FR3085278A1 - TANK TO HOLD A CONTAMINANT - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a reservoir (21) for a liquid configured to deliver the liquid to a device for consuming the liquid of a vehicle comprising a) a pump (33) for sucking the liquid from a mouth suction pump (33) disposed in the lower part (35) of the tank (21), and b) a filter to prevent solid particles (39) from being sucked into the pump (33). The reservoir (21) comprises a zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39), and this zone (41) is arranged at a distance from the filter. The invention also relates to an accessory for such a tank.

Description

The invention relates, in general, to the technical field of liquid storage tanks, configured to deliver a liquid to a liquid consumption device of a vehicle, in particular automobile. The vehicles concerned are in particular passenger vehicles, small trucks circulating in urban areas, construction machinery, all-terrain vehicles.

Non-limiting examples of such reservoirs are cited below.

The fuel tank of a thermal vehicle, when configured to deliver a liquid fuel such as petrol or diesel (diesel) to the fuel supply circuit of the vehicle engine, is part of the tanks storage to which the invention relates. In this example, the heat engine is a device for consuming liquid. Liquid is fuel.

In a thermal vehicle of the injection engine type, it is known to inject a liquid into the air intake circuit of the engine. In this example, the heat engine is a device for consuming liquid. This liquid is generally demineralized water which, by mixing with the intake gas, makes it possible to reduce the temperature of the air-fuel mixture at the inlet of the combustion chamber of the injection engine.

In a thermal vehicle of the diesel engine type, it is known to inject an ammonia precursor liquid into the engine exhaust gas, upstream of an SCR catalyst, in order to reduce NOx emissions. In this example, the SCR catalyst is a device for consuming liquid. This ammonia precursor liquid is generally an aqueous solution of urea, for example AdBlue.

In an electric vehicle of the fuel cell type, it is known to produce electricity from an aqueous solution of urea. In the case of an electric vehicle of the hydrogen fuel cell type, urea is used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis of urea in an electrolyser. In this example, the electrolyser is a device for consuming liquid and the liquid is urea. In the case of an electric vehicle of the ammonia fuel cell type, urea is used to produce ammonia by hydrolysis in a hydrolysis reactor. In this example, the hydrolysis reactor is a liquid consumption device and the liquid is urea. In the case of an electric vehicle of the urea fuel cell type, the urea is used to directly generate electricity in the fuel cell. In this example, the fuel cell is a liquid consumption device where the liquid is urea.

In general, by liquid is meant a product having a viscosity ranging from 0.5 mPa.s at 20 ° C, such as methanol, to 65 mPa.s at 20 ° C, such as engine oil.

The tanks for liquid contain a low point from which the liquid is pumped for later use. The solid impurities present in the liquid accumulate at the low point and can be entrained with the liquid in the pumping system. These solid impurities are not desirable: they can obstruct the pumping system, the pipes (hoses) or the liquid injection devices or even hamper the subsequent action of the liquid.

To avoid entrainment of these solid impurities in the pumping system and the downstream elements, a filter is inserted in the pumping system so as to retain the solid impurities.

We know that each time the tank is filled, a certain amount of solid impurities is entrained with the liquid. These particles accumulate in the tank and can eventually clog the filter. The filter must be sized according to the conditions of use and the environment in which the tank is used in order to prevent clogging of the latter during use.

Certain extreme environments such as agricultural environments, construction sites or all-terrain traffic are particularly subject to seeing the liquid contaminated by a large amount of solid impurities (dust, earth, plant fragments, etc.) and require the use large filters. For small trucks circulating in town, therefore outside of an extreme environment, maintenance is infrequent and it is interesting to be able to space the stops for maintenance. This results in the accumulation over time of a large amount of solid impurities and also requires the use of large filters.

However, it is not possible to infinitely increase the size of such filters. Indeed, increasing the size of the filter may require a larger tank and therefore increasing production costs and tank weight, as well as a pressure drop in the pumping system. In addition, the pumps used generally have a circular interface, with a diameter of 115-130 mm. The filter must necessarily be entered in this diameter and a filter with another dimension would be difficult to install.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to have reservoirs having filters of reduced sizes and which can be used in extreme environments or over longer periods without risking clogging during use.

The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by providing a reservoir for a liquid configured to deliver the liquid to a liquid consumption device of a vehicle. This tank includes:

a) a pump for the suction of the liquid from a suction mouth of the pump arranged in the lower part of the tank,

b) a filter to prevent solid particles from being sucked into the pump. The reservoir includes an area configured to retain solid particles, and this area is arranged at a distance from the filter. This retention area is not a filter or a prefilter. Indeed for a filter, or a prefilter, to exercise its retention function, the flow of the filtered fluid crosses the filter in the direction of its thickness through, for example, pores, interstices, or meshes. For the retention zone according to the invention to exercise its retention function, it does not need to be traversed in its thickness by the fluid. To exercise its retention function, the retention zone according to the invention is placed so that its longitudinal plane is not perpendicular to the direction of flow of the flow. In the retention zone according to the invention, the particles are trapped by decantation in the retention zone, and not by filtration.

