A tank heater

Abstract

The application discloses an oil tank heater and belongs to the technical field of vehicle fuel systems. The oil tank heater comprises an oil conveying pipe and a heating assembly, and the heating assembly is arranged at an oil inlet of the oil conveying pipe. The heating assembly comprises a hollow heating pipe and a shielding part. The hollow heating pipe is internally provided with a flow channel for fuel flow, the side wall of the hollow heating pipe is provided with an oil inlet, and the upper end of the hollow heating pipe is communicated with the oil conveying pipe. The shielding part is arranged above the hollow heating pipe and is used for blocking the upward diffusion of the fuel heated by the hollow heating pipe. The shielding part is used as a physical barrier to effectively prevent the disorderly diffusion of heat to cold oil with large volume, and the heated fuel is forced to enter the internal flow channel through the oil inlet, directional and concentrated high-efficiency heating is realized, and the heating efficiency is greatly improved and the energy consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vehicle fuel system technology, and specifically relates to a fuel tank heater. Background Technology

[0002] In diesel engine fuel systems, the low-temperature fluidity of the fuel is a core element ensuring reliable engine starting and continuous stable operation. Due to its chemical composition, diesel fuel contains a certain proportion of paraffinic hydrocarbons. When the ambient temperature drops significantly, especially in frigid climates or high-altitude cold regions, these paraffinic components, due to insufficient heat, will decompose and gradually precipitate, agglomerating into micron-sized crystalline particles. As the crystallization process continues, the physical properties of the fuel change significantly, manifested as a sharp increase in viscosity and a substantial decrease in fluidity. In severe cases, crystals accumulate on the fuel filter screen and in narrow sections of the fuel supply lines, forming physical blockages. This directly leads to engine starting difficulties, power output interruption, or even unexpected engine stalling during operation, posing a serious threat to the vehicle's operational safety and task completion capabilities in low-temperature environments.

[0003] To overcome the phenomenon of low-temperature wax deposition in fuel, the industry generally uses fuel tank heaters as an active thermal management method. These heaters convert electrical energy into heat energy to raise the temperature of the fuel in the tank, inhibiting paraffin precipitation and maintaining suitable fuel flow characteristics. However, most current mainstream fuel tank heater designs use metal heating elements as the core heating unit, which are directly submerged in the fuel environment at the bottom of the tank. These devices typically employ a straight-tube geometry without guidance. During actual heating, the heat energy generated on the surface of the heating element lacks an effective spatial constraint mechanism and easily dissipates radially and disorderly into the widely distributed low-temperature fuel within the tank. This heat diffusion mode prevents the heating energy from being focused on the critical area at the bottom of the tank where paraffin is most likely to precipitate, forcing it to diffuse throughout the entire tank volume. This results in localized fuel not receiving sufficient and rapid heat input, forcing the system to extend the heating time to raise the overall fuel temperature. The consequences are that a large amount of heat energy is wasted in non-target areas, the heating response is slow, the energy utilization efficiency is low, and there is also a significant waste of electrical resources. It is difficult to meet the comprehensive requirements of modern vehicles for fuel systems in terms of rapid start-up, economic operation and environmental adaptability.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies urgently need improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an oil tank heater to solve the technical problems of existing oil tank heaters, which cause heat to diffuse disorderly into the large volume of cold oil in the oil tank, resulting in heat waste, low heating efficiency and high energy consumption.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an oil tank heater, comprising: Oil pipeline; A heating assembly is disposed at the lower end of the oil supply pipe. The heating assembly includes a hollow heating tube and a shielding part. The hollow heating tube has a flow channel for fuel to flow inside and an oil inlet is provided on the hollow heating tube. The upper end of the hollow heating tube is connected to the oil supply pipe. The shielding part is disposed above the hollow heating tube and is used to prevent the fuel heated by the hollow heating tube from spreading upward.

