MXPA97006113A - Fuel tank system for va recovery - Google Patents

Abstract

A fuel system for vapor recovery is described, which includes a fuel tank (12) having at least one vent opening or hole (24) defined therein. A fuel vapor container (14) is in communication with the vent opening to receive and filter the fuel vapors from the tank. A fuel replenishment control valve (22) is configured in the vent hole and has a first inlet port (30) and an outlet (34) in communication with the vapor trap. The control valve includes a floating first floating body 36, which extends to an interior of the fuel tank, which rises over a predetermined range of motion in response to the increased level of fuel. The first floating body has a buoyancy during the refueling to rise with the increased level of fuel, to contact with, and move, the floating body to a sealing position to seal the inlet port (30) of the outlet (34) at a predetermined height (41) of fuel inside the tank. The first floating body has a mechanism (42) that reduces buoyancy to automatically reduce its buoyancy after replenishment, so that it descends into the fuel tank, thereby enabling the second floating body to descend and clear the inlet orifice after refueling

Description

FUEL TANK SYSTEM FOR VAPOR RECOVERY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fuel tank system and in particular to an on-board fuel replenishment vapor recovery system. During the replenishment of fuel tanks with liquid fuel, particularly automotive fuel systems, fuel vapor or hydrocarbon gases above the liquid fuel in the inner tank normally escape into the atmosphere by displacing the vapor from the fuel. fuel as the fuel tank fills. Control agencies, such as the Agency for Environmental Protection (EPA, United States of America), have enacted increasingly stringent regulatory requirements for hydrocarbon emissions during refueling. As a result, fuel tank systems have undergone major changes in an effort to regulate and control the venting of fuel tank vapors during refueling. In an attempt to comply with regulatory requirements, several configurations of "On Board Vapor Recovery Systems" (ORVR) have been developed over the past few years. Conventional configurations of such systems have included an outlet hatch or vent in the tank, with valve and associated physical elements to allow fuel vapors to escape from the fuel tank during refueling.

REF: 25373 combusible, to a vapor trap (such as a container or drum of coal) to adsorb the hydrocarbons from the vapors of the fuel tank. Some known configurations are further augmented by a tilting valve which prevents spillage of the fuel through the outlet gate in the event that a vehicle containing the fuel tank is tipped overturned. It is known to configure the rocker valve with a fuel refueling valve in a tilt / refuel valve combination. Examples of conventional on-board refueling vapor recovery systems can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,183,087; 4,809,863; 5,054,508; 5,318,069 and 5,234,022. ORVR systems (vapor recovery on board) can also be classified as restricted systems and unrestricted systems. In unrestricted systems, a relatively large refueling valve is used to continuously vent the vapors out of the fuel tank through an outlet orifice and a steam trap during refueling operations of fuel and the normal operation of the vehicle. In restricted systems, a control valve is used to close or reduce the opening of the fuel refill valve outlet hatch during normal operation or non-refueling. In both systems a mechanism is provided to protect the steam trap or vessel from an overfill condition.

Conventional ORVR (vapor recovery on board) systems also operate with two different types of seal systems in the area of the fill pipe. In mechanical systems, a mechanical seal is generally provided in the filling line to form a seal with a refueling nozzle, so that the fuel vapors can not escape through the filling pipe to the atmosphere during refueling. In a liquid seal system, a smaller overall diameter fill line is used to provide a liquid seal with the fuel between the vapor contained in the fuel tank and the atmosphere. Refueling valves controlled by diaphragm are also well known in the art, for example as illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 5,054,508. With this device the diaphragm control element within the valve draws an internal valve plate against a seat when the cover of the filling pipe is removed to close the vent between the fuel tank and the container or drum during the operations of refueling. In other systems controlled by diaphragm, diaphragms are used to open or close one or more gates in response to the pressure differentials between the steam in the fuel tank and the steam above the filling pipe, which drives the control valve to open it or close it. However, valves controlled by diaphragm are unreliable, unstable and can not be precisely controlled because the pressure differentials are not predictable and the mechanisms that detect pressure differentials commonly use ventilation lines between the tank. fuel and filling head that sometimes clogs or clogs. In general, conventional systems are quite sophisticated mechanically and require a relatively large number of parts and connections, such as gates or ventilation holes, ventilation lines, complicated mechanical valves and the like. Conventional fuel refueling control valves are also not particularly well suited for change or placement in alternative types of systems. For example, a conventional diaphragm or float-controlled refueling valve used in a restricted system can not be easily placed in an unrestricted system. Additionally, many of the conventional refueling valves also depend on the type of sealing mechanism used between the nozzle and the fill line.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel replenishment control valve which can be easily adapted to various types of ORVR systems (vapor recovery on board). Another object of the present invention is to provide an ORVR system (vapor recovery on board) which is mechanically simple, adaptable to various configurations of ORVR (vapor recovery on board) and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel replenishment control valve which is easily adaptable to restricted systems and unrestricted systems. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fuel system which channels the hydrocarbon vapors to a fuel filter container in a controlled manner during the refueling and normal operation of the vehicle. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ORVR system (vapor recovery on board) which provides filling qualities acceptable to the customer since premature nozzle closures and fuel spills are prevented. Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be summarized in part in the following description or may be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, a fuel system for vapor recovery is provided, which has a fuel tank with at least one opening or vent hole defined therein. A fuel vapor trap, such as a carbon container filter, is provided in communication with the vent hole to receive fuel vapors from the fuel tank. A refueling control valve is configured with the vent hole. The control valve has a first inlet or orifice and an outlet in communication with the vapor trap. The control valve includes a floating first floating body, which extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank. This first floating body rises and falls over a predetermined range of movement in response to changes in fuel level in the fuel tank during refueling. The control valve further includes a second float body which is engaged by the first float body over at least a portion of the range of motion of the first float body. The first floating body has a buoyancy during refueling to rise with the increased level of fuel and to engage with, and move, the second floating body to a sealing position to seal or close the inlet of the outlet to a Default fuel height inside the fuel tank. The first floating body includes a mechanism that reduces buoyancy to automatically reduce its buoyancy after refueling, so that it descends into the fuel tank to thereby allow the second buoyant body to descend and separate from the inlet afterwards. of refueling. The second floating body includes a mechanism or sealing surface for sealing the entry orifice. The sealing mechanism may also comprise a purge valve mechanism, such as a needle valve, configured to purge the vapor pressure through the sealing mechanism in an overpressure condition in the fuel tank, such as when the vehicle rolls and stays in that position for a long period of time. Once the vehicle is straightened, the vapor pressure which has accumulated in the fuel tank must be purged in a controlled manner through the sealing mechanism before the second floating body falls out of its sealing position.

