Sealed tank system

Abstract

The operation of the sealed tank system is switched depending on the movement of the vehicle between a sealed country and an unsealed country. [Solution] The sealed tank system 12 includes a canister 17 capable of adsorbing and detaching vapor generated in the fuel tank 15 of the vehicle 10, a vapor passage 26 connecting the fuel tank 15 and the canister 17, a purge passage 27 connecting the canister 17 and the intake passage 14a of the engine 14, a purge valve 31 capable of opening and closing the purge passage 27, a sealing valve 40 capable of opening and closing the vapor passage 26, and an ECU 24 that controls the purge valve 31 and the sealing valve 40. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a position information acquisition unit 70 that acquires the position information of the vehicle. The ECU 24 holds the sealing valve 40 in an open state when it determines that the sealing valve 40 is unnecessary based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 70.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a sealed tank system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, the engines (internal combustion engines) of PHEVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles) and HVs (hybrid vehicles) have low operating frequencies and low purge frequencies for processing HC (hydrocarbons) adsorbed by the canister. Therefore, in order to meet the so-called evaporative emission standards that regulate the amount of evaporated fuel (vapor) emitted from the vehicle, a sealed tank system with a sealed fuel tank structure is required. The sealed tank system is provided with a shut-off valve that blocks the flow from the fuel tank to the canister in the vapor passage connecting the fuel tank and the canister. When the shut-off valve is closed, the outflow of vapor to the outside of the fuel tank is blocked (see Patent Document 1). Due to its structure, the sealed tank system is expensive.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Regarding evaporative emissions regulations, there are countries that require a sealed tank system and countries that do not. In this specification, countries that require a sealed tank system are referred to as "sealed countries", and countries that do not require a sealed tank system are referred to as "non-sealed countries".

[0005] Vehicles equipped with a sealed tank system are effective for driving in sealed countries, but not necessarily effective for driving in non-sealed countries. For example, vehicles traveling long distances on long vacations may cross borders from sealed countries to non-sealed countries. In such cases, the sealed tank system, which was necessary in the sealed country before crossing the border, will continue to operate and fulfill its function in the non-sealed country after crossing the border. This can lead to unnecessary operation of the sealed tank system in the non-sealed country, potentially impairing its marketability. Specifically, it can result in inconveniences such as increased power consumption or the need for waiting time to reduce the tank pressure before refueling. It is important to consider means to solve such problems. Patent Document 1 cannot address non-sealed countries.

[0006] The problem that the technology disclosed herein seeks to solve is to switch the operation of a sealed tank system in response to the movement of a vehicle between a sealed country and an unsealed country. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the technology disclosed herein employs the following means.

[0008] The first means is a sealed tank system comprising: a canister capable of adsorbing and detaching vapor generated in the fuel tank of a vehicle; a vapor passage connecting the fuel tank and the canister; a purge passage connecting the canister and the intake passage of an internal combustion engine; a purge valve capable of opening and closing the purge passage; a sealing valve capable of opening and closing the vapor passage; and a control device that controls the purge valve and the sealing valve, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information of the vehicle, and the control device holds the sealing valve in an open state when it determines that the sealing valve is unnecessary based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit.

[0009] According to the first method, if the control device determines that the sealing valve is unnecessary based on the location information from the location information acquisition unit, it assumes that the vehicle has crossed from a sealed country to an unsealed country and switches the sealed tank system 12 to an unsealed state by holding the sealing valve in the open state. Therefore, unnecessary operations of the sealed tank system, such as the unnecessary operation of the sealing valve and the operation of reducing the internal pressure of the tank before refueling, can be omitted. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption and eliminate the waiting time required for reducing the internal pressure of the tank before refueling. Also, if the control device determines that the sealing valve is necessary based on the location information from the location information acquisition unit, it assumes that the vehicle has crossed from an unsealed country to a sealed country and switches the sealed tank system to normal operation by performing the normal operation of the sealing valve. Therefore, the operation of the sealed tank system can be switched according to the movement of the vehicle between a sealed country and an unsealed country.