[0007] Furthermore, this application also proposes that the heating assembly further includes a heating assembly shell, which covers the outer periphery of the hollow heating tube, and the shielding part is the lower part of the heating assembly shell. The shielding part is a gradually expanding cavity that is closed at the top and open at the bottom, and its cross-section gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0008] Furthermore, this application also proposes that the hollow heating tube is a ceramic heating tube; the lower part of the hollow heating tube is located outside the shielding part, the upper part is located inside the shielding part, and an annular gap is formed between the upper outer wall of the hollow heating tube and the inner wall of the shielding part.

[0009] Furthermore, this application also proposes that it further includes a heater base plate, which is disposed at the bottom of the hollow heating tube and closes the bottom end of the hollow heating tube.

[0010] Furthermore, this application also proposes that the oil inlet extends along the axial direction of the hollow heating tube, and the number of the oil inlets is three or more.

[0011] Furthermore, this application also proposes that it includes a filter screen, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the hollow heating tube.

[0012] Furthermore, this application also proposes to include a fixing component, which is disposed at the upper end of the oil pipeline; the fixing component includes a fixing flange and a fixing connector housing, the fixing flange being disposed at the top of the oil tank, and the fixing connector housing being disposed on the fixing flange.

[0013] Furthermore, this application also proposes that it further includes a fuel tank power supply connector, a power supply connector locking nut, a power supply conduit, a pipe fitting hose clamp, a pipe fitting hose clamp fixing bolt, and a thermostat; the fuel tank power supply connector is fixed to the fixed connector housing by the power supply connector locking nut; the power supply conduit is connected between the fuel tank power supply connector and the hollow heating tube, and the pipe fitting hose clamp is tightened by the pipe fitting hose clamp fixing bolt to fix the power supply conduit; the thermostat is electrically connected to the hollow heating tube.

[0014] Furthermore, this application also proposes that it further includes a waste heat exchange component, a fuel delivery connector, and a second temperature sensor. The waste heat exchange component includes a water cooling coil, a hot water inlet pipe, a cold water outlet pipe, and an electric ball valve. The water cooling coil is located inside the lower end of the fuel tank, and the heating component is located in the central area of ​​the water cooling coil. The hot water inlet pipe and the cold water outlet pipe are integrated into the fuel delivery connector. The second temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the fuel in the fuel tank.

[0015] Furthermore, this application also proposes that it further includes a bottom fixing shell and a water level sensor, as well as a heat protection shell; the bottom fixing shell is disposed on the bottom outer side of the water cooling coil, and the outer periphery of the bottom fixing shell is provided with several small holes, and the water level sensor is located inside the bottom fixing shell; the heat protection shell is disposed above the water cooling coil.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are: 1. This invention, through a unique heating component structure design, effectively prevents the disorderly diffusion of heat into the large volume of cold oil in the fuel tank, achieving directional, concentrated, and uniform rotary heating. The shielding part of the heating component is located above the hollow heating tube, acting as a physical barrier to effectively prevent the fuel heated by the hollow heating tube from diffusing upwards, concentrating the heat within the bottom heating area. Simultaneously, three axially extending fuel inlets are preferably provided, evenly distributed around the circumference, causing the incoming diesel fuel to flow in a rotating manner, thus providing rotary heating. This rotary heating not only effectively breaks the unidirectional convection path of fuel on the outer periphery of the heating tube, preventing "convective short-circuiting," but also maximizes the preservation of the effective heating area of ​​the outer wall of the hollow heating tube, significantly increasing the contact area and contact time between the fuel and the heating element, promoting uniform heat transfer in the fuel, completely avoiding localized overheating, greatly improving heating efficiency, and reducing energy consumption.

[0017] 2. This invention introduces a waste heat exchange component, achieving physical coupling and synergistic effect between electric heating and engine coolant waste heat, significantly saving electrical energy. Through a water-cooling coil formed by coiled water pipes, with the heating component positioned in the central area of ​​the coil, electric heating and waste heat exchange can work synergistically on the fuel at the bottom of the fuel tank. During cold starts, electric heating provides a rapid response; during normal operation, an electric ball valve intelligently switches to coolant waste heat heating. Combined with the integrated piping design, this achieves cascaded energy utilization, aligning with the modern trend of energy conservation and emission reduction in vehicles.