The system includes a tilting mechanism configured with the second floating body to automatically move the second floating body to its sealing position after the control valve is inclined at a predetermined angle, such as the case if the vehicle tilts or tilts in an acute angle. The embodiment of the invention incorporating the first floating body and the second floating body provides significant benefits to the user when replenishing fuel to the system. For example, the system provides "rounding" capability in refueling, where consumers typically like to round off their fuel bill to the nearest convenient number, such as a half dollar or dollar whole. After reaching a predetermined first level of fuel in the tank, the first floating body makes the second floating body move, in such a way that the sealing mechanism initially seals the first entry orifice. In this instance, the venting of the fuel tank vapors stops and an immediate overpressure occurs in the fuel tank, which closes the pressure sensitive fuel nozzle inserted in the filling pipe. However, the sealing mechanism is not really sealed firmly at this point. This condition allows an amount of additional fuel to be pumped into the tank after the first closure. The components are designed in such a way that a known specific force is required to completely seal the device. This force is related to a specific gravity of the fuel and the buoyancy of the first and second floating bodies, which include the heavy body of the first floating body. For example, the components can be designed in such a way that a known additional amount of fuel can be pumped into the tank after the first closure, which will completely seal the device and will not allow additional rounding. The additional amount of fuel is sufficient to ensure that a desired rounding has been achieved. Therefore, the floating bodies can be designed in such a way that the additional amount of fuel, which can be pumped into the tank after the first closure, is determined accurately. In this way, the exact height of the fuel inside the fuel tank can be maintained during refueling. In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system includes at least one additional vent opening or hole defined in the fuel tank. In this embodiment, the refueling control valve includes a second inlet which is in communication with the additional vent or vent via, for example, a vent line, such that the fuel vapors from The additional vent or hole passes through the refueling control valve to the filtration device. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the second vent orifice includes an automatically driven vent valve, responsive to the fuel level. This vent valve closes to a predetermined level of fuel within the fuel tank to prevent fuel from being pumped to the filtration device in an overfill condition. Commonly, the vent valve is arranged at a height below that of the refueling control valve to automatically close before the control valve in the refueling. The vent valve also preferably includes a tilting device for automatically closing the vent valve in a tilting condition of the vehicle. In an unrestricted system, the refueling control valve provides an uninhibited passage between the second inlet and the outlet during refueling and normal operation. The refueling ventilation valve according to the invention can be easily adapted for a restricted system by the provision of an automatic isolation mechanism in the valve, to isolate the second inlet from the opening or orifice that is in the valve of control. After starting refueling, this isolating mechanism automatically seals the second inlet, so that the only vapors vented to the filtering device during refueling pass through the first inlet of the control valve. Once the refueling is completed, the automatic isolation mechanism clears the second inlet and seals the first inlet, so that during normal operations, the only fuel vapors vented to the filtration device are from the orifices of additional ventilation which pass through the second inlet of the control valve. In a preferred embodiment, the automatic isolation mechanism comprises a magnetically driven fin device, configured inside the control valve. This fin device may comprise a movable magnet which attracts a metal body carried by the fin device. The movable magnet is automatically moved by a driving device, such as a cable, after starting refueling. The cable can be connected, for example to the fuel refueling door of the vehicle to be operated after the opening of the fuel gate. In accordance with the objects and advantages of the invention, a refueling control valve is provided to control the venting of fuel vapors in a fuel system from a fuel tank to a steam trap during refueling operations made out of fuel. The control valve easily adapts to a restricted system or to an unrestricted system by simply removing an isolating mechanism from the valve. The control valve operates essentially as described above. In still a further alternative embodiment according to the objects of the invention, there is provided a fuel system for vapor recovery, having a fuel tank with at least one opening or vent hole defined therein. A fuel vapor trap, such as a fuel filtration container, is in communication with the vent orifice to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank. The system includes a magnetically controlled refueling valve, configured with the opening or vent hole. The refueling valve has an entrance in communication with the ventilation hole and an outlet in communication with the steam trap. The refueling valve further comprises a magnetically controlled sealing device, configured to automatically seal the inlet of the outlet during non-refueling operations and to automatically clear the inlet of the outlet during refueling. The magnetically controlled sealing device can include an oscillating valve flap device, a magnetic source and a moving magnetic element, moved by the magnetic source, thereby causing the finning device to oscillate between an open position, wherein the orifice inlet communicates with the outlet and a closed position where the inlet is sealed from the outlet. The magnetic source may comprise a movable magnet and the movable magnetic element may comprise a metal body or ball which follows the movable magnet. In an embodiment of the invention, the movable magnet is attached to a vehicle opening device which provides access to the filling tube, such as the vehicle fuel gate. The system may also include a float valve configured with the magnetic control valve to automatically seal the inlet of the outlet during refueling at a predetermined fuel level, thereby preventing an overfill condition of the tank. The float valve also preferably includes a tilting device configured therewith for automatically sealing the inlet orifice of the outlet after the control valve is inclined at a predetermined angle. The float valve may also comprise a sinking floating body, which is at least partially filled with fuel, after refueling, to change the buoyancy and automatically clear the inlet hole after refueling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of the components of a v recovery fuel system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a refueling control valve used in the system of the figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the components, in line, of the refueling control valve; Figure 4 is a partial schematic view of the refueling control valve, showing in particular the range of motion of the floating body; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing in partial section the refueling control valve partially illustrating the section of the skirt of the first floating body; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2; Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2; Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2; Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2; Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2; Figure 11 is a top perspective view in section of a refueling valve, magnetically controlled, according to the invention; Fig. 12 is a side sectional view of the magnetically controlled refueling valve, illustrating in particular the alternative positions of the magnetically controlled fin device; and Figure 13 is a partial view of the components of the magnetically controlled valve, which illustrates in particular the drive device.