[0010] The second means is a sealed tank system of the first means, wherein the sealing valve is an electric valve equipped with a drive motor and capable of adjusting the amount of opening by controlling the stroke of the valve body, and the sealing valve is held in an open state when the drive motor is not energized.

[0011] According to the second method, the power consumption of sealing valves in non-sealed countries can be reduced.

[0012] The third means is a sealed tank system of the first means, wherein the control device temporarily closes the sealing valve and then opens it when the time for which the sealing valve has been held in an open state has elapsed for a predetermined period of time.

[0013] The third method can suppress malfunctions of sealing valves due to valve body sticking caused by aging in non-sealed countries. It also enables on-board diagnosis (OBD), or leak testing, of the sealing valve.

[0014] The fourth means is a sealed tank system of any one of the first to third means, comprising a lid door for opening and closing the fuel filler port of the fuel tank, a fuel supply switch operated when refueling is started, and a lid switch for locking the lid door in the closed position, wherein the control device immediately releases the lock on the lid switch when it detects the operation of the fuel supply switch while the sealing valve is in the open state.

[0015] According to the fourth method, in non-sealed countries, the sealing valve is in the open position, so the tank pressure is equivalent to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, when the control device detects the operation of the refueling switch, it immediately unlocks the lid switch. As a result, the user can open the lid door and refuel without waiting for the time required for the tank pressure to decrease before refueling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the technology disclosed herein, the operation of a sealed tank system can be switched depending on the movement of a vehicle between a sealed country and an unsealed country. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a sealed tank system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the fully closed state of the sealing valve. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the open state of the sealing valve. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the initial state of the sealing valve. [Figure 5] This is a time chart showing the control of the ECU when crossing a border from a sealed country to an unsealed country. [Figure 6] This is a time chart showing the ECU control process when crossing a border from an unsealed country to a sealed country. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment for implementing the technology disclosed in this specification will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (Overview of the Sealed Tank System) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sealed tank system. As shown in FIG. 1, a sealed tank system 12 is mounted on a vehicle 10 such as a PHEV or an HV. The sealed tank system 12 includes an engine (internal combustion engine) 14, a fuel tank 15, and a canister 17. The fuel tank 15 has an inlet pipe 15a for introducing fuel. A fuel cap 19 is detachably attached to the fuel filler port 15b of the inlet pipe 15a.

[0020] A fuel supply device 20 is provided in the fuel tank 15. The fuel supply device 20 supplies the fuel in the fuel tank 15 to the engine 14 (specifically, an injector). A tank internal pressure sensor 22 is provided in the fuel tank 15. The tank internal pressure sensor 22 detects the tank internal pressure as the relative pressure with respect to the atmospheric pressure, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected value to an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") ECU24. The ECU24 corresponds to the "control device" referred to in this specification.

[0021] The canister 17 is filled with activated carbon as an adsorbent capable of adsorbing and desorbing vapor (specifically, HC). The activated carbon adsorbs the HC of the vapor from the fuel tank 15 and suppresses the release of HC from the canister 17 to the atmosphere. The fuel tank 15 (specifically, the gas layer part) and the canister 17 are connected via a vapor passage 26. The vapor generated in the fuel tank 15 flows out to the canister 17 through the vapor passage 26 and is adsorbed. The canister 17 and the intake passage 14a of the engine 14 are connected via a purge passage 27. An atmosphere passage 28 that opens to the atmosphere is connected to the canister 17.

[0022] An ORVR valve (On Board Refueling Vapor Recovery valve) 29 is provided at the upstream end (tank-side end) of the vapor passage 26. The ORVR valve 29 is a full-tank regulation valve with a float valve that opens and closes depending on the buoyancy of the fuel. The ORVR valve 29 is open when the fuel level in the fuel tank 15 is below the full tank level, and when the fuel level rises to the full tank level due to refueling, the float valve closes, blocking the vapor passage 26. As a result, the fuel fills up to the inlet pipe 15a, the auto-stop mechanism of the refueling gun activates, and refueling stops.

