Multistage liquid-gas separator and vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides a multistage liquid-gas separator and a vehicle. The multistage liquid-gas separator comprises a housing, an arc-shaped flow guide plate and a flow guide member. The housing is provided with a gas-liquid channel and an exhaust channel, and a first liquid collection cavity communicated with the gas-liquid channel is formed in a cavity of the housing. The flow guide member and the housing define a second liquid collection cavity on the first liquid collection cavity. The bottom of the second liquid collection cavity is provided with a first backflow port. A first flow guide part of the flow guide member is of an arc-shaped structure having the middle protruding towards the interior of the second liquid collection cavity. The flow guide member is used for carrying out gas-liquid separation on a gas-liquid mixture flowing through the first flow guide part, so that after liquid is guided to the first liquid collection cavity, the gas-liquid mixture is guided to the arc-shaped flow guide plate. The arc-shaped flow guide plate is used for carrying out gas-liquid separation on the flowing gas-liquid mixture, so that the liquid is guided to the second liquid collection cavity, and gas is guided to the exhaust channel. According to the multistage liquid-gas separator of the present application, multistage gas-liquid separation can be carried out on the gas-liquid mixture in an exhaust pipeline of a vehicle, thereby preventing liquid from affecting a downstream device of the exhaust pipeline.

Description

Multi-stage liquid-gas separator and vehicle

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 21, 2023, with application number 202323129976.2 and application name “Multi-stage liquid-gas separator and vehicle”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a multi-stage liquid-gas separator and a vehicle. Background Art

[0003] With the rapid development of automobile technology and increasingly stringent emission regulations, more and more hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are entering the market.

[0004] The fuel system of a hybrid vehicle typically includes a fuel tank and an electronic isolation valve, the latter of which is installed in the exhaust line of the fuel tank. The electronic isolation valve is normally closed, preventing fuel vapor from entering the atmosphere and thus reducing fuel emissions. Fuel in the fuel tank of a hybrid vehicle continuously evaporates, causing the pressure within the tank to continuously increase. When the fuel system detects excessive pressure within the tank, it releases the pressure through the electronic isolation valve. During this decompression process, fuel accumulated in the exhaust line is discharged along with the oil vapor and reaches downstream equipment connected to the exhaust line, potentially affecting it.

[0005] Therefore, how to prevent fuel from affecting downstream equipment has become a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0006] Application Contents

[0007] The present application provides a multi-stage liquid-gas separator, which can recover liquid from the gas-liquid mixture in the exhaust pipe of a vehicle to prevent the liquid from affecting downstream equipment connected to the exhaust pipe of the vehicle.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a multi-stage liquid-gas separator for use in a vehicle. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator includes a housing, an arc-shaped guide plate, and at least one guide member. The bottom of the housing has a gas-liquid passage for admitting a gas-liquid mixture in an exhaust pipe within the vehicle. The top of the housing has an exhaust passage connected to an exhaust pipe. Both the gas-liquid passage and the exhaust passage are connected to a cavity of the housing. The cavity has a first liquid collecting chamber on the side of the gas-liquid passage that is capable of communicating with the gas-liquid passage.

[0009] The flow guide is connected to the side wall of the cavity and, together with the shell, forms a second liquid collecting chamber above the first liquid collecting chamber. The bottom of the second liquid collecting chamber has a first reflux port. The flow guide includes a first flow guide portion facing the first liquid collecting chamber, the first flow guide portion being an arc-shaped structure with a central portion convex toward the second liquid collecting chamber. The flow guide is configured to perform gas-liquid separation on the gas-liquid mixture flowing through the flow guide portion, thereby directing the liquid to the first liquid collecting chamber, and directing the separated gas-liquid mixture to the arc-shaped flow guide plate.

[0010] The arc-shaped guide plate is connected to the top of the cavity and is located above the second liquid collecting chamber. It is configured to separate the gas-liquid mixture flowing through the cavity so that the liquid is directed to the second liquid collecting chamber and the gas is directed to the exhaust channel.

