DE102018214157A1 - tank assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Tank arrangement (1) with a container (3) for providing a freezable liquid, in particular water or an aqueous urea solution, for the purpose of supplying it into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and / or in the exhaust tract of the internal combustion engine, one with a heating device (11) A thermally coupled or provided conveying module (7) is provided such that the liquid can be conveyed out of the container through a bottom region (28) of the container (3), characterized in that at least one further heating device (21, 31) is provided, which is arranged in height (22, 24) between the heating device (11) and a ceiling area (23) of the container (3), so that when the heating device (11) and the further heating device (21, 31) are put into operation in the case a frozen liquid, a fluidic connection (41, 42) between a suction point of the delivery module or between a cavity (19) in a frozen liquid (32) around the further heating device (21, 31) on the one hand and an air space (25) above the frozen liquid (32) on the other hand.

Description

State of the art

The invention is based on a tank arrangement according to the type of the independent claim.

Tank systems for liquids require a suitable tank, a pump and corresponding lines to supply the liquid to the consumer. Due to their physical properties, the media AdBlue, an aqueous urea solution, begins to freeze at -11 ° C or water at 0 ° C. To achieve a liquid state of aggregation of the media even at low temperatures, tanks must be equipped with heaters. The consumption of the thawed medium can cause a cavity to form around the heater. In this case, the system can no longer convey any medium, and in the case of a tank arrangement for an aqueous urea solution for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the system goes into warning mode. The driver of the motor vehicle, which is driven by the internal combustion engine, is shown that he has to add reducing agent. However, there is a possibility that refueling is difficult in these cases if there is no connection between the air space above the ice in the tank and the suction point in the cavity, so that, under certain circumstances, refilled medium remains on the ice surface.

From the DE 10 2006 061 735 A1 a tank arrangement for a freezable liquid is already known, in which an additional, heatable ventilation line is provided.

Also from the DE 10 2015 214 401 A1 it is already known to provide additional heating.

Disclosure of the invention

The tank arrangement according to the invention with the characterizing features of the independent claim has the advantage, in a simple and robust manner, of a secure connection between an air space above the ice, i.e. form below a ceiling area of the container, and a suction point of the conveyor module or a cavity in the area of the suction point of the conveyor module.

By using a component that forms a channel or free space through the ice, it is possible to refill this liquid in a manner that can be sucked off again via the delivery module, despite the frozen residual amount of liquid.

It is therefore advantageously possible to refill a cavity created by pumping out a liquid area in a frozen liquid, i.e. a cavity, also by several refueling processes, because a fluid path for refueling remains through overlapping or touching cavity areas.

It is also advantageous that the total heating capacity is increased by the heating device being supported by the at least one further heating device, so that an enlarged amount of thawed medium can be made available over a longer period of time.

The measures listed in the dependent claims and in the description make advantageous developments and improvements of the tank arrangement specified in the independent claim possible.

list of figures

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and explained in more detail in the following description.

• 1 eine Tankanordnung mit zwei weiteren Heizeinrichtungen,
• 2 die Tankanordnung beim Nachtanken und
• 3 die Tankanordnung mit nachrutschender Eisoberfläche.

Show it

• 1 a tank arrangement with two further heating devices,
• 2 the tank arrangement when refueling and
• 3 the tank arrangement with sliding ice surface.

Embodiments of the invention

1 shows a tank arrangement 1 with a storage container or container 3 for a freezable liquid such as water or an aqueous urea solution. The latter is used in motor vehicles for the denitrification of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines by pumping this aqueous urea solution out of the container and injecting it via a valve or a metering module into the exhaust tract upstream of a catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides. For this purpose, the container points 3 in its floor area 28 a fluid-tight attached or built-in conveyor module 7 on, through the passage located below 15 the aqueous urea solution can be sucked out of the container and fed to the metering module (not shown). The conveyor module sucks inside the container 7 the liquid through a suction point 17 at whose position by the arrangement of the pump 9 the conveyor module or the filter 13 of the funding module is specified. The funding module 7 has a heating device in a manner known per se 11 which serves to keep at least the area around the conveyor module ice-free. walls 5 or the walls 5 of the container 3 are preferably structured on the inside so that sticking of the ice to them is minimized or prevented. In the ceiling area 23 of the container is an opening 29 , here in the form of a filler neck, via which the container contents can come into fluid exchange with the surroundings, in particular in the form of an air exchange, or, as in 1 shown, in the form of the possibility of filling the container with the liquid.

The container 3 also has a further, in particular separate heating device 21 on which is a height difference 22 is arranged higher in the container than the heating device 11 of the funding module. The further heating device is preferably 21 Part of a structural unit 35 which is also a so-called insert 37 and optionally also an electrical interface arranged on the side facing away from the heating device 39 having. Such an assembly 35 can be analogous to the funding module 7 in a recess 38 a side wall 5 of the container introduced and connected fluid-tight to the wall, so that the heating device 21 protrudes into the interior of the container and from outside the container via the electrical interface 39 can be electrically contacted or controlled.

In addition, the container alternatively or as in 1 shown, in combination with the other heating device 21 a second additional heating device 31 on, which is also about a height difference 24 higher than the heater 11 of the funding module 7 is arranged in the container. The difference in height 24 can be the same as the height difference 22 , in the present example it is different, in particular smaller than the height difference 22 , The heater 31 is also not arranged on a side wall, but is supported on the bottom region of the container. It can also be used as a heating device 21 Be part of a corresponding unit.