[0023] A purge valve 31 is provided in the purge passage 27. The purge valve 31 is a solenoid-type electromagnetic valve equipped with a solenoid and capable of adjusting the opening amount by duty cycle control. It closes when de-energized and opens when energized. The purge valve 31 is controlled by the ECU 24 to open and close according to the purge flow rate, a so-called purge control. The purge valve 31 can finely adjust the amount of HC adsorbed on the canister 17 drawn into the intake passage 14a. As a result, combustion can be performed without disturbing the air-fuel ratio of the engine 14.

[0024] The ECU24 is connected to a fuel supply switch 32 and a lid switch 34. The fuel supply switch 32 is located inside the vehicle 10 and outputs an operation signal to the ECU24 when operated by the user to start refueling.

[0025] The lid switch 34 locks the lid door 36 of the vehicle body 35 of the vehicle 10 in the closed position. The lid switch 34 releases the lock on the lid door 36 upon input of an unlock signal from the ECU 24. This allows the user to open the lid door 36 and refuel. The lid door 36 opens and closes the fuel filler port 15b (more specifically, the opening in the vehicle body 35 that opens the fuel filler port 15b).

[0026] A sealing valve 40 is provided in the vapor passage 26. The sealing valve 40 is controlled by the ECU 24 to open and close according to the tank pressure, also known as pressure relief control. In addition, the power supply and operation of all electronic components are appropriately controlled by the ECU 24's program.

[0027] (Basic operation of the sealed tank system 12) (1) While vehicle 10 is parked While the vehicle 10 is parked, the sealing valve 40 is kept in a fully closed state. Therefore, vapor in the fuel tank 15 does not flow into the canister 17. At this time, the purge valve 31 is also kept in a fully closed state. Furthermore, when purging is not performed while the vehicle is parked, the outflow of vapor generated in the fuel tank 15 to the canister 17 is completely sealed, thereby reducing the amount of HC adsorbed by the canister 17. As a result, in vehicles 10 such as PHEVs and HVs, where purging opportunities are infrequent, evaporative regulations can be satisfied by processing HC.

[0028] (2) While vehicle 10 is in motion While the vehicle 10 is in motion, the ECU 24 executes purge control of the purge valve 31 when predetermined purge conditions are met. When the purge valve 31 is opened, the intake negative pressure of the engine 14 acts on the canister 17 via the purge passage 27. As a result, HC is detached from the activated carbon of the canister 17 along with the air drawn in from the atmospheric passage 28 and purged into the intake passage 14a. The ECU 24 can perform the purging process by opening the sealing valve 40 only during purging, thereby allowing vapor from the fuel tank 15 to flow into the canister 17. This allows the activated carbon to maintain its HC adsorption capacity and maintain the suppression of HC release into the atmosphere.

[0029] Furthermore, opening the sealing valve 40 maintains the internal pressure of the fuel tank 15 at atmospheric pressure. Also, even while the vehicle 10 is in motion, if the internal pressure of the tank rises, opening the sealing valve 40 allows for purging and reduction of the internal pressure of the tank. Closing the purge valve 31 stops the purge flow.

[0030] (3) During refueling When the vehicle 10 is stationary, if the user operates the refueling switch 32, the ECU 24 fully opens the sealing valve 40. At this time, if the internal pressure of the fuel tank 15 is above atmospheric pressure, the tank pressure reduction process is initiated. At this time, the lid door 36 is locked by the lid switch 34, so the user cannot open the lid door 36. This suppresses the fuel spill that would occur if the fuel cap 19 were opened while the tank pressure was high.