[0011] The present application utilizes a gas-liquid channel and an exhaust channel within a multi-stage gas-liquid separator to allow a gas-liquid mixture in a vehicle's exhaust line to enter the multi-stage gas-liquid separator through the gas-liquid channel, thereby subjecting the gas-liquid mixture to liquid-gas separation within the multi-stage gas-liquid separator. The provision of a flow guide, coupled with the first flow guide portion within the flow guide, allows the gas-liquid mixture to undergo gas-liquid separation as it flows through the gas-liquid channel and into the first flow guide portion. This allows the majority of the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture to separate from the gas within the gas-liquid mixture, accumulating and colliding on the first flow guide portion to form larger droplets that collect within the first liquid collection chamber defined by the flow guide and the housing. Furthermore, the provision of an arc-shaped flow guide plate allows the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture to be directed to the second liquid collection chamber after further gas-liquid separation, while the gas is directed to the exhaust channel, thereby achieving fuel tank pressure relief and further improving the gas-liquid mixture separation effect. In addition, since the second liquid collecting chamber is located above the first liquid collecting chamber and the first reflux port is provided at the bottom of the second liquid collecting chamber, the liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber can be gathered in the first liquid collecting chamber through the first reflux port, and finally flow back to the vehicle's fuel tank through the gas-liquid channel and the exhaust pipe, so as to avoid the liquid affecting the downstream equipment connected to the exhaust pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, the first end of the first flow guide portion is connected to the side wall of the cavity, and the second end of the first flow guide portion extends toward the interior of the first liquid collecting cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, a height between the extended end of the second end and the apex of the first guide portion is a first height, and the first height is greater than or equal to 20 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the width between the second end and the vertex of the first guide portion is the first width, and the ratio of the first width to the width of the shell is 20-40%;

[0015] And / or, the width between the first end and the vertex of the first air guide portion is the second width, and the ratio of the second width to the width of the shell is 20-70%.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide member also includes a second guide portion, which is connected to the side wall of the cavity through the first guide portion and is configured to guide the gas-liquid mixture passing through the first guide portion to the arc-shaped guide plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the second guide portion includes an arc-shaped guide section and a vertical section connected to each other, the vertical section is parallel to the side wall of the cavity, and is connected to the first guide portion through the arc-shaped guide section.

[0018] Furthermore, the number of the guide members is at least two, and along the direction from the gas-liquid channel to the exhaust channel, the guide members are alternately arranged on two opposite side walls of the cavity, and two adjacent guide members are arranged at intervals and have an overlapping area.

[0019] Furthermore, the volume of the first liquid collecting chamber is greater than that of the second liquid collecting chamber, and the volume of the second liquid collecting chamber enclosed by the flow guide and the shell gradually decreases in the direction from the gas-liquid channel to the exhaust channel.

[0020] Furthermore, the first end of the portion of the guide member away from the first liquid collecting chamber extends toward one side of the first liquid collecting chamber, and forms a reflux channel with the shell in the second liquid collecting chamber. The bottom end of the reflux channel is located in the first liquid collecting chamber, and the first reflux port is located at the bottom end of the reflux channel.

[0021] Furthermore, the first return openings are all located at the second end of the first guide portion.

[0022] Furthermore, the second end of the flow guide member adjacent to the gas-liquid channel is located above the gas-liquid channel, and the height between the second end and the gas-liquid channel is a second height, and the second height is less than 20 mm.

[0023] Furthermore, a vertical partition plate is provided in the cavity. The vertical partition plate is located on the bottom wall of the cavity and is configured to separate the bottom of the cavity into a gas-liquid channel and a first liquid collecting chamber.

[0024] Furthermore, a second reflux port is provided on the vertical partition plate, and the first liquid collecting chamber is communicated with the gas-liquid channel through the second reflux port.

