GB2246988A - A motor vehicle, fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor - Google Patents

A motor vehicle, fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2246988A
GB2246988A GB9017942A GB9017942A GB2246988A GB 2246988 A GB2246988 A GB 2246988A GB 9017942 A GB9017942 A GB 9017942A GB 9017942 A GB9017942 A GB 9017942A GB 2246988 A GB2246988 A GB 2246988A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
fuel
tank
motor vehicle
fuel tank
return
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9017942A
Other versions
GB9017942D0 (en
GB2246988B (en
Inventor
Steven R Baker
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MG Rover Group Ltd
Original Assignee
MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MG Rover Group Ltd filed Critical MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority to GB9017942A priority Critical patent/GB2246988B/en
Publication of GB9017942D0 publication Critical patent/GB9017942D0/en
Publication of GB2246988A publication Critical patent/GB2246988A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2246988B publication Critical patent/GB2246988B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
    • B60K15/01—Arrangement of fuel conduits
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M31/00—Apparatus for thermally treating combustion-air, fuel, or fuel-air mixture
    • F02M31/20—Apparatus for thermally treating combustion-air, fuel, or fuel-air mixture for cooling
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K15/00—Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks
    • B60K15/03—Fuel tanks
    • B60K2015/03328—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling
    • B60K2015/03414—Arrangements or special measures related to fuel tanks or fuel handling associated with the fuel tank for cooling heated fuel
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B1/00—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression
    • F02B1/02—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with positive ignition
    • F02B1/04—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with positive ignition with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
    • Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)

Abstract

A fuel tank for a motor vehicle is provided. The tank includes a fuel feed conduit and a fuel return conduit to return unused fuel to the tank. At least one of the said conduits includes a heat exchanger (9) located within the tank to cool the fuel. A fuel feed system is also provided which includes a fuel tank as described above and fuel pumping and distribution means to which said conduits are connected. The invention further provides a motor vehicle including a fuel system as above. <IMAGE>

