Fuel heater and carrier with same

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of fuel heating, and discloses a fuel heater and a carrier with the fuel heater, the fuel heater comprises an outer pipe, an inner pipe, an insulating layer and a heating piece, and the outer pipe is provided with an oil inlet and an oil outlet. The inner pipe is located in the outer pipe, a containing cavity is defined by the inner pipe and the outer pipe, and the containing cavity is communicated with the oil inlet and the oil outlet. The insulating layer is arranged in the inner pipe, and the heating piece is embedded in the insulating layer and arranged in the axial direction of the insulating layer. The safety protection of the fuel heater is enhanced while the heating efficiency is improved, the safety of a heating piece is improved, the service life of the heating piece is prolonged, and the problem that in the prior art, the safety of a fuel heater is poor is solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fuel heating, in particular to a fuel heater and a carrier with the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] The core function of the fuel heater is to accurately control the fuel temperature, optimize the physical properties of the fuel, and ultimately provide protection for the efficient and stable fuel injection of the engine. Especially in low temperature environments or when using alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol, the fuel heater can solve the problem of engine cold start difficulty caused by the poor flowability of fuel at low temperature, which leads to the clogging of the fuel injector.

[0003] In the prior art, the fuel heater directly contacts the fuel with the heating element to heat the fuel, which has safety hazards, and the heating element is easily corroded and worn, significantly reducing the service life of the heater. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present application provides a fuel heater and a carrier with the same to solve the problem of poor safety of the fuel heater in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a fuel heater, comprising: an outer pipe, the outer pipe being provided with an oil inlet and an oil outlet; an inner pipe, the inner pipe being located in the outer pipe, the inner pipe and the outer pipe surrounding to form a containing cavity, the containing cavity being provided in communication with the oil inlet and the oil outlet; an insulation layer, the insulation layer being provided in the inner pipe; a heating element, the heating element being embedded in the inner part of the insulation layer, the heating element being arranged along the axial direction of the insulation layer.

[0006] By providing the oil inlet and the oil outlet on the outer pipe, the oil inlet and the oil outlet are respectively provided on the opposite surfaces of the outer pipe, the oil inlet is used to introduce alcohol fuel, the inner pipe and the outer pipe surround to form a containing cavity, and the containing cavity is used to store fuel. The containing cavity is an annular space, and the length of the containing cavity in the axial direction is significantly greater than the length in the radial direction, so that the fuel in the containing cavity can fully spread along the inner surface of the inner pipe and the inner surface of the outer pipe.

[0007] The insulation layer is provided in the inner pipe, and the heating element is embedded in the inner part of the insulation layer, so that the heating element is insulated from the inner pipe, and the heating element is used to transfer heat to the inner pipe, so that the heat is further transferred to the fuel in the containing cavity formed by the inner pipe and the outer pipe, achieving the purpose of heating the fuel. Further, the heating element is arranged along the axial direction of the insulation layer, and the length of the insulation layer is consistent with the lengths of the inner pipe and the outer pipe, so that the length of the heating element in the axial direction is consistent with the lengths of the inner pipe and the outer pipe, so that the pipe wall of the inner pipe can fully receive the heat of the heating element, and further transfer the heat to the fuel in the containing cavity, avoiding the local heating of the inner pipe leading to uneven heating of the fuel, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the fuel.

[0008] Further, since the heating element needs to be powered to generate heat, and the fuel has strong volatility and is easy to form a combustible mixture, it has certain conductivity. Therefore, the insulation layer is arranged to wrap the heating element, which can completely physically separate the heating element from the fuel in the containing cavity, thereby blocking the electrical connection between the heating element and the fuel, avoiding electric leakage and electric spark to cause safety accidents.