[0025] Furthermore, the multi-stage liquid-gas separator further includes a disturbance member, which is a bent structure;

[0026] The disruptor is connected to the side wall of the cavity. At least a portion of the disruptor is located in the second liquid collecting chamber and is configured to inhibit movement of liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber.

[0027] Furthermore, the bend of the disruptor has a through hole for gas to pass through.

[0028] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a vehicle, comprising a fuel system and a multi-stage liquid-gas separator as described above, wherein the fuel system comprises a fuel tank and an exhaust line connected to the fuel tank, and the multi-stage liquid-gas separator is located on the exhaust line and is connected to the exhaust line.

[0029] The vehicle of the present application has the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned multi-stage liquid-gas separator, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a first multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the flow of a gas-liquid mixture in a multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of liquid reflux in a multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a second multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a third multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth multi-stage liquid-gas separator provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a fuel system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 100 - multi-stage liquid-gas separator; 110 - housing; 111 - gas-liquid channel; 112 - exhaust channel; 113 - first liquid collecting chamber; 114 - vertical partition plate; 1141 - second reflux port; 115 - second liquid collecting chamber; 1151 - first reflux port; 1152 - reflux channel;

[0040] 120 - flow guide; 121 - first flow guide portion; 1211 - first end; 1212 - second end; 122 - second flow guide portion; 1221 - arc-shaped flow guide section; 1222 - vertical section;

[0041] 130- curved deflector;

[0042] 140-disturbance member; 141-through hole;

[0043] 200-fuel tank;

[0044] 300-exhaust pipe;

[0045] 400- oil inlet pipe;

[0046] 500-electronic isolation valve;

[0047] 600-Downstream equipment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] Generally, fuel systems can be divided into traditional fuel systems and high-pressure fuel systems based on the pressure their fuel tanks can withstand during normal operation. The operating pressure of a traditional fuel tank generally does not exceed 20 kPa, while the operating pressure of a high-pressure fuel tank can reach up to 35 kPa or 40 kPa. Therefore, the fuel tanks in traditional fuel systems can be referred to as traditional fuel tanks, and the fuel tanks in high-pressure fuel systems can be referred to as high-pressure fuel tanks.

[0050] The high-pressure fuel system of a hybrid vehicle uses an electronic isolation valve to control the high pressure in the fuel tank, adding a high-pressure relief condition compared to traditional fuel tanks. During the decompression process, fuel accumulated in the exhaust line of the high-pressure fuel system will flow along with the oil vapor at a high velocity and be discharged from the exhaust line, reaching downstream equipment connected to the exhaust line within the hybrid vehicle. This can affect downstream equipment and place higher requirements on the separation of fuel and oil vapor in the exhaust line. Downstream equipment may include, but is not limited to, the carbon canister in the hybrid vehicle.

[0051] It can be seen that how to prevent the fuel system, especially the high-pressure fuel system, from affecting downstream equipment during high-pressure pressure relief conditions has become a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0052] To this end, embodiments of the present application provide a multi-stage liquid-gas separator that can be applied to a vehicle. The vehicle can be a hybrid vehicle. By providing a multi-stage liquid-gas separator in the vehicle, fuel and oil vapor can be effectively separated during the pressure relief process of the vehicle's fuel tank. This prevents fuel from reaching downstream equipment connected to the vehicle's exhaust pipe during high-pressure fuel system pressure relief, potentially impacting the downstream equipment.