[0018] 3. This invention incorporates a heat protection shell at the top, further constructing a multi-layered barrier against heat diffusion. The heat protection shell, positioned above the water cooling coil, effectively prevents the heat generated by the heating components and the water cooling coil from dissipating disorderly into the large volume of cold oil at the top of the fuel tank, ensuring efficient heat concentration in the target fuel area at the bottom of the tank, thus further improving the overall system's thermal management efficiency.

[0019] 4. This invention incorporates a comprehensive water quality monitoring and temperature control mechanism in its bottom structure, effectively ensuring the safe operation of the fuel system and heating equipment. By installing a water level sensor inside the bottom fixed housing, accurate monitoring of abnormal water accumulation at the bottom of the fuel tank is achieved, promptly alerting the user to drain the water and effectively preventing water from being sucked into the downstream high-pressure fuel pump and injectors, thus avoiding damage to precision components. Simultaneously, in conjunction with a thermostat, the temperature of the hollow heating element is controlled in real time, automatically cutting off the power supply when the temperature reaches the set upper limit, forming a reliable overheat protection mechanism and avoiding safety hazards under extreme operating conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the 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 based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the oil tank heating assembly in use according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heating component structure of the oil tank heating assembly in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the oil tank heating assembly structure in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the oil tank heating assembly structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the oil tank heating assembly in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 110, Second temperature sensor; 120, Temperature controller; 1, Oil delivery connector; 2, Oil tank power supply connector; 3, Fixed connector housing; 4, Fixed flange; 5, Power supply connector lock nut; 6, Oil delivery pipe; 7, Power supply conduit; 8, Pipe fitting hose clamp fixing bolt; 9, Pipe fitting hose clamp; 10, Heating assembly; 11, Filter screen; 12, Heater base plate; 13, Hot water inlet pipe; 14, Cold water outlet pipe; 15, Electric ball valve; 16, Water cooling coil; 17, Heat protection shell; 18, Bottom fixing shell; 19, Water level sensor; 101, Heating assembly housing; 102, Shielding part; 103, Hollow heating element; 104, Oil inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0024] In low-temperature environments, traditional fuel tank heaters are prone to causing paraffin in the fuel to crystallize, leading to poor fuel flow and even clogging of pipelines. Existing heaters mostly use a straight tubular structure, which allows heat to diffuse haphazardly into the large volume of cold fuel in the tank, resulting in wasted heat energy, low heating efficiency, high energy consumption, and difficulty in achieving efficient and concentrated heating of localized fuel.

[0025] Example 1 Please refer to the appendix for details. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present invention provides a basic embodiment of an oil tank heater, which mainly includes an oil supply pipe 6, a fixing component, a heating component 10, a filter screen 11, and a temperature controller 120.

[0026] Fuel line 6, serving as the passage for transporting fuel from the fuel tank to the engine, can be made of metal tubing such as stainless steel or copper to ensure corrosion resistance and mechanical strength; alternatively, it can be made of oil-resistant polymer materials such as fluororubber or polytetrafluoroethylene to accommodate different fuel compositions and operating temperatures. The inner diameter of fuel line 6 can be designed according to fuel flow requirements.

[0027] A mounting assembly is located at the upper end of the oil pipeline 6 and is used to install the tank heater onto the oil tank. This mounting assembly includes a mounting flange 4 and a mounting connector housing 3. The mounting flange 4 is located on the top of the oil tank and can be made of high-strength metal materials (such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy), and is used in conjunction with a sealing gasket to ensure a tight connection and seal with the top of the oil tank. The mounting connector housing 3 is located on the mounting flange 4 and is made of corrosion-resistant, highly insulating engineering plastics (such as PA or PBT) or metal materials, and is used to house and protect the electrical connections.