[0009] That is, the application improves the heating effect, sets the inner tube and the outer tube to form a containing cavity as a fuel passage, realizes the first physical protection between the liquid fuel and the heating element, and further wraps the insulation layer outside the heating element to realize the second physical protection between the mixed gaseous fuel and the heating element, so as to improve the heating efficiency and enhance the safety protection of the fuel heater, improve the safety and service life of the heating element, and solve the problem of poor safety of the fuel heater in the prior art.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the heating element is a thick film resistor, and the thick film resistor is distributed in a spiral shape along the axis of the insulation layer, so that the heat generated by the thick film resistor can be uniformly transmitted to the inner wall of the inner tube in the radial direction, avoiding the problem that the local heat conduction path is too long due to the deviation of the resistor distribution, thereby affecting the heat conduction efficiency.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the insulation layer has a tubular structure, and the insulation layer has a cavity. Since the inner tube has a tubular structure, the insulation layer is arranged in a tubular structure to fit the pipe wall of the inner tube. The heating element is embedded in the inner part of the insulation layer, so that the heating element is isolated from the fuel under the action of the insulation layer.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the fuel heater further comprises: a plug-in part located at one end of the cavity, the plug-in part being arranged at the end of the inner tube and located in the cavity; and a control module located in the plug-in part, the control module being connected with the heating element, and the control module being used to control the power-on or power-off of the heating element.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the fuel heater further comprises: an insulating filling layer located in the cavity, which avoids heat conduction from the cavity to the outside of the pipe body, thereby reducing heat loss.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the inner tube comprises an inner tube body and a first flange, one end of the inner tube body is provided with the first flange, the first flange is arranged along the circumference of the inner tube body and is arranged on the side facing the outer tube. The outer tube comprises an outer tube body and a second flange, one end of the outer tube body away from the first flange is provided with the second flange, the second flange is arranged along the circumference of the outer tube body and is arranged on the side facing the inner tube body, the second flange is connected with the inner tube body, and the first flange is connected with the outer tube body. Wherein, the inner tube body, the outer tube body, the first flange and the second flange form a containing cavity, so that the inner tube and the outer tube are simple and convenient to assemble, and the assembly error is reduced.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, multiple oil outlets are provided, and an injector seat is also provided on the outer pipe. The injector seat is located at the oil outlet, and there are multiple injector seats. The multiple injector seats are arranged one-to-one with the multiple oil outlets to ensure that the fuel flows smoothly from the receiving cavity to the internal channel of the injector seat.

[0016] In one alternative embodiment, the insulating layer is made of at least one of alumina ceramic, aluminum nitride ceramic, borosilicate glass, polyimide, and epoxy resin. These materials possess properties such as high insulation, high temperature resistance, resistance to fuel corrosion, and good mechanical properties.

[0017] In one alternative embodiment, the insulation filling layer is made of at least one of ceramic fibers, glass fibers, polyurethane foam, and polystyrene foam. These materials possess excellent thermal insulation properties, good chemical stability, suitable mechanical strength, and compatibility with other components.

[0018] Secondly, the present invention also provides a carrier comprising the fuel heater described in the above embodiments.

[0019] Since the vehicle includes a fuel heater, which has the same effect as a fuel heater, it will not be described further here. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of a fuel heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another fuel heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the heating element of a fuel heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another fuel heater according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 6 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point B in the middle; Figure 7 for Figure 4Enlarged view of point C in the middle; Figure 8 for Figure 4 Enlarged diagram of point D in the middle.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Outer pipe; 11. Oil inlet; 12. Oil outlet; 13. Outer pipe body; 14. Second flange; 15. Injector housing; 20. Inner tube; 21. Receiving cavity; 22. Inner tube body; 23. First flange; 30. Insulation layer; 40. Heating element; 50. Connectors; 60. Control module; 70. Thermal insulation filling layer. Detailed Implementation

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0026] Exemplary embodiments according to this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application is thorough and complete, and that the concept of these exemplary embodiments is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, for clarity, the thickness of layers and regions may be exaggerated, and the same reference numerals are used to denote the same devices, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0027] In traditional technologies, fuel injection systems generally employ dual-fuel systems. Dual-fuel systems were developed to address the poor low-temperature starting performance of alternative fuels such as methanol. From a fuel characteristics perspective, methanol's volatility and ignition properties are far inferior to gasoline at low temperatures. At low temperatures, methanol struggles to form a sufficiently concentrated and easily ignitable air-fuel mixture. Directly using methanol to start the engine can easily lead to starting difficulties, unstable idling, or even complete failure to start.