[0053] The structure of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator of the present application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1 , the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 includes a housing 110, an arcuate guide plate 130, and at least one guide member 120. The bottom of the housing 110 defines a gas-liquid passage 111 for the gas-liquid mixture in the vehicle's exhaust pipe 300 to enter the housing 110. The gas-liquid mixture can include a mixture of fuel and oil vapor. Fuel is the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture, and oil vapor is the gas in the gas-liquid mixture.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top of the housing 110 has an exhaust passage 112 that communicates with the exhaust pipe. Both the gas-liquid passage 111 and the exhaust passage 112 are connected to the cavity of the housing 110. The provision of the gas-liquid passage 111 and the exhaust passage 112 allows the gas-liquid mixture in the vehicle's exhaust line 300 to enter the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 through the gas-liquid passage 111. After the gas-liquid mixture undergoes liquid-gas separation within the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100, it can be discharged from the housing 110 through the exhaust passage 112, thereby entering the exhaust passage 112, thereby achieving high-pressure pressure relief for the vehicle's fuel tank 200.

[0056] 1 and 2 , the cavity has a first liquid collecting chamber 113 on the side of the gas-liquid channel 111 that can communicate with the gas-liquid channel 111. The flow guide 120 is connected to the side wall of the cavity and forms a second liquid collecting chamber 115 with the shell 110 above the first liquid collecting chamber 113. The bottom of the second liquid collecting chamber 115 has a first reflux port 1151 so that the liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber 115 can flow back to the first liquid collecting chamber 113 through the first reflux port 1151. The flow guide 120 can be a structure with an inner cavity so that when the flow guide 120 is connected to the side wall of the cavity, it can form a second liquid collecting chamber 115 with the shell 110.

[0057] The flow guide 120 includes a first flow guide portion 121 facing the first liquid collecting chamber 113. The first flow guide portion 121 is an arc-shaped structure with a central portion protruding toward the second liquid collecting chamber 115. Exemplarily, the first flow guide portion 121 may include, but is not limited to, an arc-shaped flow guide plate. The first flow guide portion 121 can be regarded as the bottom wall of the flow guide 120. The flow guide 120 is configured to perform gas-liquid separation on the gas-liquid mixture flowing through the first flow guide portion 121, so as to guide the liquid to the first liquid collecting chamber 113, and guide the gas-liquid mixture after gas-liquid separation to the arc-shaped flow guide plate 130.

[0058] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the arrangement of the flow guide 120 and the first flow guide portion 121 of the flow guide 120 allows the majority of the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture to separate from the gas in the gas-liquid mixture as it flows through the gas-liquid channel 111 and the first flow guide portion 121 of the flow guide 120. The liquid accumulates and collides on the first flow guide portion 121 to form larger droplets, which then collect in the first liquid collecting chamber 113. The gas-liquid mixture, after gas-liquid separation, continues to move toward the exhaust channel 112 via the curved flow guide plate 130 under the guiding action of the flow guide 120. Thus, the arrangement of the flow guide 120 enables at least one gas-liquid separation and redirection of the gas-liquid mixture.

[0059] Moreover, through the setting of the first guide part 121, not only can the gas-liquid separation of the gas-liquid mixture be achieved, but the first guide part 121 also has a guiding function to achieve the direction change of liquid and gas, so as to simplify the structure of the guide part 120 and the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100.

[0060] The arc-shaped guide plate 130 is connected to the top of the cavity and is located above the second liquid collecting chamber 115. It is constructed to perform gas-liquid separation on the gas-liquid mixture flowing through, so that the liquid is directed to the second liquid collecting chamber 115, and the gas is directed to the exhaust channel 112, so that the gas-liquid mixture can be separated again and changed in direction through the arc-shaped guide plate 130 behind the guide member 120, so that the gas in the gas-liquid mixture is directed to the exhaust channel 112, thereby achieving the purpose of depressurizing the oil tank 200. At the same time, the setting of the arc-shaped guide plate 130 can further improve the separation effect of the gas-liquid mixture.

[0061] Therefore, the present application can meet the requirements of the high-pressure fuel system for the separation of fuel and oil vapor when flowing at a higher flow rate in the exhaust pipe 300 without increasing the resistance of the fuel system by setting at least one guide member 120 and an arc-shaped guide plate 130.