The area configured to retain solid particles, also called "retention area", retains a significant amount of solid particles. As a result, these particles never reach the filter. In doing so, the filter is less likely to clog and can therefore be of a smaller size than in the prior art. This also makes it possible to standardize the filter, that is to say to use the same filter for several applications. In addition, replacement or cleaning of the filter can be performed at more distant intervals.

The invention solves the technical problem of reducing the size of the filter without risking reducing its efficiency. Indeed, its effectiveness could be reduced due to its clogging. Another technical problem solved by the present invention is that of making it possible to extend the life of a standard size filter, which is particularly advantageous for infrequent maintenance vehicles such as small trucks circulating in urban areas or vehicles operating in extreme environments, such as construction vehicles or all-terrain vehicles.

By "remote from the filter" is meant an area located anywhere in the tank, excluding the filter.

Advantageously, the zone configured to retain the solid particles is arranged in the lower part of the tank. In this way, the particles can be deposited by gravity.

The term “lower part of the tank” is understood to mean the half of the tank intended to constitute the lower part of the latter when it is in the position of use provided by the manufacturer.

Preferably, the area configured to retain the solid particles is arranged on a bottom surface of the tank. The term "tank bottom surface" means an inner face of a bottom wall of the tank. The bottom surface of the tank is not necessarily flat or entirely horizontal. It coincides with a low point on the reservoir. Particles can be deposited by gravity on this bottom surface.

Advantageously, the zone configured to retain the solid particles has a geometry configured to retain the solid particles.

In one embodiment, the geometry configured to retain the solid particles comprises at least one depression. The particles can thus deposit by gravity in the depression and accumulate there.

In a preferred embodiment, the depression is formed by at least one rib extending from one part of the wall of the tank to another part of the wall of the tank, so as to form a continuity between the rib and a or of the walls of the tank, the continuity forming an angle on either side of the rib, and having at any point a height at least equal to the height of the rib. The rib is continuous, that is to say that it does not contain an empty part capable of allowing the flow to pass. The tank wall or walls are side walls of the tank or internal walls. Because the rib extends from one wall part to another wall part, the height of which is at least equal to that of the rib, it constitutes a sort of barrier and makes it possible to form a retention pocket. Indeed the flow which is blocked by the rib cannot bypass it.

Preferably, the rib has a height of between 3 and 20 mm. In a preferred embodiment, at least part of the rib has a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction not parallel to a direction of flow of the liquid in the reservoir under the effect of the suction of the pump. Thus, the rib opposes the flow of the flow. "Liquid flow direction" means the direction the liquid will take when the tank contains liquid and is in use as intended by the manufacturer.

The rib may have a generally curved shape or have an angle. Compared to a straight rib, a curved rib has, between two given points, a larger retention surface. In addition, a curved shape or having an angle makes it possible to be effective with respect to two different movements of the fluid in the reservoir. Thus for example, the ribs of FIG. 4 make it possible to block against a movement going from the right to the left, and a movement going from the rear of the tank (top of the figure) towards the front of the tank (bottom of the figure). In contrast, the straight ribs in Figure 3 are less effective with movement from the rear of the tank to the front of the tank.

The shape and orientation of the ribs are chosen taking into account the movements of the tank in the vehicle, which are linked to changes in the orientation of the vehicle, and to its accelerations and decelerations.

Advantageously, the depression carries one or more partitions having a height of at least 3 mm and oriented parallel to the rib. Each partition forms an additional obstacle to the progression of particles towards the filter, which improves the efficiency of the retention zone.

Preferably, at least two ribs have a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction not parallel to a direction of flow of the liquid in the reservoir under the effect of the suction of the pump, and are parallel to each other.

Advantageously, to facilitate the manufacture of such ribs, in the presence of partitions in the depression, these are separated from each other and with the ribs forming the depression by a distance equal to 1.3 to 3 times the height of the highest rib or partition, advantageously from 2 to 3 times this height. In the absence of a partition in the depression, two ribs forming a depression are separated by a distance equal to 1.3 to 3 times the height of the highest rib, advantageously from 2 to 3 times this height, or 4 to 60 mm, advantageously from 5 to 50 mm for ribs from 3 to 20 mm. For the same depression, the distance between rib and partition or between partitions between them is therefore 4 to 9 mm in the case of a 3 mm high rib and 26 to 60 mm in the case of a 20 mm high rib. The same distances separate two ribs forming a depression when the depression is devoid of a partition.