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention, without deviating from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, the features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment to still produce an additional embodiment. Thus, it is proposed that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents. The numbering of the components in the drawings is consistent throughout the application, the same components have the same number in each of the drawings. The present invention relates to a fuel system for v recovery, as generally shown in Figure 1. This fuel system can be used with any conventional vehicle, such as a car, truck and so on. The fuel system can also have applications in marine vessels and spacecraft. The system 10 includes a fuel tank 12 for storing liquid fuel and a filling pipe or tube 18 with a filling head device 20 for introducing fuel into the tank 12. As discussed generally in the background section of this application, conventional fuel systems generate fuel vs inside the tank, particularly hydrocarbon gases. After refueling the tank, these gases are displaced by the incoming liquid fuel and it is desired to ventilate and filter the gases without expelling the gases into the atmosphere. Also, fuel vs are generated continuously during vehicle operation and it is also desirable to vent gases during normal vehicle operation, not only during refueling conditions. Therefore, the present invention relates to an on-board fuel replenishment vapor recovery (ORVR) system for venting fuel vapors or gases in a controlled manner during refueling and normal vehicle operations. Referring again to Figure 1 in general, the system 10 also includes at least a first vent opening or opening 24 and preferably additional vent openings or holes 26 defined in the tank, to provide access to the interior volume 28 of the tank 12. The openings or ventilation holes are in communication through, for example, ventilation lines 16, where the fuel vapors are vented to a steam trap or filtration device 14. Any way of the conventional filtration device 14 can be used in this regard, particularly cans or containers of carbon and the like. The invention is not limited to any particular type of filtering device. The vent valves 76 are arranged in the additional vent holes 26 to direct the fuel vapors to the vapor trap 14. Ventilation valves 76 may comprise any manner of conventional venting valve and preferably also use a tilting device 77 to automatically close the valve 76 after a tilt of the vehicle or sharp angle of inclination. Such tilting mechanisms are well known in the art and a detailed description thereof is not necessary for the purposes of this description. Swing valves 76 are also preferably float-operated valves that close automatically when the fuel level in the tank rises to the level of the valve, to prevent fuel from being pumped through the ventilation lines 16 into the container 14. Any way of closing mechanism by conventional float can be used in this regard. At this point, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of vent valve 76. The system 10 also includes a refueling control valve, generally referred to as 24 in Figure 1. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the control valve 22 is arranged in series with the additional vent valves 76, such that the gases or fuel vapor vented through the valves 76 pass through the control valve 22 before being transported to the filtration device 14. In this way, the control valve 22 can control the amount of steam transported to the filtration device 14 during normal operation and refueling operations, as will be described in detail below. It should be understood that any manner or arrangement of the additional vent valves may be used with the system and that the configuration shown in Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only. During the refueling operations, the fuel is pumped to the tank 12 through the filling head 20 and the filling tube 18. As the fuel level rises in the tank, the vapors above the liquid fuel must be ventilated, the vent valves 76 are generally disposed at a height in the tank below that of the control valve 22 and , in an unrestricted system, will vent the fuel vapors through the control valve 22 to the container 14, until the fuel level rises to a height which causes the ventilation valves 76 to close automatically. In a restricted system, the valves 76 would be automatically isolated from the container 14 immediately after starting the refueling, as will be explained in more detail below. Modern fuel systems are designed in such a way that at a maximum fuel level in tank 12, a vapor dome 43 still exists in the tank. Therefore, the amount of fuel or fuel height in the tank must be ensured. In other words, the operator should not have the possibility of overfilling the system. The volume of the steam dome or fuel height in the tank is established by the manufacturer and depends essentially on the design and configuration of the tank 12. The refueling control valve 22 ensures that the fuel vapors are vented from the tank during the refueling, in such a way that the fuel can be pumped into the tank and it is ensured that the tank can be overfilled. With reference in particular to Figures 2 and 3, the control valve 22 comprises a first inlet orifice 30 and an outlet 34 defined in a valve body 100. The outlet 34 is in communication with the filtration device or steam trap 14 through the ventilation lines 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the first inlet orifice 30 is defined through a lower surface of the body 100 of the valve. Access is provided to the hole 30 by means of orifice slots 110 defined in a ring element 109 generally surrounding the hole 30. A plurality of slots 110 are arranged circumferentially around the ring element 109. The first inlet port 30 is in direct communication with the outlet 34. The orifice slots 110 are disposed below the level of the tank 12 in the steam dome 43 of the system, as shown in particular in Figure 2. From this In this manner, the fuel vapors displaced by the fuel 40 during the refueling have the possibility of entering the orifice 30 through the orifice slots 110 and the outlet valve 22 through the outlet 34.