The liquid freezes 32 in the container, so adjust the heating devices 11 . 21 respectively. 31 sure at least around them the ice 32 thaws. In 1 are these areas as cavities or cavity areas 19 shown. Liquid from at least these areas can be pumped outwards by the delivery module, since these cavities overlap or touch, as in FIG 1 by marking the overlapping or touching cavity areas 27 shown, and thus can be in a fluidic exchange. If only there was a heater 11 of the conveyor module in the tank, the situation could arise that only one cavity 19 is present in the area directly around the conveyor module, which is quickly pumped out and which has no fluid connection path to an air space 25 above the ice surface 33 having.

The cavity 19 around the further heating device 21 around here, however, is a fluidic exchange also with an area above the level of the ice surface 33 safe, so that the immediate area around the delivery module can be in fluidic connection with the air space for pressure equalization in pump mode and at least this immediate area around the delivery module can be filled with liquid by a refueling process via the filler neck despite the otherwise iced-up container contents can because the ice surface is broken. This is in 2 shown in the fluidic connection 41 between filler neck or air space above the ice surface and cavity 19 around the further heating device 21 on the one hand as well as the fluidic connection 42 between the cavity directly around the conveyor module and the cavity around the second further heating device 31 on the other hand are marked with arrows.

In 3 is shown, as by the heating measure using more than one heating device, the ice or the ice surface 33 so to speak, the ground is pulled away from under your feet and the ice to slide down 43 is forced to the heating devices, which leads to a quick further thawing or to the provision of a fluidic exchange path between the delivery module and the air space above the ice surface.

It is therefore proposed to arrange two or more heating devices in the liquid container in such a way that the cavities present through thawing connect to one another, so that an overall cavity is ideally formed. This leads to the ice layer collapsing so that the ice comes into contact with the heaters again. In order to intensify this effect, in addition to the walls of the container, the components in the tank, in particular the heating devices, can also have a structured surface in such a way that sticking of the ice to them is minimized or prevented.

Before forming an entire cavity 19 it is sufficient for at least two cavities to connect to one another, one of which has access to the ice-free area of the tank. This then enables the medium to be refilled without hesitation when the basic activity is pumped out directly around the delivery module.

The heating devices can be attached to the tank on separate inserts from the outside or directly from the inside. In both variants to strive for a height difference between the heating device of the conveyor module and the further heating device or the further heating devices, in order to increase the thawing capacity of the overall system "tank heating". To ensure this, the optimal height can be determined by positioning the insert 37 or the inserts 37 depending on the container shape.

The heating devices are preferably designed to be intrinsically safe, so that a drop in the liquid level below the respective heater does not lead to overheating and thus damage to the heating device itself, the container or other components possibly located in the tank. The intrinsic safety can be achieved in different ways, for example by installing PTC heating elements directly, or by means of ohmic resistors, which are protected by a control unit at high temperatures, the control unit in turn being a PTC component or a Can include bimetallic element.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• DE 102006061735 A1 [0003]
• DE 102015214401 A1 [0004]

Claims (9)

Tank arrangement (1) with a container (3) for providing a freezable liquid, in particular water or an aqueous urea solution, for the purpose of supplying it into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and / or in the exhaust tract of the internal combustion engine, one with a heating device (11) A thermally coupled or provided conveying module (7) is provided such that the liquid can be conveyed out of the container through a bottom region (28) of the container (3), characterized in that at least one further heating device (21, 31) is provided, which is arranged at a height (22, 24) between the heating device (11) and a ceiling area (23) of the container (3), so that when the heating device (11) and the further heating device (21, 31) are put into operation, a frozen liquid, a fluidic connection (41, 42) between a suction point of the delivery module or between a cavity (19) in a frozen liquid (32) around the further heating device (21, 31) on the one hand and an air space (25) above the frozen liquid (32) on the other hand. Tank arrangement (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the ceiling area (23) has an opening (29), in particular a filler neck. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating devices (11, 21, 31) or the heating device (11) and a second further heating device (31) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that when they are in operation, a frozen liquid (32), the fluidic connection (41, 42) is at least partially also extending parallel to an ice surface (33) of the frozen liquid (32) and the frozen liquid (32) is brought to slide in the direction of the bottom region (28) can. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that walls (5) of the container (3) are structured on their side facing the liquid in such a way that sticking to a frozen liquid is made more difficult or prevented. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that surfaces of the heating devices (11, 21, 31) or the at least one further heating device (21, 31) coming into contact with the liquid are structured in such a way that a frozen one is adhered to Liquid is difficult or prevented. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one further heating device (21, 31) is arranged and fastened within the container. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one further heating device (21, 31) forms a structural unit (35) with an insert (37) which fits in a recess (38) in a wall with a precise fit and is liquid-tight (5) of the container (3) can be used. Tank arrangement (1) after Claim 7 , characterized in that there is an electrical interface (39) of the further heating device (21, 31) in its state installed in the container (3) outside the container. Tank arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating devices (11, 21, 31) or the at least one further heating device (21, 31) are designed or connected such that the heating power of the heating device in question at high temperatures , in particular for the purpose of intrinsic safety, is curtailed.

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