[0028] It also includes a fuel tank power supply connector 2, a power supply connector locking nut 5, a power supply conduit 7, a hose clamp 9, and a hose clamp fixing bolt 8. The fuel tank power supply connector 2 is fixed to the fixed connector housing 3 by the power supply connector locking nut 5, and is used to provide power input to the heating assembly 10. The power supply conduit 7 connects the fuel tank power supply connector 2 and the heating assembly 10, and can be made of oil-resistant, high-temperature-resistant polyamide corrugated pipe or metal braided hose, used to accommodate and protect the power supply line, preventing fuel corrosion or mechanical wear. To ensure the stability of the power supply conduit 7 inside the fuel tank and prevent it from shaking, rubbing, or falling off due to vehicle vibration, a hose clamp 9 and a hose clamp fixing bolt 8 are also provided at the connection or fixing point of the power supply conduit 7. By tightening the hose clamp fixing bolt 8, the hose clamp 9 is tightened, thereby firmly clamping and fixing the power supply conduit 7 to the fuel line 6 or related supports, ensuring the long-term reliability of the power supply line.

[0029] The heating assembly 10 is located at the oil inlet at the lower end of the fuel line 6, and includes a hollow heating tube 103 and a shielding part 102. The hollow heating tube 103 has a flow channel for fuel circulation inside, and an oil inlet 104 is provided on the hollow heating tube 103. The upper end of the hollow heating tube 103 is connected to the fuel line 6. The shielding part 102 is located above the hollow heating tube 103 and is used to prevent the fuel heated by the hollow heating tube 103 from diffusing upwards.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the heating assembly 10 further includes a heating assembly housing 101, which covers the outer periphery of the hollow heating tube 103. The shielding portion 102 is the lower part of the heating assembly housing 101, and is preferably a gradually expanding cavity structure with a closed upper end and an open lower end, the cross-section of which gradually increases from top to bottom. There is a gap between the lower opening of the shielding portion 102 and the bottom of the fuel tank to ensure that fuel can smoothly enter from the bottom of the fuel tank.

[0031] Preferably, the hollow heating element 103 is a ceramic heating element, with its bottom sealed by the heater base plate 12. The ceramic heating element includes a high-temperature resistant ceramic substrate and a heating wire (or heating resistor) disposed within the interlayer of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate provides excellent electrical insulation and heat conduction, while the heating wire within the interlayer generates heat when energized and transfers it evenly to its outer surface through the ceramic substrate, thereby efficiently heating the surrounding fuel. This interlayered heating wire structure not only ensures uniform heating but also effectively avoids direct contact between the heating wire and external fuel, improving the safety and service life of the heating assembly. The hollow heating element 103 can be cylindrical, with its lower half located outside the shielding portion 102 and its upper half located inside the shielding portion 102. An annular gap is formed between the outer wall of the upper half of the hollow heating element 103 and the inner wall of the shielding portion 102. The upper end of the hollow heating element 103 is connected to the fuel supply pipe 6 through an opening at the upper end of the heating assembly housing 101.

[0032] It should be noted that the hollow heating element 103 in this application is not limited to the ceramic material and the sandwiched heating wire structure described above. In other alternative embodiments, the hollow heating element 103 may also be other tubular heating elements conventional in the art, such as: stainless steel metal heating element (with an insulating thermally conductive powder and resistance wire filled inside the metal shell), thick film heating element, PTC heating element, or quartz heating element, etc.