Optionally, but capable of being implemented in all the embodiments, the zone configured to retain the solid particles is provided with a drain orifice. This eliminates the solid impurities retained during maintenance.

Preferably, the drain orifice is arranged in a depression in the bottom surface of the tank. This purges the contents of the depression.

The shape of the reservoir at the location of the drain orifice can be conical or frustoconical in order to concentrate the solid particles at this location. The volume formed by the cone or trunk of cone must however be limited because it is a dead volume. Indeed, the liquid contained in the cone or trunk of cone cannot be sucked by the pump because it is located below the suction mouth of the pump.

Advantageously, the area configured to retain the solid particles is an insert in the tank. The insert can be introduced into the reservoir after it has been shaped, for example by blowing. It can be introduced through the pump orifice, then held in position by a mechanical approach; it is for example welded or clipped. If the insert is clipped, it can be lifted to allow the depressions and the drain port to communicate with each other. The part can be made of polyethylene, for example if it is held by welding, or of polyacetate, for example if it is clipped into the tank.

The invention also relates to an accessory for a tank for a liquid configured to deliver the liquid to a device for consuming the liquid of a vehicle, the tank comprising a pump for the suction of the liquid from a pump suction mouth arranged in the lower part of the tank and a filter to prevent solid particles from being sucked into the pump, the accessory being characterized in that the accessory is intended to be placed in the tank , at a distance from the filter, and in that it has a geometry configured to retain solid particles. The accessory may include all the characteristics, alone or in combination, described for the zone configured to retain the solid particles from the tank according to the invention.

We will now present embodiments of the invention given by way of nonlimiting examples and with the support of the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid container according to the state of the art;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tank according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3 is a top view of the tank of Figure 2;

- Figures 4 to 6 are top views of tanks according to other embodiments of the invention;

- Figure 7 is a front view of the tank of Figure 6.

Figure 1 shows a tank 1 for liquid according to the state of the art. The reservoir 1 has four side walls 3, 5, 7 and 9 and a bottom wall 11. The reservoir 1 comprises a pump 13 for the suction of the liquid contained in the reservoir 1. In this way, the reservoir is configured to deliver the liquid to a liquid consumption device, not shown, of a vehicle, also not shown. The suction is carried out from the suction mouth of the pump. The suction mouth of the pump 13, not shown in FIG. 1, is arranged in the lower part 15 of the tank 1, which corresponds to the half of the tank intended to constitute the lower part of the tank when it is in the position intended use by the manufacturer.

The arrow 17 represents a direction of flow of the liquid in the tank under the effect of the suction of the pump. The liquid comprises solid particles 19, which can be, for example, impurities or urea crystals. Solid particles can be entrained with the liquid in the pumping system. To prevent solid particles from being sucked into the pump, the pump 13 is equipped with a filter, not individualized in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a reservoir 21 according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising the following similarities with the reservoir of the state of the art:

- four side walls 23, 25, 27 and 29 and a bottom wall 31,

- a pump 33,

- lower part 35 of the reservoir 21,

- arrow 37 representing a direction of flow of the liquid in the reservoir under the effect of the suction of the pump,

- solid particles 39.

Furthermore, the reference 43 designates the bottom surface of the tank 21. It is the inner face of the bottom wall 35 of the tank.

The reservoir 21 further comprises in its lower part 35, on the bottom surface 43, ribs 44 forming between them depressions 46. The ribs 44 are continuous, that is to say that they do not contain no empty part likely to let the flow pass. The ribs 44 extend from the side wall 25 to the side wall 29, so that a rib 44 forms with the walls 25 and 29 a continuity. This continuity forms an angle α, β (visualized in FIG. 3), on either side of the rib 44. The continuity formed by the rib 44 and the side walls 25 and 29 has at all points a height at least equal at the height h of the rib 44. In fact, as shown in FIG. 2, the height of the walls 25 and 29 of the reservoir 21 is greater than the height h. This structure comprising depressions 46 and ribs 44 has a geometry configured to retain the solid particles 39 and therefore constitutes an area 41 configured to retain the solid particles 39. Indeed, the solid particles 39 can be deposited by gravity in the depression 46 and accumulate there. In addition, the rib 44 has a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction not parallel to the direction of flow of the liquid in the reservoir under the effect of the suction of the pump, represented by the arrow 37. Thus, the rib 44 opposes the flow of the flow and constitutes a kind of barrier. It makes it possible to form a retention pocket because the flow which is blocked by the rib cannot bypass it. The zone 41 configured to retain the solid particles 39 is arranged at a distance from the filter, that is to say that it is not where the filter is positioned. The height h of the rib is between 3 and 20 mm.