[0028] Dual-fuel injection systems include two fuel tanks, one for methanol and one for gasoline. However, the two independent fuel systems, each with its own fuel tank, pump, filter, and injection system, significantly increase the number of components in the entire system. The layout in the engine compartment requires more space and piping considerations, which also increases the system's manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0029] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, related technologies have improved dual-fuel injection systems. By employing a single-cylinder heating system—where the fuel tank stores only methanol, and a methanol pump and filter deliver methanol to the fuel injection system—and using four heating modules to heat each cylinder, fuel atomization and combustion at low temperatures are improved, thereby enhancing engine cold-start performance and simplifying the system structure. Compared to a dual-fuel system, the single-cylinder heating system eliminates the need for a complete fuel system, resulting in structural simplification.

[0030] However, a single-cylinder heating system still has four heating modules and one heating controller. These heating-related components also need to be arranged in the engine compartment. Considering issues such as compatibility with the engine cylinders and wiring connections, there will still be difficulties in the arrangement. Moreover, the presence of heating modules and controllers will increase the application cost of the system.

[0031] It should be noted that this application is an improvement based on the aforementioned single-cylinder heating system.

[0032] In some other related technologies, gasoline is directly introduced into the fuel line of the gasoline heater, and a heating resistance wire is installed inside the fuel line. The gasoline is in direct contact with the heating resistance wire, which can increase the heating efficiency of the gasoline and allow the gasoline to quickly reach the supercritical state. However, since the heating resistance wire needs to generate heat by passing current when it is working, the local temperature of the resistance surface is very easy to get out of control when the heating resistance wire is in direct contact with the gasoline, which can lead to safety accidents.

[0033] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 8 The following describes embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in one aspect, a fuel heater is provided. For example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the fuel heater includes an outer tube 10, an inner tube 20, an insulation layer 30, and a heating element 40. The outer tube 10 is provided with an oil inlet 11 and an oil outlet 12. The inner tube 20 is located inside the outer tube 10. The inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10 form a receiving cavity 21. The receiving cavity 21 is connected to the oil inlet 11 and the oil outlet 12. The insulation layer 30 is disposed inside the inner tube 20. The heating element 40 is embedded inside the insulation layer 30 and is arranged along the axial direction of the insulation layer 30.

[0035] An inlet 11 and an outlet 12 are provided on the outer pipe 10, respectively, on opposite surfaces of the outer pipe 10. The inlet 11 is used to introduce alcohol fuel. The inner pipe 20 and the outer pipe 10 enclose a receiving cavity 21 for storing fuel. The receiving cavity 21 is an annular space, and its axial length is significantly greater than its radial length, allowing the fuel in the receiving cavity 21 to fully spread along the inner surfaces of the inner pipe 20 and the outer pipe 10.

[0036] An insulating layer 30 is provided inside the inner tube 20, and a heating element 40 is embedded inside the insulating layer 30, thus isolating the heating element 40 from the inner tube 20. The heating element 40 is used to transfer heat to the inner tube 20, which is then further transferred to the fuel in the receiving cavity 21 formed by the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10, thereby heating the fuel. Furthermore, the heating element 40 is arranged along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30, and the length of the insulating layer 30 is consistent with that of the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10. This ensures that the axial length of the heating element 40 is consistent with the lengths of the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10, allowing the inner tube 20 wall to fully receive the heat from the heating element 40 and further transfer the heat to the fuel in the receiving cavity 21. This avoids uneven fuel heating caused by localized heating of the inner tube 20, thereby improving the fuel heating efficiency.

[0037] Furthermore, since the heating element 40 needs to be energized to generate heat during operation, and the fuel is highly volatile and easily forms a combustible mixture, and has a certain degree of conductivity, the insulation layer 30 is used to wrap the heating element 40. This completely physically isolates the heating element 40 from the fuel in the receiving cavity 21, thereby blocking the electrical connection between the heating element 40 and the fuel, and preventing leakage from generating electric sparks that could lead to safety accidents.

[0038] In other words, while improving the heating effect, this application sets up an inner tube 20 and an outer tube 10 to form a cavity 21 as a fuel channel, which realizes the first physical protection between the liquid fuel and the heating element 40. Then, by wrapping the heating element 40 with an insulating layer 30, a second physical protection is realized between the mixed gaseous fuel and the heating element 40, thereby achieving the safety protection of the fuel heater, improving the safety and service life of the heating element 40, and solving the problem of poor safety of fuel heaters in the prior art.

[0039] Meanwhile, compared with the existing technology that uses multiple heating modules and a heating control system, this application simplifies the heater structure and reduces costs.