[0033] The lower part of the hollow heating tube 103 is located below and outside the shielding part 102, while the upper part is located inside the shielding part 102 through the lower opening. In the preferred embodiment of this application, the portion of the hollow heating tube 103 located inside the shielding part 102 has an axial length that accounts for half of the total axial length of the hollow heating tube 103, i.e., half inside and half outside. This proportional design is based on the optimal balance between thermodynamic efficiency and actual installation space limitations: theoretically, the lower end of the shielding part 102 could be designed to be larger to have a larger flow-blocking area and a wider heat-gathering space, thereby further optimizing the flow pattern and heat exchange effect of the fuel at the bottom; however, considering that the fuel tank heater must be inserted downwards from the fixed interface at the top of the fuel tank in practical applications, an excessively large outer diameter would cause installation interference or prevent it from passing through the interface. Therefore, placing half of the axial length of the hollow heating element 103 outside the shielding part 102 ensures that the external oil inlet 104 has sufficient guiding length, allowing the cold oil to receive adequate external preheating. Simultaneously, placing the other half inside the shielding part 102 ensures that the internal annular gap has sufficient length, allowing the preheated oil flow to fully exchange heat. This structural proportion perfectly adapts to the installation space limitations of the oil tank interface, achieving structural compactness, while maximizing the synergistic heating effect.

[0034] It should be noted that this application designs the shielding part 102 as a gradually expanding cavity (i.e., a trumpet shape) with downwardly extending sidewalls, and combines this with the "half inside, half outside" layout of the hollow heating tube 103, resulting in significant synergistic technical effects. First, in terms of thermodynamics, the downwardly extending sidewalls of the shielding part 102 and the closed top together construct a semi-closed heat-gathering cavity. After the hollow heating tube 103 is in operation, the cold oil around it is heated into hot oil and tends to rise. The shielding part 102 effectively restricts the disorderly diffusion of hot oil to the surroundings and upwards, allowing the temperature inside the cavity to rise rapidly and be maintained, achieving efficient heat accumulation. Second, in terms of fluid dynamics, as the hot oil continuously accumulates inside the shielding part 102, under pressure, the hot oil is forced to enter the internal flow channel through the oil inlet 104 located on the sidewall of the hollow heating tube 103. The oil inlet 104 (preferably three evenly distributed axial oil inlet grooves) uniformly distributes and guides the accumulated hot oil. Combined with the spatial constraint of the expanding cavity, this causes the hot oil entering the tube to form a rotating flow, thus enabling more thorough heat exchange with the hollow heating tube 103. Finally, in terms of structural protection, the downward-extending sidewall of the shielding part 102 establishes a physical isolation barrier around the core heating area. Combined with the layout of the outer half of the hollow heating tube 103, this forces the large volume of low-temperature cold oil outside to first undergo preliminary preheating in the lower half of the hollow heating tube 103 before being forced into the oil inlet 104. This significantly improves the overall heating efficiency and temperature uniformity.

[0035] The filter screen 11 is fitted around the outer periphery of the hollow heating element 103 and can be made of metal wire mesh, polymer filter cloth, or porous ceramic material. Its mesh size can be selected according to the particle size distribution of impurities in the fuel, and it is used to filter impurities in the fuel entering the heating assembly 10. The filter screen 11 can be fixed by means of clamps, welding, or bonding to ensure that it will not fall off during fuel flow.

[0036] The oil inlet 104 extends axially along the hollow heating tube 103, and the number of oil inlets 104 is three or more. The oil inlets 104 are preferably axially extending and can be formed on the outer wall of the hollow heating tube 103 by machining (such as milling or grinding), or integrally formed during manufacturing through a molding process. Limiting the number of oil inlets 104 to three is to prevent unidirectional convection short-circuiting of fuel around the heating tube (i.e., cold oil entering from one end and flowing directly out from the other end without sufficient heat exchange), while maximizing the effective heating area of ​​the outer wall of the hollow heating tube 103. This avoids reducing the distribution of heating wires due to too many oil inlets, thereby maximizing overall heating efficiency while ensuring anti-convection effect.

[0037] The thermostat 120 is electrically connected to the hollow heating element 103 and is used to control the start and stop of the heating assembly 10 based on the detected temperature signal. The thermostat 120 can be an electronic thermostat based on a thermistor, thermocouple, or platinum resistance thermometer. When the detected fuel temperature is lower than the start heating temperature, the thermostat 120 sends a command to start the hollow heating element 103; when the fuel temperature reaches or exceeds the stop heating temperature, the thermostat 120 sends a command to stop it, thereby avoiding ineffective heating and overheating.

