GB2035451A - Internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems - Google Patents

Internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2035451A
GB2035451A GB7938684A GB7938684A GB2035451A GB 2035451 A GB2035451 A GB 2035451A GB 7938684 A GB7938684 A GB 7938684A GB 7938684 A GB7938684 A GB 7938684A GB 2035451 A GB2035451 A GB 2035451A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
fuel
fuel vapour
bed
canister
engine
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
GB7938684A
Other versions
GB2035451B (en
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.)
Motors Liquidation Co
Original Assignee
Motors Liquidation Co
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 Motors Liquidation Co filed Critical Motors Liquidation Co
Publication of GB2035451A publication Critical patent/GB2035451A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2035451B publication Critical patent/GB2035451B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02MSUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M35/00Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
    • F02M35/10Air intakes; Induction systems
    • F02M35/10209Fluid connections to the air intake system; their arrangement of pipes, valves or the like
    • F02M35/10222Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02MSUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M25/00Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture
    • F02M25/08Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding fuel vapours drawn from engine fuel reservoir
    • F02M25/0836Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02MSUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M25/00Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture
    • F02M25/08Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding fuel vapours drawn from engine fuel reservoir
    • F02M25/0854Details of the absorption canister
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02MSUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M35/00Combustion-air cleaners, air intakes, intake silencers, or induction systems specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines
    • F02M35/02Air cleaners
    • F02M35/04Air cleaners specially arranged with respect to engine, to intake system or specially adapted to vehicle; Mounting thereon ; Combinations with other devices

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Supplying Secondary Fuel Or The Like To Fuel, Air Or Fuel-Air Mixtures (AREA)
  • Electrical Control Of Air Or Fuel Supplied To Internal-Combustion Engine (AREA)