[0062] The arc-shaped guide plate 130 is located at the top of the cavity and is disposed adjacent to the exhaust channel 112. The arc-shaped guide plate 130 can be located above all the guide members 120 to ensure that the arc-shaped guide plate 130 can be located above all the second liquid collecting chambers 115.

[0063] Since the second liquid collecting chamber 115 is located above the first liquid collecting chamber 113 and the first reflux port 1151 is provided, the liquid (fuel) in the second liquid collecting chamber 115 can be gathered in the first liquid collecting chamber 113 through the first reflux port 1151, and finally flow back to the vehicle's fuel tank 200 through the gas-liquid channel 111 and the exhaust pipe 300, so as to avoid the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture from affecting the downstream equipment 600 connected to the exhaust pipe 300, and also realize the recovery of fuel.

[0064] Moreover, by setting the first reflux port 1151 and the first liquid collecting chamber 113 in communication with the gas-liquid channel 111, it is possible to achieve reflux of the liquid to the exhaust pipe 300 without setting an additional channel on the shell 110 or outside the shell 110, thereby simplifying the structure of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3, the first end 1211 of the first guide portion 121 is connected to the side wall of the cavity, and the second end 1212 of the first guide portion 121 extends toward the interior of the first liquid collecting chamber 113, so as to realize the connection between the guide member 120 and the shell 110 and form the second liquid collecting chamber 115. At the same time, through the extension of the second end 1212, the second liquid collecting chamber 115 can also have an overlapping area with the first liquid collecting chamber 113 in the Y direction, so that the liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber 115 can flow back to the first liquid collecting chamber 113 through the first reflux port 1151.

[0066] As shown in FIG3 , in some embodiments, the height between the extended end of the second end 1212 and the apex of the first flow guide 121 may be a first height H1, which is greater than or equal to 20 mm. The extended end of the second end 1212 can be understood as the outermost end of the second end 1212 along its extension direction. For example, the first height H1 can be 20 mm, 22 mm, 25 mm, etc. The first height H1 can be determined based on the total height of the housing 110 and the number of flow guide members 120. In this application, the first height H1 is not further defined. The apex of the first flow guide 121 can be understood as the highest point of the first flow guide 121, as shown by point a in FIG3 . By defining the first height H1 in this application, the first flow guide 121 can achieve a sufficient degree of curvature at the second end 1212, so that when the gas-liquid mixture flows through the first flow guide 121, it can separate from the gas in the gas-liquid mixture to form larger droplets, which can then be guided by the second end 1212 and accumulate in the first liquid collecting chamber 113.

[0067] The width between the second end 1212 and the vertex of the first flow guide 121 is a first width W1, and the ratio of the first width W1 to the width W of the housing 110 is 20-40%. For example, the ratio of the first width W1 to the width W of the housing 110 can be 20%, 30%, 35%, 40%, etc. By limiting the width and height between the second end 1212 and the vertex of the first flow guide 121, the first flow guide 121 can have a sufficient degree of curvature at the second end 1212 to ensure that the first flow guide 121 has the gas-liquid separation and guidance effect on the gas-liquid mixture at the second end 1212.

[0068] In other embodiments, the width between the first end 1211 and the vertex of the first flow guide 121 is a second width W2, and the ratio of the second width W2 to the width W of the housing 110 is 20% to 70%. For example, the ratio of the second width W2 to the width W of the housing 110 can be 20%, 30%, 50%, 70%, etc. By defining the second width W2 in this way, the first flow guide 121 can achieve a sufficient degree of curvature at the first end 1211, so that the gas-liquid mixture can flow sequentially through the first end 1211, the vertex, and the second end 1212 of the first flow guide 121. As the gas-liquid mixture flows through the first flow guide 121, it accumulates and collides on the first flow guide plate, forming larger droplets, undergoing gas-liquid separation and forming larger droplets. The larger droplets are ultimately guided through the second end 1212 and collected in the first liquid collecting chamber 113.