The valve 22 also includes a first floating body 36 and a second floating body 38, as shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4. The first floating body 36 may comprise a generally hollow body 64 having a lower surface 52 with a hole 50 defined therethrough. As will be described in more detail below, the first floating body 36 is floating in a variable manner since it has a characteristic first buoyancy during refueling, which causes the floating body to rise with the increased level of fuel to eventually cause that the second floating body 38 moves and closes the orifice 30. After the refueling, the first floating body 36 changes its buoyancy to sink in the fuel 40, to cause the second floating body 38 to move away from the hole 30. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the valve 22 includes a cage structure or element 62 which is attached to the lower part of the valve body 100 by means of retaining tabs 106 which engage in defined retention grooves 107 through of the cage structure 62. The cage structure 62 generally surrounds the second floating body 38. The cage structure 62 also includes coupling slots 124 defined therethrough. The first floating body 36 includes coupling ribs 130 defined longitudinally along the inner circumferential surface thereof. The ribs 130 extend through the slots 124 to physically mate with the lower part of the second floating body 38. The cage structure 62 also includes a plurality of slots 126 of longitudinal range defined therein. The first floating body 36 includes a coupling element or range tabs 128 which engage in the corresponding range slots 126. Thus, the range of motion of the first floating body 36 with respect to the cage structure 62 is defined by the longitudinal dimension of the range slots 126. In other words, the first floating body 36 will fall with the diminished levels of fuel, until the range tongues 128 engage with the lower part of the grooves 126. Also, as the level of fuel in the tank 12 rises , the first floating body 36 will also rise due to its buoyancy until the range tabs 128 engage with the upper limits of the grooves 126. As the first floating body 36 rises with the increased level of fluid, the ribs 130 which extend through the coupling grooves 124, come into contact with the lower end cap 120 of the second floating body 38. To thereby push the second floating body 38 into the hole 30. The second floating body 38 is movably received within the cage structure 62 and includes a sealing mechanism 44 for sealing the hole 30 at a predetermined height or level of fuel within the tank 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing device 44 includes a sealing rim 108, which is pressed against the defined element of the orifice 30. The rim 108 may comprise any means of elastomeric material or sealant. The flange 108 is carried by a sealing platform 112. The platform 112 has guide arms 114 extending downwardly with retaining hook elements 118. The guide arms 114 cooperate with the guide grooves 116 defined in the upper portion of the second floating body 38. During normal operation of the valve, the platform 112 bears against the face 117 of the second floating body 38. The flange 108 is retained on the platform 112 by means of the retaining ring 113. The second floating body 38 also preferably includes a mechanism for purging the pressure through the sealing device 44 in the case of an overpressure condition inside the tank 12, which would not otherwise allow the second floating body 38 to be separated from its sealing position. This can happen, for example, if the vehicle has been tilted and remains in that position for an extended period of time, in such a way that the tilting mechanisms in the ventilation valves have been closed and the fuel vapors generated in the tank are not They have the possibility to escape. Once the vehicle is straightened, the excessive vapor pressure in the steam dome 43 must be vented before the second floating body 38 disengages from its sealing position. For this purpose, the floating body 38 includes a purge valve 46. The bleed valve 46 may comprise a needle valve assembly 48. The needle valve assembly 48 extends through a hole defined in the platform 112 and through the sealing rim 108. Once the vehicle is straightened, the weight of the second floating body 38 will cause the floating body to move down relative to the platform 112 to at least the length of the guide arms 114. This allows the needle valve 28 to be separated from its respective hole in the platform 112 to allow the vapor pressure to be purged through the needle valve. Once the pressure in the dome has been matched through the needle valve, the platform 112 will also fall out of its sealing position.

The valve 22 also preferably includes a tilting mechanism, generally 56 incorporated therein. With reference in particular to Figures 2, 3 and 10, the tilting mechanism 56 includes a heavy rolling body 58, such as a steel ball. The heavy body 58 is carried by the cage structure 62 which has inclined rolling surfaces 60 defined at the bottom thereof. At a certain angle of inclination of the valve, such as in a rollover condition of the vehicle, the heavy body 58 will roll by gravity towards the hole 30 to thereby force the second floating body 38 and the sealing mechanism 44 to seal the orifice 30. Once the vehicle is straightened or the angle of inclination of the valve decreases, the heavy ball 58 will return to its resting condition to allow the second floating body 38 to be removed from its sealing position. It should be understood that the angle of inclination of the inclined rolling surfaces 60 will determine the angle at which the tilting mechanism acts. This type of tilting mechanism 56 can also be used in additional vent valves 76 as mentioned above. The first floating body 36 also includes a mechanism that reduces buoyancy, in general 42. The mechanism 42 in the embodiment illustrated includes a freely moveable heavy body 54, such as another steel ball, carried within the hollow body 64, as seen in particular in Figures 2 to 5. The heavy body 54 rests on a lower angular surface 52 of the hollow body 64. The angular surface 52 forms an essentially conical surface for the heavy body 54. An orifice 50 is defined through the lower portion of the surface 52. When the vehicle is in a position essentially at the level for refueling, the freely movable body 54 rests on the surface 52 in the position illustrated in the figures. 4 and 5 to seal the orifice 50. The orifice 50 remains sealed by the heavy body 54 as the fuel level rises within the tank 12, thereby preventing fuel from entering the hollow body 64. Thus, the first floating body 36 retains a specific desired buoyancy which is sufficient to lift the weight of the first floating body 36, the heavy body 54 and the second floating body 38. Once the refueling is complete and the vehicle begins to move, the freely movable body 54 tends to roll on the surface 52 to be exposed by this or clear the orifice 50. At this point, the liquid fuel gradually penetrates the hollow body 64 through hole 50, to thereby reduce the buoyancy of first floating body 36. Once enough fuel has entered the hollow body 64, the floating body will move downward and the second floating body 38 will move away from its sealing position. At this point, the control valve 22 acts as a conventional vent valve and tilting mechanism for fuel vapors in an unrestricted system during normal operation of the vehicle. In an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in particular in Figure 3, the first floating body 36 may comprise a first section 66 delimited by the lower surface 52 and a second section 68 without a bottom defined by the sides or the skirt section 70. A second hole 72 is defined through section 70. The operation of this mode will be described in more detail below.

Figures 7 to 10 show several cross-sectional cuts of the valve components described above, taken along the lines indicated in Figure 2 and provided for a clearer understanding of the arrangement of the components. Figures 2 to 6 illustrate an unrestrained vapor recovery system. In this system, the control valve 22 includes a second inlet 32 which is connected to the additional ventilation valves 76 through a ventilation line 16, as generally illustrated in Figure 1. The inlet 32 communicates directly with the outlet 34 In this way, the vent valves 76 vent the fuel vapors through the control valve 22 during normal operations and refueling operations. Also, the orifice 30 is in direct communication with the outlet 34, such that the control valve 22 acts essentially as an additional vent valve during normal vehicle operations. With the fuel level in the tank 12 being relatively low, the first floating body 36 is in its lower position and the fuel vapors are free to enter the orifice 30 through the orifice slots 110 and vent the device 14. filtration through outlet 34. Finally, system 10 must be refueled. As fuel is pumped into tank 12, the fuel level rises and will inevitably close additional vent valves 76. At this point, the only fuel vapor that is vented from the system is through the control valve 22.

As the fuel level continues its rise, the first buoyant body 36 will move from its first position illustrated in dashed lines in Figure 4 to its sealed position shown in solid lines, where the sealing mechanism 44 seals the hole 30. In this process, the heavy body 64 seals the hole 50, such that the first floating body 36 maintains its buoyancy. An overpressure condition is rammed in tank 12 as soon as seal mechanism 44 seals hole 30 first, since the vapor relief path will be closed as fuel is simultaneously pumped into the system. This will cause the fuel nozzle in the filling station to close due to the detected overpressure. However, the operator will still be allowed to pump an additional fuel rounding, for example, from the level indicated at 41 in Figure 2 to the level indicated at 42. This is due to the fact that the sealing device 44 does not remain completely seated and sealed in its sealing position at the initial contact of the sealing mechanism 44. From the weight and characteristics of the first and second floating bodies and the sealing mechanism, the force or sealing pressure required to maintain the second floating body sealed against the orifice can be calculated. For example, with the modalities tested by the applicant, a sealing force of about 8 grams is required to completely seal the hole 30 with the sealing mechanism 44. The sealing force of 8 grams is generated by the additional amount of fuel pumped into the tank after the first closure. Because the weight of the floating bodies 36, 38 and the heavy element 54 are known, as well as the specific gravity of the fuel, the amount of additional fuel which can be pumped into the system before the final sealing force is reached It can be easily calculated. For example, in the embodiments tested by the applicant, it is known that an additional 8 millimeters in fuel height can be pumped into the tank 12 from the first closure, where the sealing forces are essentially 0 grams, until the force sealing reaches 8 grams. Thus, it should be understood that the components of the control valve can be designed and dimensioned such that a known specific volume of fuel can be pumped into the tank 12 after the first closure. Once the sealing mechanism reaches its required sealing force, no additional vapor can escape through the valve 12 and no additional fuel can be pumped into the tank 12. In the alternative embodiment of the device illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, Additional roundings of fuel are available to the operator due to the skirt section 70 and the second hole 72. As the fuel rises in the tank and comes into contact with the lower part of the skirt section 74, the vapors they are trapped in the skirt section, which increases the buoyancy of the floating body 36. The valve will experience its first closure as described above. However, vapors trapped in the skirt section 74 will immediately tend to escape through the second orifice 72, to allow the fuel to fill the skirt section 74, thereby reducing the buoyancy of the floating body 36. Thus, additional fuel must be pumped into the tank to force the now floating body 36 of reduced buoyancy to rise and move the second floating body 38 to its initial sealing position at 0 grams of sealing force where another closure will occur. At this point, additional rounding of the fuel can be added to tank 12 until the required sealing force of approximately 8 grams is obtained, as described above. In this point, no additional fuel can be added to the tank 12. Once the vehicle begins to move after refueling, the heavy body 54 will roll or move inside the hollow cylinder 64 to allow fuel to enter the body 64 through of the hole 50. Thus, the first floating body 36 will lose buoyancy and move downward, to allow the second floating body 38 to move away from the orifice 30. At this point, the refueling control valve 22 acts as a valve of additional ventilation in unrestricted systems. The control valve 22 can be easily configured as a magnetically controlled refueling valve, for use in a restricted system, by placing an automatic isolation mechanism 80 within the valve body 100. With reference in particular to Figures 11 to 13, the automatic isolation mechanism 80 includes a movable fin device 82, formed by angular elements. The fin device 82 carries a metal body 86 which can be moved within the valve body 100. An inclined face 103 is defined at the inlet 32 within the body 100 of the valve. The fin device 82 will lean and rest against the face 103 inclined in movement of the metal body 86 in that direction. Tabs 83 are provided to prevent the metal body 86 from sealing the outlet 34.