[0040] In this embodiment, there are four oil outlets 12 and one oil inlet 11. In other embodiments, the number of oil inlets 11 and oil outlets 12 is not limited to this. For example, there may be two or three oil inlets 11, and six or eight oil outlets 12.

[0041] In addition, the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10 in this embodiment are both made of rigid materials, specifically stainless steel, which has high thermal conductivity and strong corrosion resistance.

[0042] It should be noted that the fuel heater in this application is an improvement on the alcohol fuel heater, but those skilled in the art can easily replace the alcohol fuel with gasoline. The type of fuel is not limited; the ultimate goal is to solve the problem of difficult cold starts of engines at low temperatures. Based on this, the fuel heater in this embodiment further improves heating efficiency and also ensures the safety of the heater in use.

[0043] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the heating element 40 is a thick film resistor, and the thick film resistors are distributed in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30.

[0044] In this embodiment, the thick film resistor is coated inside the insulating layer 30 using a screen printing process. The specific process is as follows: first, the insulating layer 30 is coated along the inner wall of the inner tube 20; then, the thick film resistor is placed on the inner wall of the insulating layer 30; finally, the insulating layer 30 is coated on the inner wall of the thick film resistor, thus forming a structure in which the thick film resistor is embedded in the insulating layer 30.

[0045] Specifically, the fabrication process of embedding the thick film resistor within the insulating layer 30 is as follows: Step 1: Select ceramic (such as alumina, aluminum nitride) or modified high-temperature resistant resin as the substrate for the insulating layer, and prepare the resistance paste according to the resistance value requirements. Step Two: Apply an insulating paste (such as ceramic paste or high-temperature resistant resin) to the insulating substrate via casting or screen printing. Pre-dry at 80-150℃ for 10-30 minutes to form an insulating underlayer with a thickness of 50-100μm, providing a smooth base for the resistive layer. Then, use precision screen printing to print the resistive paste onto the surface of the insulating underlayer. Immediately after printing, dry at 60-80℃ for 15 minutes for initial fixation to prevent paste dripping in subsequent processes. Apply another layer of insulating paste (consistent with the underlayer material) to the printed resistive layer surface. Use a scraper or vacuum injection to ensure the insulating paste completely fills the gaps in the resistive layer, forming a sealed insulating structure that encapsulates the resistor.

[0046] Step 3: Sinter the sealed insulating structure that encapsulates the resistor. Use laser etching to create windows at both ends of the insulating layer to expose the resistive layer. Then, use vacuum evaporation or electroplating to prepare silver / copper electrodes to ensure ohmic contact with the resistive layer.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the thick film resistors are spirally distributed along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30. The central axis of the thick film resistors is set to coincide with the central axis of the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10, so that the heat generated by the thick film resistors can be uniformly transferred radially to the inner wall of the inner tube 20, avoiding excessively long local heat conduction paths caused by the offset of the resistance distribution, which would affect the heat conduction efficiency.

[0048] In one alternative embodiment, the spiral structure can be adjusted by changing the pitch and spiral diameter to ensure a high degree of fit between the heating area of ​​the thick-film resistor and the contact area of ​​the inner tube 20. This matching method avoids heat waste caused by localized heat concentration in the thick-film resistor but insufficient heating surface of the inner tube 20, or heating inefficiency caused by redundant heating surface of the inner tube 20 but dispersed heat generation of the thick-film resistor, thereby ensuring that every unit of heat is applied to the fuel.

[0049] It should be noted that the shape of the thick film resistor can be adjusted as needed.

[0050] In one embodiment (not shown), the thick-film resistor can be laid out flat along the circumference of the insulating layer 30, i.e., there is only one thick-film resistor, and both the thick-film resistor and the insulating layer 30 have a cylindrical structure. This arrangement further enhances the heating effect of the thick-film resistor, significantly improving the heating efficiency of the fuel.

[0051] In another embodiment not shown, the thick film resistors may be arranged around the circumference of the insulating layer 30 and spaced apart along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30, that is, the thick film resistors are configured as multiple ring structures and are evenly spaced apart along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30.

[0052] In another embodiment, not shown, the thick film resistor can be arranged along the axial direction of the insulating layer 30 and spaced apart around the circumference of the insulating layer 30. That is, the thick film resistor is set as a plurality of strip structures, and the plurality of strip structures are evenly spaced around the circumference of the insulating layer 30. The length of the thick film resistor is the same as the length of the insulating layer.