[0038] Example 2 Based on the above embodiment 1, please refer to the appendix. Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 This embodiment provides an oil tank heater with a water-cooling coil, and further introduces a waste heat exchange component and a safety protection structure to achieve synergistic utilization of electric heating and waste heat.

[0039] This embodiment also includes a waste heat exchange component, an oil inlet connector 1, and a second temperature sensor 110. The waste heat exchange component includes a water-cooling coil 16 formed by coiling water pipes, a hot water inlet pipe 13, a cold water outlet pipe 14, and an electric ball valve 15. The water-cooling coil 16 can be made of metal materials with good thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum pipes, and formed into a spiral or serpentine coiled structure through bending, winding, and other processes to adapt to the internal space of the fuel tank and optimize heat exchange efficiency; alternatively, composite material pipes with higher thermal conductivity can also be used. The water-cooling coil 16 is located inside the lower end of the fuel tank, and the hot water inlet pipe 13 and the cold water outlet pipe 14 are respectively connected to the two ends of the water-cooling coil 16 for introducing and discharging engine coolant. The heating component 10 is located in the central area of ​​the water-cooling coil 16, so that electric heating and waste heat exchange of coolant can work synergistically on the fuel at the bottom of the fuel tank.

[0040] An electric ball valve 15 is installed on the hot water inlet pipe 13 to control the on / off state or flow rate of engine coolant entering the water radiator coil 16. The electric ball valve 15 can be an on / off type electric ball valve, which can achieve complete on / off by receiving the on / off signal from the control unit; or it can be a regulating type electric ball valve, whose electric actuator can precisely control the opening degree of the valve core according to the input control signal, thereby realizing continuous and fine regulation of the engine coolant flow rate.

[0041] The fuel inlet connector 1 is connected to the fuel inlet pipe 6, serving as the output interface for heated fuel. The hot water inlet pipe 13 and the cold water outlet pipe 14 are integrated within the fuel inlet connector 1. The fuel inlet connector 1 can be designed as a one-piece multi-channel composite structure, containing a main channel for fuel output and two auxiliary channels for coolant circulation, thereby greatly simplifying the pipeline layout, reducing installation space requirements, and minimizing potential leakage risks.

[0042] The second temperature sensor 110 is located near the water cooling coil 16 or inside the fuel tank. It is used to detect the temperature of the fuel in the fuel tank in real time and transmit the temperature signal to the control module to cooperate with the electric ball valve 15 to achieve precise temperature control.

[0043] For bottom safety protection, a bottom mounting housing 18 and a water level sensor 19 are also included. The bottom mounting housing 18 is located on the outer side of the bottom of the water cooling coil 16 and is fixed to the heater base plate 12. Several small holes are provided on the outer periphery of the bottom mounting housing 18. These small holes are through holes opened on the outer peripheral wall of the bottom mounting housing 18, allowing water accumulated at the bottom of the oil tank to smoothly enter the interior of the bottom mounting housing 18, while blocking larger particulate impurities. The water level sensor 19 is located inside the bottom mounting housing 18 and can be a float-type, capacitive, or ultrasonic water level sensor, which can accurately detect the water level and prevent water from being sucked into the downstream high-pressure oil pump, causing damage to precision components.