[0069] As shown in Figure 3, the flow guide 120 also includes a second flow guide portion 122, which is connected to the side wall of the cavity through the first flow guide portion 121 and is configured to guide the gas-liquid mixture passing through the first flow guide portion 121 to the curved flow guide plate 130. This second flow guide portion 122 can change the flow direction of the curved flow guide plate 130, allowing the gas-liquid mixture passing through the first flow guide portion 121 to flow toward the curved flow guide plate 130 for further gas-liquid separation. The second flow guide portion 122 can be integrally formed with the first flow guide portion 121 and smoothly connected to the first flow guide portion 121.

[0070] The second guide portion 122 may include an interconnected curved guide section 1221 and a vertical section 1222. The vertical section 1222 is parallel to the sidewall of the cavity and is connected to the first guide portion 121 via the curved guide section 1221. Thus, the gas-liquid mixture passing through the first guide portion 121 can flow along the curved guide section 1221 to the vertical section 1222, and finally flow along the vertical section 1222 to the curved guide plate 130.

[0071] In some embodiments, the vertical section 1222 may be directly connected to the first guide portion 121. Alternatively, the second guide portion 122 may further include a bent section, which may be connected to an end of the vertical section 1222 away from the arc-shaped guide portion 1221. In this application, the structure of the second guide portion 122 is not further limited.

[0072] Referring to Figure 3 and in combination with Figure 1, in some embodiments, a vertical partition plate 114 is further provided in the cavity. The vertical partition plate 114 is located on the bottom wall of the cavity and is constructed to separate the bottom of the cavity into a gas-liquid channel 111 and a first liquid collecting chamber 113, so as to simultaneously form a liquid channel and a first liquid collecting chamber 113 at the bottom of the shell 110.

[0073] The vertical partition plate 114 can be located on one side of the bottom wall of the cavity and integrally formed with the housing 110. The housing 110 has a gas-liquid port in the gas-liquid channel 111 and an exhaust port in the exhaust channel 112. Both the gas-liquid port and the exhaust port are connected to the exhaust line 300. To facilitate communication between the gas-liquid port and the exhaust port and the exhaust line 300, the gas-liquid port can protrude from the bottom wall of the housing 110, and the exhaust port can protrude from the top wall of the housing 110.

[0074] Referring to FIG3 in conjunction with FIG1 , vertical partition plate 114 has a second reflux port 1141. First liquid collecting chamber 113 communicates with gas-liquid passage 111 via second reflux port 1141, allowing liquid within first liquid collecting chamber 113 to first enter gas-liquid passage 111 via second reflux port 1141 and then flow back into fuel tank 200 through gas-liquid passage 111 and the exhaust pipe. Second reflux port 1141 may be located at the bottom of vertical partition plate 114, allowing liquid accumulated within first liquid collecting chamber 113 to flow back into fuel tank 200.

[0075] Since the gas-liquid mixture has a certain pressure and a relatively fast flow rate when entering the gas-liquid channel 111, the liquid flowing out of the first reflux port 1151 will be blown into the second manifold 115 as it moves toward the exhaust channel 112, thereby preventing the gas-liquid mixture from remixing with the liquid flowing out of the first reflux port 1151 and affecting the separation effect. When the gas-liquid mixture stops entering the gas-liquid channel 111, the liquid in the second manifold 115 can smoothly flow back through the first reflux port 1151 and gather in the first manifold 113.

[0076] Similarly, as the gas-liquid mixture moves toward the exhaust passage 112, any liquid attempting to flow back into the gas-liquid passage 111 from the second return port 1141 is also blown into the first manifold 113. This prevents the gas-liquid mixture from remixing with the liquid flowing back from the first manifold 113 within the gas-liquid passage 111, which could affect the separation effect. When the gas-liquid mixture stops entering the gas-liquid passage 111, the liquid flowing back from the first manifold 113 can flow smoothly back into the fuel tank 200 through the second return port 1141.