In the embodiments of Figures 4 to 7, the same reference numbers are assigned to elements similar to those of Figures 2 and 3.

The embodiments of Figures 4 and 5 differ from the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 in that the ribs have an angle in Figure 4 and have a generally curved shape in Figure 5. In the mode of embodiment of FIG. 4, the walls forming a continuity with the rib 44 are the walls 25 and 23.

In the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7, the depression 46 formed by the rib 44 and the wall 23, carries partitions 48. These are oriented parallel to the rib 44. As shown in Figure 7, the partitions 48 have the same height h as the rib 44. The partitions 48 are distinguished from the ribs 44 in particular by the fact that they do not form a continuity with two parts of the tank wall. This allows fluid communication on either side of the partition, contrary to what is observed for the ribs 44. The partitions 48 are separated from each other and with the ribs 44 by a distance equal to three times their height h. In the embodiments in which the depression is devoid of a partition, as in FIGS. 2 to 5, two ribs 44 forming a depression 46 are separated by a distance equal to three times their height h.

In the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7, the area 41 configured to retain the solid particles is provided with a drain port 50. The drain port 50 is arranged in the depression 46, in the area 41 configured to retain solid particles. In this embodiment, the drain orifice 50 is located between the partitions 48. In this embodiment, the parts of the depression located on either side of the partitions 48 communicate with each other, and with the orifice of drain 50, in order to purge all of the vacuum.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments presented and other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is in particular possible to put the rib in continuity with one or more internal walls of the tank (for example stiffening walls). The rib can also be placed in continuity with two parts of the same wall of the tank, in the case where this wall is curved, or else in the case where the rib is curved, or has an angle.

Claims (15)

Claims 1. Reservoir (21) for a liquid configured to deliver the liquid to a vehicle liquid consumption device comprising a) a pump (33) for sucking the liquid from a suction mouth of the pump (33) arranged in the lower part (35) of the reservoir (21), b) a filter for preventing solid particles (39) from being sucked into the pump (33), characterized in that the reservoir (21) comprises a zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39), said zone (41) being arranged at a distance from the filter. 2. Reservoir (21) according to claim 1, in which the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) is arranged in the lower part (35) of the reservoir (21). 3. Reservoir (21) according to claim 2, in which the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) is disposed on a bottom surface (43) of the reservoir (21). 4. Tank (21) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) comprises at least one depression (46) or a drain orifice (50). 5. Tank (21) according to claim 4, wherein the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) comprises at least one depression (46). 6. Reservoir (21) according to claim 5, in which at least one depression (46) is formed by at least one rib (44) extending from a wall part (25, 29, 23) of the reservoir (21 ) to another wall part (25, 29, 23) of the tank (21), so as to form a continuity between the rib (44) and one or more walls (25, 29, 23) of the tank (21), the continuity forming an angle (α, β) on either side of the rib (44), and having at any point a height at least equal to the height (h) of the rib (44). 7. Tank (21) according to the preceding claim, wherein the rib (44) has a height (h) between 3 and 20 mm. 8. Tank (21) according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein at least a part of the rib (44) has a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction not parallel to a direction (37) of liquid flow in the tank (21) under the effect of the suction of the pump (33). 9. Tank (21) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the depression (46) carries one or more partitions (48) having a height (h) of at least 3 mm and oriented parallel to the rib (44). 10. Tank (21) according to claim 8, in which at least two ribs (44) have a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction not parallel to a direction (37) of flow of the liquid in the tank (21) under the effect of the suction of the pump (33), and are parallel to each other. 11. Tank (21) according to any one of claims 6 to 10 wherein, in the presence of partitions (48) in the depression (46), these are separated from each other and with the ribs (44) forming the depression (46) from a distance equal to 1.3 to 3 times the height (h) of the highest rib or partition, or, in the absence of a partition (48) in the depression (46), two ribs ( 44) forming a depression (46) are separated by a distance equal to 1.3 to 3 times the height (h) of the highest rib. 12. Tank (21) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) is provided with a drain orifice (50). 13. Tank (21) according to claim 12 and one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the drain orifice (50) is arranged in a depression (46) of the bottom surface (43). 14. Tank (21) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) is an insert in the tank (21). 15. Accessory for a reservoir (21) for a liquid configured to deliver the liquid to a device for consuming the liquid of a vehicle, the reservoir (21) comprising a pump (33) for the suction of the liquid from a pump suction mouth (33) arranged in the lower part (35) of the tank (21) and a filter to prevent solid particles (39) from being sucked into the pump (33), the accessory being characterized in that the accessory is intended to be placed in the reservoir (21), at a distance from the filter, and in that it comprises a zone (41) configured to retain the solid particles (39) comprising at least one depression (46) or a drain opening (50).