[0044] For top heat protection, a heat protection shell 17 is also included. The heat protection shell 17 is installed above the water cooling coil 16 to reduce heat loss to the oil tank environment. Preferably, the heat protection shell 17 is also a gradually expanding cavity structure with a closed upper end and an open lower end, and its cross-section gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0045] Working principle The fuel tank heater provided by this invention operates on a core principle based on a unique heat diffusion prevention and rotary heating mechanism. Regarding heat diffusion prevention and heat concentration, the shielding part 102 of the heating component 10 is positioned above the hollow heating tube 103, acting as a physical barrier to effectively prevent the fuel heated by the hollow heating tube 103 from diffusing upwards, concentrating the heat within the bottom heating area. Combined with the top-mounted heat protection shell 17, this constructs a multi-layered heat diffusion prevention barrier, ensuring efficient heat concentration in the target fuel area at the bottom of the fuel tank, thus avoiding the problem of disorderly heat loss to a large volume of cold fuel in traditional straight-tube heaters.

[0046] In the core heating and forced flow process, initially, cold oil enters from the gap between the lower opening of the shield 102 and the bottom of the fuel tank, first surrounding the lower half and outer periphery of the hollow heating tube 103. The hollow heating tube 103 heats up, heating the surrounding cold oil. As the heating process continues, the fuel around the hollow heating tube 103 gradually transforms into hot oil. The density of the heated fuel decreases, causing it to rise. When the hot oil rises to the area of ​​the shield 102, due to the physical obstruction of the upper closed end and the downward extending sidewall of the shield 102, the hot oil cannot continue to diffuse disorderly upwards into the surrounding environment. The blocked hot oil continuously accumulates inside the shield 102, forming a local high-temperature zone. Under the action of the pressure difference, the accumulated hot oil is forced to enter the internal flow channel of the hollow heating tube 103 through the oil inlet 104 located on the sidewall of the hollow heating tube 103. The hot oil entering the internal flow channel continues to be heated and finally exits from the upper end of the hollow heating tube 103 into the oil delivery pipe 6. During this process, three axially extending oil inlets 104 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the hollow heating tube 103. These three oil inlets 104 uniformly distribute the accumulated hot oil, and with the gradually expanding space constraint of the shielding part 102, the hot oil entering the internal flow channel forms a rotating flow, thus providing rotating heating for the diesel fuel. This forced flow guiding mechanism effectively breaks the natural convection path of the fuel, forcing the hot oil to enter the interior through the oil inlets 104, greatly increasing the contact area and heat exchange time between the fuel and the hollow heating tube 103. Crucially, the number of oil inlets 104 is preferably three rather than four to maximize the effective heating area of ​​the outer wall of the hollow heating tube 103, avoiding a reduction in the distribution of heating wires due to too many oil inlets. This ensures the forced flow guiding effect while maximizing the overall heating efficiency, effectively preventing local overheating or uneven heating.

[0047] In terms of synergistic heat exchange and intelligent temperature control, by placing the heating component 10 in the central area of ​​the water cooling coil 16, physical coupling of electric heating and waste heat from the engine coolant is achieved. During a cold start of the diesel engine, if the diesel temperature is close to the freezing point, the hollow heating tube 103 is powered on by the temperature controller 120 to release heat waves, providing thermal compensation for the diesel whose fluidity has decreased due to cooling, ensuring sufficient fuel supply for a cold start. After the engine has been running for a certain period of time, the coolant from the engine heats the diesel through the water cooling coil 16. When the second temperature sensor 110 detects that the temperature of the diesel in the fuel tank has reached a preset value (e.g., ≥8℃ when using #0 diesel), it instructs the temperature controller 120 to turn off the power to the hollow heating tube 103, causing it to lose power and stop heating, thereby achieving the purpose of heat reuse and reducing energy consumption. As the engine's continuous operating time increases and the coolant temperature rises, when the oil temperature exceeds 33°C, the second temperature sensor 110 instructs the thermostat 120 to provide operating voltage to the electric ball valve 15. This regulates the hot water flow through the electric ball valve 15 based on the oil temperature, stabilizing the oil temperature within the range required by GB / T18297. When the oil temperature exceeds the GB / T18297 requirement, the second temperature sensor 110 instructs the thermostat 120 to provide power to the electric ball valve 15 to shut it off. This shuts off the hot water entering the water cooling coil 16, stopping heat dissipation and thus precisely controlling the oil temperature. This prevents a decrease in engine power due to high oil temperature and reduced fuel quality. Simultaneously, several small holes on the outer periphery of the bottom mounting housing 18 allow free fuel flow, and the internal water level sensor 19 accurately detects the amount of water in the fuel tank. This effectively prevents excessive water from being sucked into the engine's fuel injection system and damaging the engine. Combined with the overheat protection of the thermostat 120, this constitutes a comprehensive safety protection mechanism, ensuring reliable operation of the equipment under complex working conditions.

