JP2010163910A - Fuel separation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To satisfactorily separate and store an aromatic component from fuel by a separation membrane as high-octane number fuel in a high-octane number fuel tank without causing troubles while storing the remaining fuel from which a part of aromatic components is separated as low-octane number fuel in a low-octane number fuel tank. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel separation device supplies pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane in a predetermined minimum flow rate Qmin (S108) when vehicle speed V is a set speed V1 or less (S101); stops the supply of pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane (S107) when the temperature TB of pre-separation fuel heated using heat of exhaust gas is lower than a set separation membrane temperature TM1 (S103); and stops the supply of pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane (S107) when either one of temperatures THA and TAL of high-octane number fuel and low-octane number fuel cooled with traveling air of a vehicle is higher than set fuel temperature TF1 (S104 and S105). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel separator.

  For example, in an engine with an increased compression ratio, a high octane fuel is required to suppress knocking. However, at a low load at which knocking is difficult to occur, a low octane fuel may be used instead of a high octane fuel. As a result, instead of always using expensive high-octane fuel (high-octane gasoline), it is proposed that normal fuel (regular gasoline) be separated into high-octane fuel and low-octane fuel by a fuel separator. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP2007-278298 JP2007-231878

  The above-described fuel separation device separates the aromatic component from the fuel as a high octane fuel by the separation membrane, and the remaining fuel from which a part of the aromatic component is thus separated is used as the low octane fuel. If the fuel is always separated by the above, there arises a problem that good separation becomes difficult, and it becomes difficult to store the separated high-octane fuel or low-octane fuel in the respective fuel tanks.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to cause the separation of the aromatic component from the fuel as a high-octane fuel and to store it in the high-octane fuel tank without causing problems, and to separate some of the aromatic components. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel separation device capable of storing the remaining fuel as a low octane fuel in a low octane fuel tank.

  The fuel separation device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a separation membrane that separates aromatic components in the fuel as a high-octane fuel, and the exhaust gas is maintained so that the separation membrane is maintained at a set separation membrane temperature or higher. The pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of is supplied to the separation membrane, and a part of the aromatic components is separated from the high-octane fuel separated from the pre-separation fuel by the separation membrane and the pre-separation fuel. In the fuel separator that cools the remaining low-octane fuel to the set fuel temperature or less by the vehicle running wind and stores them in the high-octane fuel tank and the low-octane fuel tank, the vehicle speed is below the set speed. Sometimes, the pre-separation fuel is supplied to the separation membrane at a predetermined minimum flow rate, and the temperature of the pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of the exhaust gas is higher than the set separation membrane temperature. If the temperature of either the high-octane fuel or the low-octane fuel cooled by the traveling wind of the vehicle is higher than the set fuel temperature, the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane is stopped. The supply to the separation membrane is stopped.

  According to the fuel separation device of the first aspect of the present invention, the fuel separation device includes a separation membrane that separates aromatic components in the fuel as a high-octane fuel, and the exhaust gas is exhausted so that the separation membrane is maintained at a set separation membrane temperature or higher. The pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of the gas is supplied to the separation membrane, and the high octane fuel separated from the pre-separation fuel by the separation membrane and the remaining low-separation from which some aromatic components have been separated from the pre-separation fuel. In a fuel separator that cools the octane fuel to a set fuel temperature or lower by the driving wind of the vehicle and stores them in a high octane fuel tank and a low octane fuel tank, when the vehicle speed is lower than the set speed, the exhaust gas The pre-separation fuel that uses the heat of the fuel is insufficiently heated, and the cooling of the high-octane fuel and the low-octane fuel by the vehicle wind is insufficient. By supplying the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane at the minimum flow rate, the temperature of the pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of the exhaust gas is set to the set separation membrane temperature or higher, and the separation membrane enables good separation of aromatic components. The temperature of both the high octane fuel and the low octane fuel cooled by the driving wind of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the preset fuel temperature so that each of them has a high octane number. Store in fuel tank and low octane fuel tank. However, when the temperature of the pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of the exhaust gas becomes lower than the set separation membrane temperature, the separation membrane is made lower than the set separation membrane temperature, so that good separation is impossible. When the separation is abandoned and the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane is stopped, or the temperature of either the high-octane fuel or the low-octane fuel cooled by the vehicle wind is higher than the set fuel temperature Since storage in the fuel tank becomes impossible, the separation is abandoned and the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane is stopped, making it difficult to achieve a good separation or the separated high octane fuel Or the problem that storage of the low-octane fuel in each fuel tank becomes difficult does not occur.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a fuel separator according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a fuel separator, which includes a first compartment 1b and a second compartment 1c that are divided by a separation membrane 1a that transmits an aromatic component. The pre-separation fuel pressurized to a relatively high pressure by the first fuel pump 3 is supplied to the first compartment 1b from the pre-separation fuel tank 2 that stores the pre-separation fuel. 4 is a regulator for controlling the flow rate of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b, and 5 is a heater for heating the pressurized fuel immediately before being supplied to the first section 1b. The main heater 5 uses the heat of the exhaust gas. Reference numeral 6 denotes a first temperature sensor for measuring the fuel temperature TB heated by the heater 5 immediately upstream of the first section 1b, and the measured fuel temperature TB is input to the control unit ECU.

  The separation membrane 1a has a property of selectively permeating the aromatic component in the fuel, and when the second section 1c is maintained at a relatively low pressure, the aromatic component in the fuel before separation in the first section 1b. Penetrates the separation membrane 1a and leaches out to the surface of the separation membrane 1a on the second compartment 1c side to cover the membrane surface. In the present embodiment, the leached fuel is continuously evaporated from the membrane surface by maintaining the pressure in the second compartment 1c at a pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the leached aromatic component.

  The evaporated fuel is sucked into the condenser 8 by the vacuum pump 7, and the liquid fuel consisting of almost an aromatic component liquefied in the condenser 8, that is, the high octane fuel is cooled by the cooler 9 and put into the high octane fuel tank 10. Stored. Reference numeral 11 denotes a second temperature sensor for measuring the high octane fuel temperature TAH cooled by the first cooler 9, and the measured temperature TAH of the high octane fuel is input to the control unit ECU.

  In addition, the low octane fuel, in which a part of the aromatic components permeate through the separation membrane 1a and whose octane number is lower than that of the pre-separation fuel, is cooled by the cooler 14 and pumped to the low octane fuel tank 13 by the fuel pump 12. Stored. Reference numeral 15 denotes a third temperature sensor for measuring the low octane fuel temperature TAL cooled by the second cooler 14, and the measured temperature TAL of the example octane fuel is input to the control unit ECU.

  All the members described so far are mounted on the vehicle, and the first cooler 9 and the second cooler 14 both cool the fuel using the traveling wind of the vehicle. A vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle is also connected to the control device ECU.

  The high-octane fuel stored in the high-octane fuel tank 10 is pumped to, for example, a delivery pipe, and is injected from the delivery pipe mainly through a fuel injection valve disposed in an intake port of each cylinder at a high load, Supplied from each intake port into each cylinder. Further, the low octane fuel stored in the low octane fuel tank 13 is, for example, pumped to another delivery pipe, and injected from the delivery pipe through a fuel injection valve disposed in each cylinder mainly at a low load, Directly supplied to each cylinder.

  In this way, even when low price regular gasoline is used as the pre-separation fuel in an engine with an increased compression ratio, knocking is unlikely to occur, and at low loads, mainly through the fuel injection valves arranged in each cylinder. Low-octane fuel separated from regular gasoline can be used, and high-octane fuel separated from regular gasoline via a fuel injection valve located mainly at each intake port when high load is likely to cause knocking Can be used, and good operation without knocking can be realized.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart executed by the control unit ECU for controlling the flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b of the fuel separation unit 1. First, in step 101, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than the set speed V1. When this determination is denied, there is no particular problem. Therefore, in step 106, the flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b of the fuel separation unit 1 by the regulator 4 is, for example, the current engine load. The higher the value of Qr, the higher the Qr that is set, because a larger amount of high-octane fuel is consumed.

  However, when the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the set speed V1 and the determination in step 101 is affirmative, heating of the pre-separation fuel by the heater 5 that uses the heat of the exhaust gas is insufficient, and the traveling wind of the vehicle Since the cooling of the high-octane fuel by the first cooler 9 using the gas and the cooling of the low-octane fuel by the second cooler 14 are insufficient, a large amount of pre-separation fuel cannot be separated as in step 106. .