Abstract

A fuel vapour storage canister 38,40 is vented to the engine air cleaner 14, and a supplementary fuel vapour storage bed 68 is disposed in the air cleaner to capture fuel vapour lost from the canister and to be thoroughly purged by engine induction air flow. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems This invention relates to internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems.
It is known, with present day motor vehicle internal combustion engines, to have the vent lines from the engine fuel tank and carburettee fuel bowl connected to a fuel vapour storage canister. As air and fuel vapour are displaced through the vent lines by increasing ambient temperatures when the engine is not operating, the canister captures the fuel vapour to prevent its loss to the atmosphere.
If the canister in such a system should become saturated with fuel vapour, any additional vapour displaced from the fuel tank or carburetter fuel bowl will travel through the canister and out through its vent to the atmosphere. Moreover, even when the canister is not saturated, the flow of air and fuel vapour through the canister causes some of the fuel vapour previously stored in the canister to be purged by way of the canister vent to the atmosphere.
Early proposals to prevent loss of fuel vapour through the canister have involved either increasing the size of the canister or venting the canister through a supplementary canister.
Although such proposals may prevent saturation of the canister or canisters with fuel vapour, they lead to increased loss of fuel vapour from the canister or canisters due to the flow of air and fuel vapour therethrough.
In accordance with the present invention, such loss is prevented by venting a fuel vapour storage canister to the engine air cleaner and disposing supplementary fuel vapour starage bed in the air cleaner to capture fuel vapour lost from the canister. The supplementary storage bed is thoroughly purged by engine air flow when the engine is operating and the substantially completely purged supplementary storage bed is then able to capture substantially all fuel vapour which may be lost from the canister.
A preferred embodiment of this invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an internal combustion engine with a fuel evaporation control system according to this invention; and Figure 2 is a vertical section through the engine air cleaner, showing the supplementary fuel vapour storage bed and the vent connection for the canister.
Figure 1 shows an internal combustion engine 10 having a carburettor 12 and an air cleaner 14 through which extends an air induction passage 1 6.
Carburetter 1 2 has a fuel bowl 1 8 which receives liquid fuel from a fuel tank 20 through a fuel line (not shown). Fuel bowl 1 8 delivers fuel to the induction passage 1 6 in a conventional manner and has an internal vent 22 to maintain the fuel bowl pressure equal to that in the inlet portion of induction passage 16.
A fuel tank vent line 24 extends from fuel tank 20 to a fuel vapour storage canister 26, and a fuel bowl vent line 28 extends from carburetter fuel bowl 18 to canister 26. Canister 26 will be described here only to the extent necessary for an understanding of this invention.
Canister 26 is formed of a cupped housing 30 closed at the bottom by a grid 32 and a cover 34. An annular partition 36 divides the interior of canister 26 into an inner section 38 and an outer section 40 each of which is filled with activated charcoal to form a main fuel vapour storage bed. Tank vent line 24 opens through a fitting 42 into the upper portion of outer section 40, and fuel bowl vent line 28 is connected through a fitting 44 to the upper porting of inner section 38. A fuel bowl vent valve 46 disposed in fitting 44 is biased by a spring 48 to permit vapour flow from fuel bowl 1 8 through bowl vent line 28 to canister 26 when the engine is not operating.When the engine is operating, a diaphragm 50 responds to the sub-atmospheric pressure in induction passage 1 6 downstream of the throttle 52 and lifts vent valve 46 against the bias of spring 48 to close fitting 44.
Upon an increase in temperature when the engine is not operating, air and fuel vapour are displaced from fuel bowl 1 8 and fuel tank 20 and flow through vent lines 28 and 24 to canister 26. The flow travels downwardly through the inner and outer sections 38 and 40 of the main fuel vapour storage bed, into the plenum 54 between grid 32 and cover 34, and then upwardly through a standpipe 56 and a canister vent line 58 to air cleaner 1 4. The activated charcoal in the fuel vapour storage bed captures the fuel vapour to prevent its loss to the atmosphere.
During engine operation, the sub-atmospheric pressure in induction passage 1 6 downstream of throttle 52 draws air cleaned by the filter element 60 from air cleaner 14 through the canister vent line 58 and standpipe 56 into plenum 54 and then upwardly through the inner and outer sections 38 and 40 of the fuel vapour storage bed to a purge fitting 62. Such air flow purges the fuel vapour from the charcoal so that the charcoal may again absorb fuel vapour when the engine is not operating. The purge air flow rate is determined by a pair of purge orifices 63a and 63b.
If desired, a diaphragm purge valve 64 may close across purge fitting 62 under the bias of a spring 66 during closed throttle engine operation. When throttle 52 is opened, the sub-atmospheric induction passage pressure therebelow lifts diaphragm valve 64 against the bias of spring 66 to open purge fitting 62. An additional purge orifice 63c may bypass purge valve 64 to allow a limited purge flow during closed throttle engine operation.
Canister 26 is highly effective in capturing the fuel vapour displaced from the fuel bowl 18 and fuel tank 20. However, the flow of air and fuel vapour through the fuel vapour storage bed may cause some fuel vapour to be purged from the bed and be carried through plenum 54, standpipe 56, canister vent line 58, and air cleaner 14 to the atmosphere. To capture such fuel vapour, a supplementary fuel vapour storage bed 68 is provided in air cleaner 14. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the supplementary bed 68 is located inwardly of filter element 60 and has an annular configuration; it is formed of activated charcoal which is retained by inner and outer screens 70 and 72 mounted in upper and lower caps 74 and 76. Bed 68 is secured to lower air cleaner plate 78 and extends upwardly part way to an upper air cleaner plate 80.Thus, a portion of the engine induction air flow passes through bed 68 to purge fuel vapour therefrom while some of the engine induction air flow passes through the space 82 between bed 68 and upper air cleaner plate 80. Fuel vapour stored in bed 68 may therefore be substantially completely purged by air flow through induction passage 1 6 without the bed 68 unduly restricting the induction air flow.
Canister vent line 58 is connected to air cleaner 14 through a fitting 84 disposed inwardly of bed 68. If desired, a diffuser (not shown) may be disposed over fitting 84 ta ensure the dispersion of any fuel vapour passing through canister vent line 58 into bed 68.
Air cleaner 14 includes a thermal sensor 86 and a vacuum operated air intake valve mechanism 88 (Fig. 1), to maintain the induction air flow at a substantially constant temperature.
With this construction, any fuel vapour stored in supplementary bed 68 will be substantially completely purged by engine induction air flow through air cleaner 14 when the engine is operating, thereby enabling substantially all fuel vapour lost from canister 26 to be stored in bed 68 when the engine is not operating.