[0053] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the insulating layer 30 has a tubular structure and a cavity.

[0054] In this embodiment, since the inner tube 20 has a tubular structure, the insulation layer 30 is also set as a tubular structure to fit the wall of the inner tube 20. By embedding the heating element 40 inside the insulation layer 30, the heating element 40 is isolated from the fuel under the action of the insulation layer 30. On the one hand, the tubular insulation layer 30 does not require additional positioning during assembly, such as complex positioning structures like keyways or pins. Initial positioning can be achieved simply by inserting the insulation layer 30 through the inner wall of the inner tube 20. Subsequent simple fixing, such as sealing with sealant at both ends or interference fit, can achieve stable assembly. Compared to non-tubular insulation structures, the tubular insulation layer 30 improves assembly efficiency.

[0055] On the other hand, the heat generated when the thick film resistor is working will be transferred radially to the inner tube 20 along the insulation layer 30. The uniform wall thickness of the tubular insulation layer 30 can ensure that the path length of the heat transfer along the radial direction is consistent, without any local areas being too thick or too thin, thus avoiding the accumulation of heat in the insulation layer 30 and improving the temperature uniformity of the inner tube 20.

[0056] like Figure 4 , Figure 6 As shown, the fuel heater also includes a connector 50 and a control module 60. The connector 50 is located at one end of the cavity and is disposed at the end of the inner tube 20 and located within the cavity. The control module 60 is located inside the connector 50 and is connected to the heating element 40. The control module 60 is used to control the heating element 40 to be energized or de-energized.

[0057] Specifically, the connector 50 provides a receiving chamber for the control module 60 and other connecting wires. The control module 60 can be configured as a relay. The control module 60 is connected to the power supply via wires. The control module 60 is connected to the heating element 40 and is also electrically connected to the engine ECU. The engine ECU issues commands, and the control module 60 receives the commands to perform the power-on or power-off action of the heating element 40.

[0058] Furthermore, when the engine is starting or running at low temperatures, the engine ECU adjusts the energization status and power output of the heating element 40 according to operating parameters such as ambient temperature and fuel temperature. When the fuel temperature is detected to be lower than the target threshold, such as the diesel wax precipitation temperature or the methanol atomization critical temperature, the control module drives the thick film resistor to be energized, generating heat using the Joule effect. The heat is transferred to the inner tube 20 wall through the insulation layer 30, and then evenly diffused from the inner tube 20 wall to the fuel in the receiving cavity 21, rapidly increasing the fuel temperature.

[0059] At the same time, a temperature sensor can be set to provide real-time feedback on fuel temperature, forming a closed-loop control. When the fuel temperature reaches the target value, the control module automatically reduces the heating power or cuts off the power supply to avoid local overheating of the fuel and subsequent quality deterioration. Ultimately, this ensures that the fuel has good fluidity and atomization ability before entering the injector, solving the problem of difficult engine starting in low-temperature environments and ensuring stable engine operation.

[0060] from Figure 6 As can be seen, the insulating layer 30 extends to the end of the inner tube 20 where the connector 50 is located, that is, the insulating layer 30 is in circumferential contact with the control module 60, which isolates the inner tube 20 from the control module 60, prevents the inner tube 20 from becoming electrified due to electrical contact with the control module 60, further prevents safety accidents caused by fuel in contact with the inner tube 20, and improves the safety of the heater. from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 As can be seen, in this embodiment, the oil inlet 11 is located on the side of the outer tube 10 near the connector 50.

[0061] In another embodiment, not shown, the oil inlet 11 can be located at any position on the outer pipe 10.

[0062] In one embodiment, the fuel heater further includes an insulating filler layer 70 located within the cavity, which allows heat generated by the thick-film resistor to be transferred to the wall of the inner tube 20 rather than leaking into the cavity. The insulating material within the cavity prevents heat from diffusing from the inner wall of the insulating layer 30 to the center of the cavity, avoiding heat conduction to the outside of the tube through the cavity, reducing heat loss, and directing more heat towards heating the wall of the inner tube 20 to heat the fuel within the receiving cavity 21, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the heating element.