  Thereby, first, in step 102, it is determined whether or not the estimated or measured temperature TM of the separation membrane 1a is equal to or higher than a set separation membrane temperature TM1 that allows good separation of aromatic components. When this determination is negative, temperature increase control of the separation membrane 1a is required, and good fuel separation is impossible. In step 107, the regulator 4 moves to the first section 1b of the fuel separation unit 1 in step 107. The flow rate Q of the supplied pre-separation fuel is set to zero, that is, the supply of pre-separation fuel to the first section 1b is stopped and the fuel separation is abandoned.

  Even if the determination in step 102 is affirmed, whether or not the temperature TB of the pre-separation fuel after being heated by the heater 5 detected by the first temperature sensor 6 is equal to or higher than the set separation membrane temperature TM1 in step 103. When this determination is negative, if the pre-separation fuel is supplied to the first compartment 1b, the temperature of the separation membrane 1a is made lower than the set separation membrane temperature TM1 so that good separation is impossible. Furthermore, in step 107, the flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b of the fuel separator 1 by the regulator 4 is set to zero, that is, the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the first section 1b is Stopped and give up fuel separation.

  Even if the determination in step 103 is affirmed, the temperature TAH of the high octane fuel after cooling by the first cooler 9 detected by the second temperature sensor 11 in step 104 is equal to or lower than the set fuel temperature TF1. When the determination is negative, since the temperature is too high to be stored in the high-octane fuel tank 10, the controller 4 again uses the regulator 4 in step 107 to determine whether or not The flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b is set to zero, that is, the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the first section 1b is stopped and the fuel separation is abandoned.

  Even if the determination in step 104 is affirmed, the temperature TAL of the low octane fuel after being cooled by the second cooler 14 detected by the third temperature sensor 15 in step 105 is not more than the set fuel temperature TF1. When the determination is negative, the temperature is too high to be stored in the low-octane fuel tank 13, so that in step 107, the regulator 4 again controls the fuel separator 1. The flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b is set to zero, that is, the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the first section 1b is stopped and the fuel separation is abandoned.

  On the other hand, when all of the determinations in steps 102 to 105 are affirmed, since the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the set speed V1, a large amount of pre-separation fuel cannot be separated as in step 106. The flow rate Q of the pre-separation fuel supplied to the first section 1b of the fuel separation unit 1 by the regulator 4 is set to the minimum flow rate Qmin, and the temperature of the pre-separation fuel heated by the heater 5 using the heat of the exhaust gas. The first cooler that uses the traveling wind of the vehicle while TB is maintained at a set separation membrane temperature TM1 or higher that allows the separation membrane 1a to be set at a set separation membrane temperature TM1 or higher and allows good separation of aromatic components. The temperature TAH of the high-octane fuel cooled by the fuel tank 9 can be stored in the high-octane fuel tank 10 by setting the temperature TAH to be equal to or lower than the set fuel temperature TF1. Second cooler 14 so as the temperature TAL low octane fuel which has been cooled becomes the set fuel temperature TF1 below by utilizing the running wind, to allow storage of the low-octane fuel tank 13.

  In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as difficult separation or difficulty in storing the separated high-octane fuel or low-octane fuel in the respective fuel tanks.

1 is a schematic view showing a fuel separator according to the present invention. It is a flowchart for controlling the flow volume of fuel separation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel separation part 1a Separation membrane 5 Heater 9 First cooler 10 High octane fuel tank 14 Second cooler 13 Low octane fuel tank

Claims (1)

  A separation membrane for separating aromatic components in the fuel as a high-octane fuel, and separating the pre-separation fuel heated using the heat of exhaust gas so that the separation membrane is maintained at or above a set separation membrane temperature; The high octane number fuel supplied to the membrane and separated from the pre-separation fuel by the separation membrane and the remaining low octane number fuel from which some aromatic components have been separated from the pre-separation fuel are set by the driving wind of the vehicle In a fuel separation device that cools below a fuel temperature and stores each in a high-octane fuel tank and a low-octane fuel tank, when the vehicle speed is below a set speed, the pre-separation fuel is separated at a predetermined minimum flow rate. When the temperature of the pre-separation fuel heated using exhaust gas heat is lower than the set separation membrane temperature, the supply of the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane is stopped. The supply of the pre-separation fuel to the separation membrane is stopped when the temperature of either the high-octane fuel or the low-octane fuel cooled by the driving wind of the vehicle is higher than the set fuel temperature. Fuel separator.

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