Claims (2)

1. An internal combustion engine having a fuel tank, a canister containing a main fuel vapour storage bed, a tank vent line for delivering to said bed fuel vapour lost from said tank, an induction passage for delivering air to the engine, and a purge line for delivering to said induction passage fuel vapour stored in said bed, a canister vent line being arranged to deliver fuel vapour lost from said main bed to a supplementary fuel vapour storage bed disposed in said induction passage in a position such that fuel vapour stored in said supplementary bed may be substantially completely purged by air flow through the induction passage when the engine is operating.
2. An internal combustion engine having a main and a supplementary free vapour storage bed constructed and adapted to operate as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB7938684A 1978-11-30 1979-11-08 Internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems Expired GB2035451B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US96492578A 1978-11-30 1978-11-30

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2035451A true GB2035451A (en) 1980-06-18
GB2035451B GB2035451B (en) 1983-04-13

Family

ID=25509174

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB7938684A Expired GB2035451B (en) 1978-11-30 1979-11-08 Internal combustion engine fuel evaporation control systems

Country Status (6)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS5575561A (en)
AU (1) AU522505B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1124594A (en)
DE (1) DE2943452A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2442972A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2035451B (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2140084A (en) * 1983-05-19 1984-11-21 Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd Fuel-vapour emmission control system for an automative engine
US4541396A (en) * 1983-01-25 1985-09-17 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Supercharged internal combustion engine
EP0242048A1 (en) * 1986-04-14 1987-10-21 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister
EP0242049A1 (en) * 1986-04-14 1987-10-21 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister
EP0514961A1 (en) * 1991-05-20 1992-11-25 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister assembly
WO1998026174A1 (en) * 1996-12-09 1998-06-18 Hideaki Watase A charcoal filter and pressure release apparatus for use with an apparatus for combustion enhancer
WO2002057615A1 (en) * 2001-01-20 2002-07-25 Filterwerk Mann+Hummel Gmbh Device and method for preventing fuel vapors from escaping from the intake system of an internal combustion engine

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5429099A (en) * 1994-09-08 1995-07-04 Lectron Products, Inc. Anti-permeation filter for vapor management valve
US6637415B2 (en) 2000-11-17 2003-10-28 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Evaporative fuel leakage preventing device for internal combustion engine
JP2003041975A (en) * 2001-08-01 2003-02-13 Nippon Soken Inc Discharge preventing device for hydrocarbon in intake system for internal combustion engine

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3352294A (en) * 1965-07-28 1967-11-14 Exxon Research Engineering Co Process and device for preventing evaporation loss
DE1955220A1 (en) * 1966-05-09 1970-07-16 Exxon Research Engineering Co Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine
US3515107A (en) * 1968-05-31 1970-06-02 Calgon C0Rp Two-bed evaporative loss control device
US3572014A (en) * 1968-11-01 1971-03-23 Ford Motor Co Engine air cleaner carbon bed filter element construction
DE1927046A1 (en) * 1969-05-28 1970-12-10 Porsche Kg Device for separating fuel from the air emerging from the fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine
US3575152A (en) * 1969-10-01 1971-04-20 Gen Motors Corp Vapor recovery using a plurality of progressively absorbent beds connected in series
US3747303A (en) * 1971-06-01 1973-07-24 Gen Motors Corp Air-filter and carbon-bed element for an air cleaner assembly
US3844739A (en) * 1972-10-05 1974-10-29 Dow Chemical Co Apparatus and method for the prevention of evaporative loss of mixed organic liquids

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4541396A (en) * 1983-01-25 1985-09-17 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Supercharged internal combustion engine
GB2140084A (en) * 1983-05-19 1984-11-21 Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd Fuel-vapour emmission control system for an automative engine
EP0242048A1 (en) * 1986-04-14 1987-10-21 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister
EP0242049A1 (en) * 1986-04-14 1987-10-21 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister
EP0514961A1 (en) * 1991-05-20 1992-11-25 General Motors Corporation Fuel vapour storage canister assembly
WO1998026174A1 (en) * 1996-12-09 1998-06-18 Hideaki Watase A charcoal filter and pressure release apparatus for use with an apparatus for combustion enhancer
WO2002057615A1 (en) * 2001-01-20 2002-07-25 Filterwerk Mann+Hummel Gmbh Device and method for preventing fuel vapors from escaping from the intake system of an internal combustion engine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5212479A (en) 1980-06-05
FR2442972A1 (en) 1980-06-27
FR2442972B1 (en) 1985-04-12
DE2943452A1 (en) 1980-06-12
JPS6120707B2 (en) 1986-05-23
CA1124594A (en) 1982-06-01
DE2943452C2 (en) 1987-03-19
JPS5575561A (en) 1980-06-06
GB2035451B (en) 1983-04-13
AU522505B2 (en) 1982-06-10

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee