small” gasoline breathing occurs in the fuel tank, which is associated with temperature changes. In this case, the vapor pressure of gasoline in the tank increases and when the pressure reaches 0.5 kPa, the exhaust valve is activated. In this case, the vapors of the oil product through the steam pipeline enter the tank. By lowering the temperature, a significant part of the vapors is condensed, and the rest will turn into liquid due to a decrease in temperature in the evening and at night. The average temperature in summer, for example, on the average in the Volga region does not exceed 20 ° C, so the fumes from "small" breaths fully condense into a liquid (gasoline).

Gasoline from the collection tank flows into the fuel tank through a check valve through a pipeline.

The disadvantages of the specified fuel tank are:

1. Poor impact protection and insufficient fire safety.

2. A large amount of gasoline fumes.

3. The absence of a device in the fuel tank to determine water and mechanical impurities.

The closest to this problem is the fuel tank of a car with a tank for capturing gasoline vapors [Matveev Yu.A. and others. Patent for utility model No. 183284 dated 17.09.2018].

The proposed utility model contains a fuel tank with a neck lid and a bottom plug. Inside the fuel tank there is a fuel intake with a filter, an electric fuel level sensor with a rod and a float. The fuel supply and drain lines leave the fuel tank. The return fuel line is equipped with a non-return valve. With the help of a steam line, the fuel tank is connected to the collection tank of gasoline vapors. To supply gasoline vapors to the collecting tank, there is a valve designed for a certain pressure.

A ventilation pipeline is diverted from the collecting tank, on which a valve is equipped for removing vapors from the tank to the engine inlet pipeline. Also, the collecting tank is equipped with a drain valve for draining condensate and gasoline in the liquid phase.

For the purpose of sealing when refueling at a gas station, the neck of the fuel tank is equipped with a sealing ring made of petrol-resistant rubber. The fuel tank itself is double-walled, while the space between the walls is filled with carbon dioxide.

The utility model works as follows.

When refueling a car at a gas station, the fuel tank cap is unscrewed. After that, the dispensing gun is hermetically inserted into the neck. The sealing is provided by an O-ring. When refueling, the oil product, increasing in volume, increases the vapor pressure of gasoline. When a pressure of 0.5 kPa is reached, the exhaust valve is triggered, and gasoline vapors enter the container through the steam line. In this case, the vapors remain in a gaseous state. Cooling in the fuel tank in comparison with the ambient air occurs due to the fact that the tank is equipped with an inter-wall space filled with carbon dioxide, which has a low thermal conductivity coefficient. The rest of the fuel vapor remains in the collection tank. When a certain vapor pressure in the tank is reached, the valve of the ventilation line opens. As a result, vapors of petroleum products when the engine is running are diverted into the intake manifold of the engine and then burned in its cylinders.

If the ambient temperature is more than 30 ° C in the fuel tank "small" breathing of gasoline, which is associated with temperature changes, will not occur.

The disadvantage of a car fuel tank with a tank for trapping gasoline vapors is:

1. The absence of a device in the fuel tank to determine water and mechanical impurities.

The proposed utility model makes it possible to solve the problem of increasing the efficiency of collecting vapors from fuel tanks, as well as a device for detecting water and mechanical impurities in the fuel tank, which prevents a car engine from stopping.

The solution to this problem is achieved by the fact that the fuel tank is equipped with an optical sensor capable of detecting water and mechanical impurities, while the sensor is mounted below the fuel intake filter and is connected by a communication line to the vehicle dashboard.

These features are essential for solving the problem of a utility model, since the efficiency of capturing gasoline vapors is increased, and water and mechanical impurities in the fuel tank are determined in a timely manner.

The essence of the utility model is illustrated by drawings (Fig. 1, Fig. 2), which show a section of a fuel tank with a steam line, fuel lines, a trapping tank and an optical sensor, as well as a section of a trapping tank.

The proposed utility model contains a fuel tank 1, with a neck 2, a lid 3 and a lower plug 4. Inside the fuel tank, there are a fuel intake 5 with a filter 6, an electric fuel level sensor 7 with a rod 8 and a float 9. From the fuel tank there are fuel supply lines 10 and a drain gasoline 11. The fuel drain line is equipped with a non-return valve 12. Through the steam line 13, the fuel tank is connected to the collecting tank of gasoline vapors 14. To supply gasoline vapors to the collecting tank, there is a valve 15 designed for a certain pressure.

A ventilation line 16 is discharged from the collecting tank, on which a valve 15 is installed for removing vapors from the tank 14 into the engine intake line. Also, the collecting tank is equipped with a drain valve 17 for draining condensate and gasoline in the liquid phase.

For the purpose of sealing when refueling at a gas station, the neck of the fuel tank is equipped with a sealing ring 18 made of petrol-resistant rubber. The fuel tank 1 itself is double-walled, while the inter-wall space is filled with carbon dioxide 19.

Additionally, an optical sensor 20 with an LED is installed in the fuel tank below the filter 6 of the fuel intake 5. The sensor is connected with a communication line 21 to the vehicle dashboard 22.

Optical sensors are used to determine the levels of various liquids and media in tanks, as well as in other containers. The principle of operation of optical sensors is based on the different refraction of light when passing through a prism (hemisphere) in different liquids or media. The optical sensor includes a housing, a prism, an LED, a photodetector and a measuring electronics. Water, mechanical impurities, and motor gasoline have different refractive indices.

The utility model works as follows.

When refueling a car at a gas station, the cap 3 of the fuel tank 1 is unscrewed. After that, the dispensing gun is hermetically inserted into the neck 2. Sealing is provided by an O-ring 18. When refueling, gasoline 23, increasing in volume, increases the vapor pressure 24. When a pressure of 0.5 kPa is reached, it is triggered the outlet valve 15 and gasoline vapor through the steam line 13 enter the tank 14. In this case, the vapor 24 remains in a gaseous state. Cooling in the fuel tank in comparison with the ambient air occurs due to the fact that the tank 1 is equipped with an inter-wall space filled with carbon dioxide 19. The rest of the gasoline vapors remains in the collecting tank. When a certain vapor pressure in the tank 14 is reached, the valve 15 of the ventilation pipe 16 opens. As a result, gasoline vapors, when the engine is running, are discharged into the intake pipe of the engine and then burned in its cylinders.

In the event of the formation (ingress) of water, it will accumulate in the lower part of the fuel tank. When water reaches the level of the optical sensor, the sensor will show a refractive index value that is different from the refractive index of gasoline. This change will be reflected in the dashboard of the car, for example, in the form of a red lamp coming on.

In case of ingress of mechanical impurities, they will accumulate in the lower part of the fuel tank. When the level of the optical sensor is reached by mechanical impurities, the sensor will show a refractive index value that is different from the refractive index of gasoline. This change will be reflected in the dashboard of the car, for example, in the form of a red light coming on.

The utility model makes it possible to effectively prevent the emission of gasoline vapors into the atmosphere from the fuel tank and to increase the economy of the car with a relative simplicity and manufacturability of the design. Also, the design of the fuel tank with an optical sensor allows you to timely determine the presence of water and mechanical impurities, which will prevent equipment failure, due to the timely drainage of water and mechanical impurities from the fuel tank.

Claims (1)

A car fuel tank with a tank for capturing gasoline vapors and an optical sensor, including a double-walled tank, a tank with a drain cock, a steam line, fuel lines, a valve, characterized in that the fuel tank is equipped with an optical sensor capable of detecting water and mechanical impurities, while the sensor is mounted below the fuel intake filter and a communication line connected to the vehicle dashboard.

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