Description

A MOTOR VEHICLE, FUEL FEED SYSTEM AND FUEL TANK THEREFOR This invention relates to motor vehicles, fuel feed systems and fuel tanks tnerefor.
It is known for motor vehicle fuel feed systems to feed fuel from a fuel tank via a feed conduit to a fuel pump to pump fuel to an engine of the venicle for distriDution and comoustion and to return any unused fuel to the fuel tank via a return conduit. During certain running conditions the fuel, upon returning to the fuel tank via the return conduit, may be immediately re-fed Dy the fuel pump to the engine. During sucn conditions, particularly when the vehicle is stationary wit the engine idling, sucn fuel can be successively recirculated and progressively acquire unwanted neat from within the engine bay which eventually raises the temperature to a level wnich affects efficiency of fuel feed and,or fuel combustion. The problem is particularly prevalent in fuelling Diesel engines, although it can also occur with petrol engines.
Whilst it has been desired to cool the recirculating fuel in an airstream flowing past the vehicle tnis has hitherto been difficult because exposing the conduit for cooling purposes in the airstream tends to place the conduit in a position where damage could easily be caused to it, for example by flying stones or obstacles passing beneath the car. Such risk of damage is unacceptable for safety reasons.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide cooling for fuel recirculating in a vehicle which is both efficient and overcomes the dangers of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a fuel tank for a motor vehicle including a fuel feed conduit and a fuel return conduit to return unused fuel to the tanK, wherein at least one of the said conduits includes a heat exchanger located within the tank.
Recirculating fuel may thus be cooled by the bulk of fuel in the fuel tank without exposing any fuel conduits to possible puncture in an exposed position on the vehicle.
The heat exchanger is advantageously included in the fuel return conduit, therefore keeping the fuel feed conduit to a minimum length.
The heat exchanger desirably comprises a convoluted length of piping which may include finning to aid heat exchange with the bulk fuel in the fuel tank.
The fuel tank may include a fuel spill pot from which the feed and return conduits feed from and to respectively.
Such a spill pot may be used as a secondary fuel reservoir to ensure that the fuel feed conduit is always surrounded by fuel even when the level of fuel in the tank is low. Tne fuel return conduit may return fuel to the spill pot further to ensure same is constantly charged with fuel.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a motor vehicle fuel feed system including a fuel tank as above described and fuel pumping and distribution means to whicn said conduits are connected to distribute fuel to an engine of the vehicle.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a motor venicle including a fuel feed system as above described.
The fuel pumping means may be located in a position subject to temperatures elevated above ambient temperature. Fuel recirculating through the fuel pumping means may thus successively become subject to said elevated temperature during the recirculation.
The present invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing the single figure of which shows a motor vehicle according to the third aspect of the invention naving a fuel feed system according to tne second aspect of the invention incorporating a fuel tank according to the first aspect of the invention.
Referring to the drawing, a motor vehicle 1 includes a fuel feed system 2 which comprises a fuel tanK 3 located at the rear of the vehicle, fuel pumping means in the form of a fuel pump 4, fuel distribution means in the form of a fuel injection pump 5 and fuel feed and return conduits in the form of a feed line 6 and a return line 7.
The fuel tank 3 includes a fuel spill pot 8 from which tne feed and return lines 6, 7 feed from and return to respectively. The return line 7 includes a heat exchanger 9 in its length. The heat exchanger comprises a convolution of the return line 7, the lengths of piping 10 thereof having a flattened section for more efficient heat transfer between the fuel in the return line 7 and the bulk of fuel in the fuel tank 3. The lengths of piping 10 also bear finning 11 along their length further to assist heat transfer.
The heat exchanger 9 is located low in the fuel tank 3 so as to be covered by fuel in the tank for as much of the time as possible.
In use fuel is drawn from the spill pot 8, which is itself situated as low in the fuel tank 3 as possible in order to maximise the extent to which it is filled by fuel splashing in the tank, via the feed line 6 to the fuel pump 4. Fuel not required by the fuel injection pump 5 is recirculated via the return line 7 to the spill pot 8 in the fuel tanK 3. Because, with known systems, fuel being fed to the fuel pump from the spill pot might largely constitute fuel which had just been returned to the spill pot via the return line, sucn fuel being fed may largely have just absorbed heat from an engine bay 12 of the vehicle in which the fuel pump is located. The fuel could thus become embroiled in a vicious circle of being heated within the engine bay, returned to the fuel tank and immediately refed to the fuel pump to receive further heat from the engine bay.In these circumstances fuel feeding difficulties and combustion difficulties could develop owing to overheating. Tne problem is particularly relevant to engines running on diesel fuel, altnougn petrol driven engines could well suffer in the same manner. The problem is particularly likely to arise with the venicle stationary and the engine idling. In these circumstances excessive temperatures may develop in the engine bay whilst there is very little actual usage of fuel and much of the fuel pumped into the engine bay by the fuel pump will be returned unused to the fuel tank.
To overcome the above difficulties the heat exchanger 9 in the return line 7 exchanges heat in the fuel being returned to the fuel tank with the bulk of fuel in the fuel tank, thus tending to even out peaks of temperature in the fuel being fed into the fuel pump 4 and fuel injection pump 5.
It will be appreciated that any suitable form of heat exchanger within the fuel tank will suffice, also that the heat exchanger may be included either in the fuel feed line 6 or the fuel return line 7 with equal effect, in tne recirculatory conditions outlined.
It will also be appreciated that the location of the heat exchanger according to the present invention provides an inexpensive, simple and safe means to cool recirculating fuel in the fuel feed system of a motor vehicle.

Claims (9)

1. A fuel tank for a motor vehicle including a fuel feed conduit and a fuel return conduit to return unused fuel to the tank, wherein at least one of the said conduits includes a heat exchanger located within the tank.
2. A fuel tank as in claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger is included in said fuel return conduit.
3. A fuel tank as in claim 1 or 2, wherein said heat exchanger is located low in the fuel tank.
4. A fuel tank as in claim 1, 2 or 3, including a fuel spill pot from which said feed and return conduits feed from and return to, respectively.
5. A motor vehicle fuel feed system including a fuel tank as in any of claims 1 to 4 and fuel pumping and distribution means to which said conduits are connected.
6. A motor vehicle including a fuel feed system as in claim 5.
7. A fuel tank substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
8. A motor vehicle fuel feed system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
9. A motor venicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB9017942A 1990-08-15 1990-08-15 A motor vehicle,fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor Expired - Fee Related GB2246988B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9017942A GB2246988B (en) 1990-08-15 1990-08-15 A motor vehicle,fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9017942A GB2246988B (en) 1990-08-15 1990-08-15 A motor vehicle,fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9017942D0 GB9017942D0 (en) 1990-09-26
GB2246988A true GB2246988A (en) 1992-02-19
GB2246988B GB2246988B (en) 1994-02-09