[0031] When the sealing valve 40 opens, vapor in the fuel tank 15 flows to the canister 17 via the vapor passage 26, and HC is adsorbed by the activated carbon. At this time, by adjusting the opening of the sealing valve 40, vapor is slowly released into the canister 17, reducing the pressure inside the tank. When the pressure inside the fuel tank 15 drops to atmospheric pressure, the ECU 24 outputs an unlock signal to the lid switch 34, thereby releasing the lock on the lid door 36. The user then opens the lid door 36, opens the fuel cap 19, and inserts the refueling gun into the fuel filler port 15b to refuel.

[0032] The ECU 24 maintains the sealing valve 40 in a fully open position until the lid door 36 is closed. This allows vapor in the fuel tank 15 to flow out into the canister 17 via the vapor passage 26 during refueling. When refueling with the refueling gun stops, the user removes the refueling gun from the fuel filler port 15b, closes the fuel cap 19 over the fuel filler port 15b, and then closes the lid door 36. The lid switch 34 then locks the lid door 36 in the closed position. The ECU 24 also receives a lock signal from the lid switch 34 and detects the end of refueling, causing the sealing valve 40 to close completely and returning the fuel tank 15 to a sealed state.

[0033] (Characteristic configuration of this embodiment) As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a location information acquisition unit 70 that acquires the vehicle's location information. The location information acquisition unit 70 acquires the vehicle's location information via communication or a navigation system. This location information is input to the ECU 24. If the ECU 24 determines that the sealing valve 40 is unnecessary based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 70, it holds the sealing valve 40 in a fully open state. In other words, it switches the sealed tank system 12 to an unsealed state, assuming that the vehicle 10 has completely crossed from a sealed country to an unsealed country.

[0034] Subsequently, if the ECU 24 determines that the sealing valve 40 is necessary based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 70, it performs the normal operation of the sealing valve 40. That is, it switches the sealed tank system 12 to normal operation, assuming that the vehicle 10 has completely crossed from an unsealed country to a sealed country.

[0035] (Sealing valve 40) The sealing valve 40 is an electrically operated valve equipped with a stepping motor and capable of adjusting the opening amount by controlling the stroke of the valve body. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the sealing valve 40 in the fully closed state. The front, back, left, right, up, and down directions of the sealing valve 40 will be determined based on Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the sealing valve 40 comprises a valve casing 42, a stepping motor 44, a valve guide 46, a valve body 48, and a valve spring 50.

[0036] A bottomed cylindrical valve chamber 52 is formed in the valve casing 42. An inlet passage 53 communicating with the valve chamber 52 is formed in the lower wall of the valve chamber 52. An outlet passage 54 communicating with the valve chamber 52 is formed in the side wall of the valve chamber 52. The fuel tank 15 side passage of the vapor passage 26 (see Figure 1) is connected to the inlet passage 53, and the canister 17 side passage of the vapor passage 26 is connected to the outlet passage 54. An annular valve seat 56 is formed at the opening edge of the inlet passage 53.

[0037] The stepping motor 44 is installed to close the upper end opening of the valve casing 42. The stepping motor 44 has a forward and reverse rotatable output shaft 58, which protrudes into the valve chamber 52. The stepping motor 44 corresponds to the “drive motor” as defined herein.

[0038] The valve guide 46 is formed in a top-closed cylindrical shape that closes the upper end opening. A bottom-closed cylindrical shaft portion 60 is formed on the upper wall of the valve guide 46 that closes the lower end opening. The valve guide 46 is positioned within the valve chamber 52 so as to be movable vertically, i.e., axially, and is prevented from rotating axially relative to the valve casing 42. The shaft portion 60 is connected to the output shaft 58 of the stepping motor 44 via a lead screw mechanism 61. Therefore, based on the forward and reverse rotation of the output shaft 58, the valve guide 46 moves linearly in the vertical (axial) direction, i.e., moves up and down.