The isolation mechanism 80 further includes a movable magnet 84 disposed in a bracket or clamp assembly 104 of the valve body 100. The magnet 84 is moved or controlled by a drive device 88, such as the cable 90. A spring mechanism 132 can be provided to drive the magnet 84 to a normal non-refueling position. Referring in particular to Figure 13, the drive device 88 may include a gate 92 for the fuel, which opens to provide access to the filling head 20. The cable 90 is connected to the gate 90, so that as the door 92 opens, the movable magnet 84 moves toward the inlet 32. The metal body 86 follows the movement of the magnet 84 and causes the device 82 to move. of fins is inclined and seated against the inclined face 103, to essentially seal the inlet 32. The opposite element of the finned device 82 is tilted upwards and is separated from the hole 30. Thus, during refueling with the door 92 of the fuel in the open position, the inlet 32 is sealed by the finned device 82 and the only fuel vapors vented from the tank 12 pass through the orifice 30. The floating bodies and the remaining components of the valve are essentially as described previously. After the refueling is complete and the fuel gate 92 closes, the movable magnet 84 is driven to its non-provisioning position by the spring mechanism 132, which draws the metal body 86 to its non-provisioning position as it is indicated in solid lines in Fig. 12. In this position, the wing device 82 seals hole 30 and separates from inlet 32. In this way, during non-supply operations, the only fuel vapors vented from the tank 12 are through the additional vent valves 76 and the second inlet 32. It should be understood that the magnetic isolation mechanism described herein with respect to Figures 11 to 13 is no more than a single embodiment of one type of mechanism appropriate drive. For example, any magnetic source means may be applied to move the metallic body 86. For example, an electromagnetic generating device may be used. Additionally, spring-loaded isolation devices or other mechanical isolation devices can also be used. It is in the scope and spirit of the invention to include any appropriate isolation mechanism in this regard. The valve described herein is particularly useful from a manufacturing and cost point of view since the valve can be easily configured for unrestricted and restricted systems. The only differ between the valves in either one configuration or another is the automatic isolation mechanism 80. The fin device 82 and the metal ball 86 are relatively inexpensive components and are simply dropped into the valve body 100, if the valve is used in a restricted system. The bracket or clamp assembly 104 defined in the valve body 100 does not affect the operation of the valve in an unrestricted system and is easily configured with the movable magnet 84. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the components indicated and described as separate components can be formed integrally with other components. Additionally, it should be evident that the relative sizes and weights of the components may vary depending on the particularities of the fuel system in which the control valves are used. It is proposed that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. It is noted that, in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (43)

1. Claims 1. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank; and a replenishment control valve configured with the vent hole, the control valve has a first inlet and outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, which is extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank, which rises by a predetermined range of motion in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during refueling, the control valve further comprising a second floating body movable in relation to the first floating body and coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body has a buoyancy during refueling to rise with the increased level of fuel and to engage with, and make move the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the entrance of the exit to a predetermined height of the fuel inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces the buoyancy, to automatically reduce its buoyancy after the refueling, in such a way that it descends into the fuel tank , to allow the second floating body to descend and separate from the inlet after refueling.
2. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second floating body further comprises a sealing mechanism for sealing the inlet.
3. 3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the sealing mechanism further comprises a purge valve mechanism configured to purge the vapor pressure through the sealing mechanism in an overpressure condition in the fuel tank, to allow through that the second floating body falls from the sealing position.
4. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanism that reduces buoyancy comprises a hole defined in a lower surface of the first floating body and a freely movable heavy body carried within the first floating body, the heavy body is movable from a position at rest during the refueling in which it seals the orifice to alternative positions, wherein the fuel enters the first floating body through the orifice after the refueling.
5. 5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the lower surface comprises an angular surface.
6. 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a tilting mechanism configured with the second floating body for automatically moving the second floating body to the sealing position after the control valve is inclined at a predetermined angle.
7. 7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first floating body comprises a generally hollow body having a first section delimited by a lower part with a hole defined therethrough which is sealed during refueling by a device that seals the hole and a second section without bottom defined by the sides, with a second hole defined therethrough, wherein the vapors of the fuel trapped in the second section during refueling escape through the second orifice, to thereby change the buoyancy of the first floating body during refueling.
8. 8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that the first section of the first floating body comprises a cylinder and the second section comprises a skirt section adjacent to the cylinder.
9. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one additional vent hole defined in the fuel tank, the fuel replenishment control valve further comprises a second inlet in communication with the additional vent hole, in such a way that fuel vapors from the additional vent hole pass through the refueling control valve to the steam trap.
10. 10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises a controllable ventilation valve, sensitive to the fuel level, configured with the additional ventilation hole, the ventilation valve automatically closes to a predetermined level of fuel inside the fuel tank .
11. 11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that the vent valve is arranged at a height below that of the refueling control valve, to automatically close before the control valve in the refueling.
12. 12. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that the ventilation valve further comprises a tilting device for automatically closing the vent valve when the vent valve is inclined at a predetermined angle.
13. 13. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank; and a refueling control valve configured with the vent hole, the control valve has a first inlet and outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, which extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank, which rises over a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during refueling, the control valve further comprises a second floating body coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body has a buoyancy during refueling to rise with the increased level of fuel and to engage with and move the second floating body to a position of sealing, to seal the entrance of the exit to une Default fuel size inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism < "-e reduces buoyancy, to automatically reduce its buoyancy after refueling, such that it descends into the fuel tank to allow the second floating body to descend and separate from the inlet after refueling, the valve The control system further comprises a tilting mechanism configured with the second floating body for moving the second floating body to the sealing position when the control valve is inclined at a predetermined angle, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises a heavy rolling body that is supported on an inclined rolling surface generally below the second floating body, the rolling heavy body automatically moves the floating body to the sealing position by gravity at the predetermined angle, the inclined surface has an angle which determines the predetermined angle at which the tilting device is activated.
14. 14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a cage structure that generally surrounds the second floating body, the tilting mechanism is disposed within the cage structure, the first floating body is coupled with the second floating body by means of of the cage structure.