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9017942A Expired - Fee Related GB2246988B (en) 1990-08-15 1990-08-15 A motor vehicle,fuel feed system and fuel tank therefor

Country Status (1)

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GB (1) GB2246988B (en)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997035737A1 (en) * 1996-03-22 1997-10-02 Dolmar Gmbh Fuel cooling system for internal combustion engine injection systems with a low fuel supply
WO1998051923A1 (en) * 1997-05-13 1998-11-19 Bennett Technologies, L.L.C. Liquefied petroleum gas fuel system and method
ES2134728A1 (en) * 1996-07-19 1999-10-01 Mc Micro Compact Car Ag Fuel tank installation for internal combustion engine
US6105708A (en) * 1997-08-08 2000-08-22 Suzuki Motor Corporation Piping device in atmospheric side of canister for vehicle
EP1045131A3 (en) * 1999-04-13 2001-03-07 Mannesmann VDO Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for supplying fuel to a vehicle engine
US6227173B1 (en) 1999-06-07 2001-05-08 Bi-Phase Technologies, L.L.C. Fuel line arrangement for LPG system, and method
EP1605156A1 (en) * 2004-05-26 2005-12-14 DaimlerChrysler AG Fuel circuit system
WO2012119577A1 (en) * 2011-03-04 2012-09-13 Iav Gmbh Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto Und Verkehr Tank ventilation and cooling system for hybrid vehicles

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB789959A (en) * 1955-11-15 1958-01-29 Daimler Benz Ag Improvements relating to liquid fuel draw-off and return flow connections for the fuel tanks of internal-combustion engines
GB1478744A (en) * 1974-03-07 1977-07-06 Lancia Automobili Fuel feed system for a motor vehicle internal combustion engine
EP0211419A2 (en) * 1985-08-06 1987-02-25 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Patentabteilung AJ-3 Heat exchange device for an internal-combustion engine fuel
EP0292983A1 (en) * 1987-05-29 1988-11-30 Audi Ag Fuel feeding device for motor vehicles
US4829968A (en) * 1987-01-27 1989-05-16 Onufer George R Mobile fuel tank vapor emission control system and method

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB789959A (en) * 1955-11-15 1958-01-29 Daimler Benz Ag Improvements relating to liquid fuel draw-off and return flow connections for the fuel tanks of internal-combustion engines
GB1478744A (en) * 1974-03-07 1977-07-06 Lancia Automobili Fuel feed system for a motor vehicle internal combustion engine
EP0211419A2 (en) * 1985-08-06 1987-02-25 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Patentabteilung AJ-3 Heat exchange device for an internal-combustion engine fuel
US4829968A (en) * 1987-01-27 1989-05-16 Onufer George R Mobile fuel tank vapor emission control system and method
EP0292983A1 (en) * 1987-05-29 1988-11-30 Audi Ag Fuel feeding device for motor vehicles

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997035737A1 (en) * 1996-03-22 1997-10-02 Dolmar Gmbh Fuel cooling system for internal combustion engine injection systems with a low fuel supply
ES2134728A1 (en) * 1996-07-19 1999-10-01 Mc Micro Compact Car Ag Fuel tank installation for internal combustion engine
WO1998051923A1 (en) * 1997-05-13 1998-11-19 Bennett Technologies, L.L.C. Liquefied petroleum gas fuel system and method
US6216675B1 (en) 1997-05-13 2001-04-17 Bi-Phase Technologies, L.L.C. System and condenser for fuel injection system
US6105708A (en) * 1997-08-08 2000-08-22 Suzuki Motor Corporation Piping device in atmospheric side of canister for vehicle
EP1045131A3 (en) * 1999-04-13 2001-03-07 Mannesmann VDO Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for supplying fuel to a vehicle engine
US6227173B1 (en) 1999-06-07 2001-05-08 Bi-Phase Technologies, L.L.C. Fuel line arrangement for LPG system, and method
EP1605156A1 (en) * 2004-05-26 2005-12-14 DaimlerChrysler AG Fuel circuit system
WO2012119577A1 (en) * 2011-03-04 2012-09-13 Iav Gmbh Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto Und Verkehr Tank ventilation and cooling system for hybrid vehicles
US9004045B2 (en) 2011-03-04 2015-04-14 Iav Gmbh Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto Und Verkehr Tank ventilation and cooling system for hybrid vehicles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9017942D0 (en) 1990-09-26
GB2246988B (en) 1994-02-09

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Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19990815