[0039] An auxiliary spring 62, consisting of a coil spring, is interposed between the valve guide 46 and the valve casing 42. The auxiliary spring 62 is positioned on the outer circumference of the valve guide 46. The auxiliary spring 62 prevents backlash of the feed screw mechanism 61 by constantly biasing the valve guide 46 upward.

[0040] The valve body 48 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that closes the lower end opening. The valve body 48 is positioned to be movable vertically while being prevented from rotating axially within the valve guide 46. A disc-shaped sealing member 64 made of a rubber-like elastic material is attached to the lower surface of the valve body 48. An annular sealing portion 64a with a mountain-shaped cross-section protrudes from the outer circumference of the lower surface of the sealing member 64.

[0041] The valve spring 50 is made of a coil spring and is interposed between the valve guide 46 and the valve body 48. The valve spring 50 biases the valve guide 46 and the valve body 48 in opposite directions.

[0042] Between the valve guide 46 and the valve body 48, there are multiple sets of connecting mechanisms 66 (shown as two sets, left and right, in Figure 2) that can contact each other in the axial direction. The connecting mechanism 66 consists of a locking projection 66a formed on the inside of the side wall 46a of the valve guide 46 and an engaging projection 66b formed on the outside of the side wall 48a of the valve body 48.

[0043] (Operation of sealing valve 40) (1) Fully closed state (see Figure 2) The valve body 48 (specifically, the sealing portion 64a of the sealing member 64) is held in a seated position on the valve seat 56 by the biasing force of the valve spring 50. At this time, the locking projection 66a and the engaging projection 66b of the coupling mechanism 66 are separated. Furthermore, even when the stepping motor 44 is not energized, the fully closed state is maintained by the detent torque, the lead angle of the lead screw mechanism 61, etc.

[0044] (2) When the valve is opened When the stepping motor 44 opens the valve from the fully closed state (see Figure 2), the valve guide 46 rises via the lead screw mechanism 61. Consequently, the valve spring 50 extends due to its elastic restoring force. After the locking projection 66a and engaging projection 66b of the connecting mechanism 66 come into contact, the valve guide 46 and the valve body 48 rise together. That is, the stepping motor 44 controls the axial stroke of the valve body 48 via the lead screw mechanism 61. Consequently, the sealing portion 64a of the sealing member 64 of the valve body 48 separates from the valve seat 56, causing the valve to open (see Figure 3). In the open state, even when the stepping motor 44 is de-energized, the open state is maintained by the detent torque, the lead angle of the lead screw mechanism 61, etc.

[0045] (3) When the valve is closed When the stepping motor 44 closes the valve from the open state (see Figure 3), the valve body 48 descends along with the valve guide 46 via the lead screw mechanism 61, in the opposite direction to when the valve was opened. As a result, the sealing portion 64a of the sealing member 64 seats on the valve seat 56, restricting the downward movement of the valve body 48. Furthermore, as the valve guide 46 descends, the locking projection 66a of the coupling mechanism 66 separates from the engaging projection 66b. Then, before the side wall 46a of the valve guide 46 contacts the valve seat 56, the ECU 24 stops the closing operation of the stepping motor 44, resulting in a fully closed state (see Figure 2).

[0046] (4) Initialization of the sealing valve 40 (initialization of the origin position of the stepping motor 44) When initializing the sealing valve 40, the stepping motor 44 is operated from the open position to the closed position, causing the side wall 46a of the valve guide 46 to contact the valve seat 56 of the valve casing 42 (see Figure 4). The point at which the stepping motor 44 loses step while restricting the downward movement of the valve guide 46 is set as the origin position of the stepping motor 44. The subsequent drive control of the stepping motor 44 is performed based on the origin position. Initialization of the sealing valve 40 is required, for example, when the vehicle 10 is turned off, when the ignition is turned on, when on-board diagnosis (OBD) related to the sealed tank system 12 is started, etc.