15. 15. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank; a refueling control valve configured with the vent hole, the control valve has a first inlet and an outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, which it extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank, which rises over a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during refueling, the control valve further comprising a second floating body coupled by the first floating body on at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body has a buoyancy during refueling to rise with the increased level of fuel and to engage with and move the second floating body to a position of sealed, to seal the entrance of the exit to a Pre-determined fuel inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces buoyancy, to automatically reduce its buoyancy after refueling, so that it descends into the fuel tank, to allow the second body float descends and separates from the inlet after refueling; at least one additional vent hole defined in the fuel tank, the refueling control valve further comprises a second inlet in communication with the additional vent hole, such that the fuel vapors from the additional vent hole pass through the refueling control valve to a steam trap, wherein the refueling control valve further comprises an automatic isolation mechanism configured therein, to isolate the additional vent hole from the trap of steam in the refueling.
16. 16. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that the automatic isolation mechanism comprises a magnetically driven fin device, configured inside the control valve to move to a position to seal the second inlet automatically after the start of refueling, in such a way that the only fuel vapors vented to the steam trap during refueling pass through the first inlet.
17. 17. The system according to claim 16, characterized in that the fin device comprises a movable magnet which pulls a metal body carried by the finned device, the movable magnet is automatically moved by means of a driving device after the start of the replenishment of gas.
18. 18. The system according to claim 16, characterized in that after replenishment of fuel, the finned device automatically moves to an alternative position, where it seals the first entry, in such a way that during the conditions of non-provisioning, the only vapors of vented fuel to the steam trap pass through the second inlet.
19. 19. A refueling control valve to control the venting of fuel vapors in a fuel system from a fuel tank to a steam trap during refueling operations to prevent an overfill or saturation condition of the trap of steam, the control valve comprises a first inlet configured to receive the fuel vapors and an outlet configured to direct the fuel vapors to a steam trap, the control valve comprises a first floating chute having a length to extend to an inner volume of a fuel tank, the first floating body has a characteristic first buoyancy, to rise above a predetermined range of motion in response to the increased level of fluid in the fuel tank during refueling, the control valve comprises in addition a second cue f movable lotante in relation to the first floating body and physically coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body engages and moves the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the inlet From the output to a predetermined fuel height within the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces buoyancy, to reduce its buoyancy to a second characteristic after refueling, such that it descends into the fuel tank. fuel to allow the second floating pipe to descend and separate from the entrance.
20. 20. The control valve according to claim 19, characterized in that the second floating body further comprises a sealing mechanism for sealing the inlet.
21. 21. The control valve according to claim 20, characterized in that the sealing mechanism further comprises a purge valve mechanism configured to purge the vapor pressure through the sealing mechanism in an overpressure condition in the fuel tank, for allow by this the second floating coil to fall from the sealing position.
22. 22. The control valve according to claim 19, characterized in that the buoyancy reducing mechanism comprises a bore defined in a lower surface of the first floating body and a movable heavy hoist freely carried within the first floating body, the movable heavy body, is movable from a rest position during refueling, in which it seals the orifice to alternative positions, where the fuel enters the first floating shell through the orifice after refueling.
23. 23. The control valve according to claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises a tilting mechanism configured with the second floating body for automatically moving the second floating body to the sealing position after the control valve is inclined at a predetermined angle.
24. 24. The control valve according to claim 19, characterized in that the first floating body comprises a generally hollow core having a first section delimited by a lower part with a hole defined therethrough which is sealed during refueling by means of an orifice sealing device and a second bottomless section, defined by the sides, with a second hole defined therethrough, wherein the vapors of the fuel trapped in the second section during the refueling escape through the second orifice, to thereby change the buoyancy of the first floating body during refueling.
25. 25. The control valve according to claim 24, characterized in that the first section of the first floating body comprises a cylinder and the second section comprises a skirt section adjacent to the cylinder.
26. 26. The control valve according to claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises a second inlet configured to be connected in steam communication with at least one vent hole in a fuel tank, the second inlet being in steam communication with the output and is arranged not to be sealed by the second floating feature.
27. 27. A refueling control valve to control the venting of fuel vapors in a fuel system from a fuel tank to a steam trap during refueling operations to prevent an overfill or saturation condition of the trap of steam, the control valve is characterized in that it comprises a first inlet configured to receive the vapors of the fuel and an outlet configured to direct the fuel vapors to a vapor trap, the control valve comprises a first floating coil that floats in a manner variable, which has a length to extend to an interior volume of a fuel tank, the first floating body has a first buoyancy characteristic to rise above a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased fuel level in the fuel tank during the refueling In addition, the control valve further comprises a second floating body physically coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body comes into contact and moves the second floating body to a sealing position. , to seal the entrance of the exit to a predetermined fuel height inside the fuel tank, the first floating wing has a mechanism that reduces the buoyancy, to reduce its buoyancy to a second feature after the refueling, in such a way that descending in the fuel tank, to allow the second floating body to descend and separate from the inlet, the control valve further comprises a tilting mechanism, configured with the second floating body to automatically move the second floating body to the position of sealed after the control valve is tilted at a predetermined angle Where the tilting mechanism comprises a rolling heavy body that rests on a rolling surface generally inclined below the second floating body, the rolling heavy body automatically moves the second floating body to the sealing position by gravity at the predetermined angle , the inclined surface has an angle which determines the predetermined angle at which the tilting device acts.
28. 28. The control valve according to claim 27, characterized in that it further comprises a cage structure which generally surrounds the second floating cavity, the tilting mechanism is disposed within the cage structure.
29. 29. A refueling control valve to control the venting of fuel vapors in a fuel system from a fuel tank to a steam trap during refueling operations to prevent an overfill or saturation condition of the trap of steam, the steam valve comprises a first inlet configured to receive the fuel vapors and an outlet configured to direct the vapors of the fuel to a steam trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, which has a length to extend to an interior volume of a fuel tank, the first floating body has a characteristic first buoyancy, to ascend over a predetermined range of motion in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during refueling, the control valve further comprises a second floating body physically coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body comes into contact with and moves the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the exit inlet to a predetermined fuel height inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces buoyancy to reduce its buoyancy to a second characteristic after refueling, so that it falls in the fuel tank to allow the second floating body to descend and separate from the inlet, the control valve further comprises a second inlet configured to be connected in steam communication with at least one vent in a fuel tank, the second entrance is in steam communication with the exit and arranged to not be sealed by the second floating body, the control valve further comprises an isolation device for automatically isolating the second inlet from the outlet at a desired point in time during refueling.