[0063] In this embodiment, the heat insulation filling layer 70 has a columnar structure to fit the structure of the cavity inside the insulation layer 30.

[0064] from Figure 4 It can be seen that one end of the thermal insulation filling layer 70 is in contact with the control module 60.

[0065] like Figure 7 As shown, the inner tube 20 includes an inner tube body 22 and a first flange 23. One end of the inner tube body 22 is provided with the first flange 23. The first flange 23 is arranged along the circumference of the inner tube body 22 and is arranged on the side facing the outer tube 10.

[0066] like Figure 6 As shown, the outer tube 10 includes an outer tube body 13 and a second flange 14. The outer tube body 13 is provided with the second flange 14 at one end away from the first flange 23. The second flange 14 is arranged along the circumference of the outer tube body 13 and is arranged on the side facing the inner tube body 22. The second flange 14 is connected to the inner tube body 22, and the first flange 23 is connected to the outer tube body 13. The inner tube body 22, the outer tube body 13, the first flange 23 and the second flange 14 surround and form a receiving cavity 21.

[0067] The above structure makes the assembly of the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10 simple and convenient, while reducing assembly errors.

[0068] In one optional embodiment, the second flange 14 is connected to the inner tube body 22 by welding, and the first flange 23 is connected to the outer tube body 13 by welding. In another embodiment, the second flange 14 is bonded to the inner tube body 22, and the first flange 23 is bonded to the outer tube body 13; or, the second flange 14 and the inner tube body 22 are integrally formed, and the first flange 23 and the outer tube body 13 are integrally formed.

[0069] In this embodiment, the cross-section along the radial direction of the inner tube 20 and the outer tube 10 is an annular structure, the cross-section along the radial direction of the insulating layer 30 is an annular structure, and the cross-section along the radial direction of the heat insulation filling layer 70 is a circular structure.

[0070] In another embodiment, the shape of the cross-section of the above-mentioned components is not limited to this. For example, the radial cross-section of the inner tube 20 is square, the radial cross-section of the insulating layer 30 is also correspondingly square, and the radial cross-section of the heat-insulating filling layer 70 is also correspondingly square. The shape of the radial cross-section of the outer tube 10 is not limited; it can be circular or polygonal. However, the outer tube 10 and the inner tube 20 need to form a closed cavity.

[0071] from Figure 7 It can be seen that the insulating layer 30 extends to the end of the inner tube body 22, that is, the insulating layer 30 has a straight cylindrical structure.

[0072] like Figure 4 , Figure 8 As shown, there are multiple oil outlets 12, and an injector seat 15 is also provided on the outer pipe 10. The injector seat 15 is located at the oil outlet 12. There are multiple injector seats 15, and the multiple injector seats 15 are arranged one-to-one with the multiple oil outlets 12.

[0073] Specifically, the fuel heater outlet 12 is matched with the input end of the injector seat 15. The injector seat 15 is designed with the input end interface according to the diameter and wall thickness of the outlet 12 to ensure that fuel can flow from the heater into the injector seat without leakage, and then be guided to the injector through the internal flow channel to form a complete fuel passage of heater → injector seat → injector.

[0074] from Figure 8 As can be seen, the input end interface of the injector seat 15 is fully connected to the oil outlet 12 on the outer tube 10, ensuring that the fuel flows smoothly from the receiving cavity 21 to the internal channel of the injector seat. The outer wall of the injector seat 15 is connected to the outer wall of the outer tube 10 to ensure the structural stability of the injector seat 15.

[0075] In this embodiment, there are four oil outlets 12, corresponding to four injector seats 15, which correspond to the four injectors of a traditional four-cylinder engine.

[0076] In other embodiments, the number of oil outlet 12 and injector seat 15 is not limited to this, and can also be six or eight, corresponding to the six injectors of a six-cylinder engine and the eight injectors of an eight-cylinder engine, respectively.

[0077] In one embodiment, the insulating layer 30 is made of at least one of alumina ceramic, aluminum nitride ceramic, borosilicate glass, polyimide, and epoxy resin. These materials possess properties such as high insulation, high temperature resistance, fuel corrosion resistance, and good mechanical properties.

[0078] In one embodiment, the thermal insulation filling layer 70 is made of at least one of ceramic fiber, glass fiber, polyurethane foam, and polystyrene foam. These materials possess excellent thermal insulation properties, good chemical stability, suitable mechanical strength, and compatibility with other components.