[0048] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An oil tank heater, characterised in that, include: Oil pipeline (6); A heating assembly (10) is disposed at the lower end of the oil supply pipe (6). The heating assembly (10) includes a hollow heating tube (103) and a shielding part (102). The hollow heating tube (103) has a flow channel for fuel flow inside. The hollow heating tube (103) has an oil inlet (104). The upper end of the hollow heating tube (103) is connected to the oil supply pipe (6). The shielding part (102) is disposed above the hollow heating tube (103) to prevent the fuel heated by the hollow heating tube (103) from spreading upward.

2. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating component (10) also includes a heating component housing (101), which covers the outer periphery of the hollow heating tube (103). The shielding part (102) is the lower part of the heating component housing (101). The shielding part (102) is a gradually expanding cavity with a closed upper end and an open lower end, and its cross-section gradually increases from top to bottom.

3. The oil tank heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hollow heating tube (103) is a ceramic heating tube; the lower part of the hollow heating tube (103) is located outside the shielding part (102), the upper part is located inside the shielding part (102), and an annular gap is formed between the upper outer wall of the hollow heating tube (103) and the inner wall of the shielding part (102).

4. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a heater base plate (12), which is disposed at the bottom of the hollow heating tube (103) and closes the bottom end of the hollow heating tube (103).

5. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oil inlet (104) extends along the axial direction of the hollow heating tube (103), and the number of the oil inlets (104) is three or more.

6. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a filter (11), which is fitted around the outer periphery of the hollow heating tube (103).

7. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a fixing component, which is disposed at the upper end of the oil pipeline (6); the fixing component includes a fixing flange (4) and a fixing connector housing (3), the fixing flange (4) is disposed at the top of the oil tank, and the fixing connector housing (3) is disposed on the fixing flange (4).

8. The oil tank heater according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a fuel tank power supply connector (2), a power supply connector locking nut (5), a power supply conduit (7), a pipe fitting hose clamp (9), a pipe fitting hose clamp fixing bolt (8), and a thermostat (120); the fuel tank power supply connector (2) is fixed to the fixed connector housing (3) by the power supply connector locking nut (5); the power supply conduit (7) is connected between the fuel tank power supply connector (2) and the hollow heating tube (103), and the pipe fitting hose clamp (9) is tightened by the pipe fitting hose clamp fixing bolt (8) to fix the power supply conduit (7); the thermostat (120) is electrically connected to the hollow heating tube (103).

9. The oil tank heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a waste heat exchange component, an oil delivery connector (1), and a second temperature sensor (110). The waste heat exchange component includes a water cooling coil (16), a hot water inlet pipe (13), a cold water outlet pipe (14), and an electric ball valve (15). The water cooling coil (16) is located inside the lower end of the oil tank, and the heating component (10) is located in the central area of ​​the water cooling coil (16). The hot water inlet pipe (13) and the cold water outlet pipe (14) are integrated in the oil delivery connector (1). The second temperature sensor (110) is used to detect the temperature of the fuel in the oil tank.

10. The oil tank heater according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a bottom fixing shell (18), a water level sensor (19), and a heat protection shell (17); the bottom fixing shell (18) is disposed on the bottom outside of the water cooling coil (16), and the outer periphery of the bottom fixing shell (18) is provided with several small holes, and the water level sensor (19) is located inside the bottom fixing shell (18); the heat protection shell (17) is covered above the water cooling coil (16).

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