30. 30. The control valve according to claim 29, characterized Dorque the isolation device comprises a magnetically driven fin device, configured inside the control valve to move to a position to seal the second entry automatically after starting the refueling .
31. 31. The system according to claim 30, characterized in that the finned device comprises a movable magnet which pulls a metal body carried by the finning device, the movable magnet moves automatically by means of a driving device after the beginning of the refueling .
32. 32. The system according to claim 29, characterized in that the isolation device comprises an automatic valve closing device operatively arranged upstream of the second inlet to isolate the second inlet from the additional steam orifices at a desired fuel level. inside a fuel tank.
33. 33. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank; and a magnetically controlled refueling valve configured with the vent hole, the refueling valve has an inlet in communication with the vent hole and an outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the refueling valve comprises in addition a magnetically controlled sealing device, configured to automatically seal the exit inlet during non-refueling operations and to automatically open the exit inlet during refueling.
34. 34. The system according to claim 33, characterized in that the magnetically controlled sealing device comprises an oscillating fin device, a magnetic source and a mobile magnetic element that is moved by a magnetic source, to cause the finned device to oscillate between an open position, where the entrance communicates with the exit and a closed position where the entrance is sealed from the exit.
35. 35. The system according to claim 34, characterized in that the magnetic source is configured to automatically drive the moving magnetic element to the closed position after the start of the refueling.
36. 36. The system according to claim 35, characterized in that the magnetic source comprises a movable magnet and the mobile magnetic element comprises a metal body which follows the movement of the mobile magnet.
37. 37. The system according to claim 36, characterized in that it also comprises a filling head that allows the admission of fuel to the fuel tank and a filling pipe that connects the filling head to the fuel tank, the movable magnet is attached to a opening device configured to provide access to the filling head for automatically moving the moving magnetic element to the closed position after opening of the opening device for refueling.
38. 38. The system according to claim 35, characterized in that the magnetic source comprises an electrically controlled source.
39. 39. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive fuel vapors from the fuel tank; and a refueling control valve configured with the vent hole, the control valve has a first inlet and outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, which extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank, which rises over a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during the refueling, the control valve further comprises a second floating body coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body has a buoyancy during the refueling, to rise with the increased level of fuel and to engage with and move the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the entrance of the exit to a predetermined height of fuel inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces buoyancy to automatically reduce its buoyancy after refueling, so that it descends into the fuel tank, to allow the second floating body descend and separate from the inlet after the refueling, the second floating wing has a sealing mechanism to seal the inlet and a purge valve mechanism that includes a needle valve assembly configured to purge the vapor pressure through of the sealing mechanism in an overpressure condition in the fuel tank, thereby enabling the second floating shell to fall from the sealing position.
40. 40. A refueling control valve to control the venting of fuel vapors in a fuel system from a fuel tank to a steam trap during refueling operations, to prevent an overfill or saturation condition of the fuel steam trap, the control valve comprises a first inlet configured to receive the fuel vapors and an outlet configured to direct the fuel vapors to a steam trap, the control valve comprises a floating first floating body, having a length to extend to an interior volume of a fuel tank, the first floating body has a characteristic first buoyancy, to rise above a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during refueling. fuel, control valve c further comprising a second floating body physically coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body comes into contact with and moves the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the entrance of the body. the exit to a predetermined height of the fuel inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a mechanism that reduces the buoyancy, to reduce its buoyancy to a second characteristic after the refueling, in such a way that it descends into the fuel tank , to allow the second floating body to descend and separate from the inlet, the second floating body has a sealing mechanism for sealing the inlet and a purge valve mechanism that includes a needle valve assembly configured to purge the pressure of the valve. steam through the sealing mechanism in an overpressure condition in the tank c ombustible, to allow by this the second floating body to fall from the sealing position.
41. 41. A fuel system for vapor recovery, characterized in that it comprises: a fuel tank having at least one vent hole defined therein; a fuel vapor trap in communication with the vent hole to receive the fuel vapors from the fuel tank; and a magnetically controlled refueling valve configured with the vent hole, the refueling valve has an inlet in communication with the vent hole and an outlet in communication with the vapor trap, the refueling valve comprises In addition, a magnetically controlled sealing device configured to automatically seal the inlet of the outlet during non-refueling operations and to automatically open the outlet inlet during refueling, the refueling valve further comprises a first floating body floating in a variable manner, which extends to an interior volume of the fuel tank, which rises over a predetermined range of movement in response to the increased level of fuel in the fuel tank during the refueling In addition, the control valve further comprises a second floating body movable relative to the first floating body and coupled by the first floating body over at least a portion of the range of motion, the first floating body having buoyancy during the replenishment of fuel, to rise with the increased fuel level and couple with and move the second floating body to a sealing position to seal the exit inlet at a predetermined fuel height inside the fuel tank, the first floating body has a a mechanism that reduces buoyancy to automatically reduce its buoyancy after refueling, so that it descends in the fuel tank, to allow the second floating boom to descend and separate from the inlet after refueling.
42. 42. The system according to claim 41, characterized in that the fuel replenishment valve further comprises a tilting device configured to automatically seal the inlet of the outlet after the refueling valve is tilted at a predetermined angle.
43. 43. The system according to claim 41, characterized in that the first floating body comprises a floating sinking shaft, which is at least partially filled with fuel after refueling, to change the buoyancy and automatically separate from the inlet afterwards. of refueling.