[0047] (Control of ECU24 when crossing from a sealed country to an unsealed country) Figure 5 is a time chart showing the control of the ECU 24 when crossing from a sealed country to an unsealed country. As shown in Figure 5, during engine operation, at time t1, the tank pressure (internal tank pressure) is determined in conjunction with the determination of crossing into an unsealed country. If the tank pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure, an energization instruction (valve open instruction) is output to the sealing valve 40 in conjunction with the determination of pressure reduction before unsealed variable operation. Then, based on a map of tank pressure and valve stroke amount corresponding to the purge flow rate, the opening degree of the sealing valve 40 is adjusted according to the tank pressure, and the tank pressure gradually decreases. This makes it possible to suppress the closing of the ORVR valve 29 (float valve sticking) due to the rapid outflow of vapor from the fuel tank 15 to the vapor passage 26 when the sealing valve 40 is opened.

[0048] At time t2, if the tank pressure drops to atmospheric pressure, the tank pressure determination and the pressure reduction determination before non-sealing variable operation are stopped, a full-open command is output to the sealing valve 40, and the sealing valve 40 is set to the fully open state. However, if the tank pressure determination at time t1 is atmospheric pressure, the pressure reduction determination before non-sealing variable operation is omitted, a full-open command is immediately output to the sealing valve 40, and the sealing valve 40 is set to the fully open state.

[0049] At time t3, once the sealing valve 40 is fully open, the power supply instruction to the sealing valve 40 is stopped, completing the switching of the operation of the sealed tank system 12 to a non-sealed state (non-sealed switching). As a result, the sealing valve 40 is held in the fully open state even without power being supplied to the stepping motor 44.

[0050] If the sealing valve 40 remains fully open for a predetermined period of time in a non-sealed country, the ECU 24 temporarily closes the sealing valve 40 and then opens it. Also, if the ECU 24 detects operation of the fuel supply switch 32 while the sealing valve 40 is fully open in a non-sealed country, it immediately unlocks the lid switch 34.

[0051] (Control of ECU24 when crossing borders from an unsealed country to a sealed country) Figure 6 is a time chart showing the control of the ECU24 when crossing from an unsealed country to a sealed country. As shown in Figure 6, while the engine is running, at time t11, a full-close determination is made in conjunction with the determination of crossing into a sealed country, and an energization instruction (valve close instruction) is output to the sealing valve 40, causing the sealing valve 40 to close. Note that the tank pressure before crossing the border is atmospheric pressure.

[0052] At time t12, initialization begins simultaneously when the sealing member 64 of the valve body 48 of the sealing valve 40 contacts the valve seat 56. After the valve guide 46 contacts the valve seat 56 at time t13, the stepping motor 44 is set to its origin position at time t14 when it loses step, and the stepping motor 44 is set to its fully closed position when the valve guide 46 is separated from the valve seat 56.

[0053] At time t15, initialization is completed, the power supply instruction to the sealing valve 40 is stopped, and the switchover to normal operation of the sealed tank system 12 (sealing switchover) is completed. As a result, the sealing valve 40 is held in the fully closed position even when the stepping motor 44 is not energized.

[0054] (Advantages of the characteristic configuration of this embodiment) According to the sealed tank system 12, if the ECU 24 determines that the sealing valve 40 is unnecessary based on the position information from the position information acquisition unit 70, it assumes that the vehicle 10 has crossed from a sealed country to a non-sealed country, and switches the sealed tank system 12 to a non-sealed state by holding the sealing valve 40 in a fully open state. Therefore, unnecessary operations of the sealed tank system 12, such as the unnecessary operation of the sealing valve 40 and the operation of reducing the internal pressure of the tank before refueling, can be eliminated. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption and eliminate the waiting time required for reducing the internal pressure of the tank before refueling.

[0055] Furthermore, if the ECU 24 determines that the sealing valve 40 is necessary based on the location information from the location information acquisition unit 70, it will assume that the vehicle 10 has crossed from an unsealed country to a sealed country, and the sealing valve 40 will perform its normal operation, thereby switching the sealed tank system 12 to normal operation.