[0079] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following technical effects: (1) Adding an inner tube inside the outer tube reduces the internal volume of the fuel tank, increases the heating and heat exchange area, and improves the heating efficiency of the fuel. The inner tube heating design simplifies the heating module structure, increases the heat exchange area, and a single heating element (thick film resistor) can heat the entire fuel tank. At the same time, it reduces the hardware requirements of the control system, lowers hardware costs, and reduces structural complexity. In addition, the structure of this fuel heater does not significantly affect the overall shape of the fuel rail, and it can be easily generalized based on the gasoline version.

[0080] (2) To improve the heat transfer efficiency of the inner tube of the thick film resistor heating system, an insulating layer is added to the inner surface of the inner tube. A thick film resistor coating process is designed, and a spiral resistor coil is designed to increase the heating area and power. After the thick film resistor heats up, the heat is directly conducted to the surface of the inner tube for heating the fuel.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in another aspect, a carrier is also provided, the carrier including the fuel heater of the above embodiment.

[0082] The aforementioned vehicles can be either cars or low-altitude aircraft.

[0083] The vehicles can be either new energy vehicles or gasoline-powered vehicles.

[0084] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0085] In addition to the above, it should be noted that the terms "one embodiment," "another embodiment," and "embodiment" used in this specification refer to specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment, which are included in at least one embodiment described in the general description of this application. The appearance of the same expression in multiple places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, the intention is to suggest that implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments also falls within the scope of this invention.

[0086] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0087] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fuel heater, characterized by, The fuel heater comprises: an outer tube (10) provided with an oil inlet (11) and an oil outlet (12); an inner tube (20) located in the outer tube (10), the inner tube (20) and the outer tube (10) form a containing cavity (21) together, the containing cavity (21) is in communication with the oil inlet (11) and the oil outlet (12); an insulation layer (30) arranged in the inner tube (20); a heating element (40) embedded in the inner part of the insulation layer (30), the heating element (40) is arranged along the axial direction of the insulation layer (30).

2. The fuel heater of claim 1, wherein The heating element (40) is a thick film resistor, which is arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the insulation layer (30).

3. The fuel heater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The insulation layer (30) has a tubular structure and a cavity.

4. The fuel heater of claim 3, wherein The fuel heater further comprises: a plug-in part (50) located at one end of the cavity, the plug-in part (50) is arranged at the end of the inner tube (20) and located in the cavity; a control module (60) located in the plug-in part (50), the control module (60) is connected with the heating element (40), and the control module (60) is used for controlling the heating element (40) to be powered on or powered off.

5. The fuel heater of claim 3, wherein The fuel heater further comprises: an insulating filling layer (70) located in the cavity.

6. The fuel heater according to claim 1, wherein the inner tube (20) comprises an inner tube body (22) and a first flange (23), one end of the inner tube body (22) is provided with the first flange (23), the first flange (23) is arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner tube body (22) and is arranged on the side facing the outer tube (10); the outer tube (10) comprises an outer tube body (13) and a second flange (14), one end of the outer tube body (13) away from the first flange (23) is provided with the second flange (14), the second flange (14) is arranged along the circumferential direction of the outer tube body (13) and is arranged on the side facing the inner tube body (22), the second flange (14) is connected with the inner tube body (22), and the first flange (23) is connected with the outer tube body (13); wherein the inner tube body (22), the outer tube body (13), the first flange (23) and the second flange (14) form the containing cavity (21) together.

7. The fuel heater of claim 1, wherein The oil outlet (12) is provided in plurality, and the outer tube (10) is further provided with an oil injector seat (15), the oil injector seat (15) is located at the oil outlet (12), and the oil injector seat (15) is provided in plurality, and the plurality of oil injector seats (15) are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of oil outlets (12).

8. The fuel heater of claim 1, wherein The insulation layer (30) is made of at least one of alumina ceramic, aluminum nitride ceramic, borosilicate glass, polyimide and epoxy resin.

9. The fuel heater of claim 5, wherein The thermally insulating fill layer (70) is made of at least one of ceramic fiber, glass fiber, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam.

10. A carrier, characterized by The vehicle includes the fuel heater of any one of claims 1-9.

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