[0056] Therefore, the operation of the sealed tank system 12 can be switched according to the movement of the vehicle 10 between a sealed country and an unsealed country. The operation of the sealed tank system 12 can be switched after the vehicle 10 has completely crossed the border, whether by road or sea. Furthermore, the operation of the sealed tank system 12 is switched each time a border crossing occurs.

[0057] Furthermore, the sealing valve 40 is an electrically operated valve equipped with a stepping motor 44, and the amount of opening can be adjusted by controlling the stroke of the valve body 48. The sealing valve 40 is held in a fully open state when the stepping motor 44 is not energized. This reduces the power consumption of the sealing valve 40 in non-sealed countries. Note that a normally closed type solenoid solenoid valve, which can be maintained in a closed state when not energized, cannot maintain the sealing valve 40 in an open state when not energized.

[0058] Furthermore, if the ECU24 has held the sealing valve 40 in a fully open state for a predetermined period of time, it will temporarily close the sealing valve 40 and then open it. This helps to suppress malfunctions of the sealing valve 40 due to sticking of the valve body 48 due to aging deterioration in non-sealed countries. At this time, it is also advisable to perform an on-board diagnosis (OBD), or leak test, of the sealing valve 40. Note that the temporary closing of the sealing valve 40 may be either fully closed or partially open.

[0059] Furthermore, in non-sealed countries, the sealing valve 40 is fully open, so the tank pressure is equivalent to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, when the ECU 24 detects the operation of the refueling switch 32 while the sealing valve 40 is fully open, it immediately unlocks the lid switch 34. As a result, the user can open the lid door 36 and refuel without waiting for the time required for the tank pressure to decrease before refueling.

[0060] [Other embodiments] The technologies disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, in the embodiment, the sealing valve 40 is fully opened when the ECU 24 determines that the sealed tank system 12 is unnecessary based on the position information of the position information acquisition unit 70, but the sealing valve 40 is not limited to a fully open state, but may be in an open state including a half-open state. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 vehicles 12. Sealed Tank System 14. Engine (Internal Combustion Engine) 14a Intake passage 15 Fuel tank 15b Fuel filler cap 17 Canister 24 ECU (Control Unit) 26 Vapor Passage 27 Purge passage 31. Purge valve 32 Fueling switch 34 Lid Switches 36 Lid Door 40. Sealing valve (electric valve) 44 Stepping motor (drive motor) 48 Valve body 70 Location information acquisition unit

Claims

1. A canister capable of adsorbing and detaching vapors generated in the vehicle's fuel tank, A vapor passage connecting the fuel tank and the canister, A purge passage connecting the canister and the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, A purge valve capable of opening and closing the aforementioned purge passage, A sealing valve that can open and close the vapor passage, A control device for controlling the purge valve and the sealing valve, A sealed tank system equipped with, The aforementioned vehicle is equipped with a location information acquisition unit that acquires its own location information, The control device maintains the sealing valve in an open state when it determines that the sealing valve is unnecessary based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit, in a sealed tank system.

2. A sealed tank system according to claim 1, The aforementioned sealing valve is an electric valve equipped with a drive motor and capable of adjusting the opening amount by controlling the stroke of the valve body. A sealed tank system in which the sealing valve is held open when the drive motor is not energized.

3. A sealed tank system according to claim 1, The control device, in a sealed tank system, temporarily closes the sealing valve and then opens it if the time for which the sealing valve has been held open has elapsed to a predetermined time.

4. A sealed tank system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A lid door for opening and closing the fuel filler cap of the aforementioned fuel tank, The fueling switch is operated when starting refueling, A lid switch that locks the lid door in the closed position, It is equipped with, The control device, when it detects the operation of the fuel supply switch while the sealing valve is open, immediately unlocks the lid switch in a sealed tank system.

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