[0077] In some embodiments, there are at least two flow guides 120. FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of a multi-stage gas-liquid separator 100 having two flow guides 120, but this figure does not limit the structure of the multi-stage gas-liquid separator 100. In some embodiments, the number of flow guides 120 can be three or more. By providing at least two flow guides 120 and the curved guide plates 130, multi-stage gas-liquid separation of the gas-liquid mixture can be achieved, thereby enhancing the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0078] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the number of the flow guide 120 may be one. When there is one flow guide 120, the structure of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 may be as shown in FIG4 . In this application, the number of the flow guide 120 and the structure of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 are not further limited.

[0079] The structure of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 is further described below by taking two flow guides 120 as an example.

[0080] As shown in Figure 5 , the flow guides 120 are alternately arranged on opposite sidewalls of the cavity along the direction from the gas-liquid passage 111 to the exhaust passage 112. Adjacent flow guides 120 are spaced apart and overlap. The arrangement of the flow guides 120 and the curved guide plates 130 defines a flow path within the cavity for the gas-liquid mixture along the direction from the gas-liquid passage 111 to the exhaust passage 112. Furthermore, each flow guide 120, together with the housing 110, forms a second liquid manifold 115.

[0081] As the gas-liquid mixture flows along this flow path toward the exhaust passage 112, it undergoes gas-liquid separation and redirection as it passes through each guide member 120. The guide members 120 deposit the resulting liquid into the second manifold 115 below or directly collect it within the first manifold 113, thereby achieving multi-stage gas-liquid separation of the gas-liquid mixture. Furthermore, after the gas-liquid mixture undergoes gas-liquid separation in the guide members 120, it undergoes further gas-liquid separation by passing through the curved guide plates 130. This ensures that at least the majority of the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture is separated from the gas and returned to the exhaust pipe 300, resulting in the multi-stage gas-liquid separator 100 having a high separation efficiency for the gas-liquid mixture.

[0082] The volume of the first liquid collecting chamber 113 is greater than the volume of the second liquid collecting chamber 115. Along the direction from the gas-liquid channel 111 to the exhaust channel 112, the volume of the second liquid collecting chamber 115 surrounded by the guide member 120 and the shell 110 gradually decreases. As the gas-liquid mixture flows along the flow path toward the exhaust channel 112, the liquid carried in the gas-liquid mixture gradually decreases as the gas-liquid separation proceeds. By limiting the change rules of the volume of the first liquid collecting chamber 113 and the volume of the second liquid collecting chamber 115, while ensuring that the first liquid collecting chamber 113 and each second liquid collecting chamber 115 can meet the liquid holding requirements, the space utilization rate of the cavity can also be improved. Exemplarily, the volume of the first liquid collecting chamber 113 can account for more than 40% of the total volume of the shell 110.

[0083] As shown in Figure 1, in some embodiments, the first reflux port 1151 can be located at the second end 1212 of the first guide portion 121, so as to achieve liquid reflux in each second liquid collecting cavity 115 while simplifying the structure of the guide member 120 and the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100.

[0084] 5 , in other embodiments, some first return openings 1151 may also be located at the second end 1212 of the first guide portion 121 , and other first return openings 1151 may be on the arc-shaped guide section 1221 of the second guide portion 122 .

[0085] As shown in Figure 6, in other embodiments, the first end 1211 of the portion of the flow guide 120 away from the first liquid collecting chamber 113 can also extend toward one side of the first liquid collecting chamber 113 and form a reflux channel 1152 with the shell 110 in the second liquid collecting chamber 115. The bottom end of the reflux channel 1152 is located in the first liquid collecting chamber 113, and the first reflux port 1151 is located at the bottom end of the reflux channel 1152, so that the liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber 115 can be directly collected in the first liquid collecting chamber 113 along the reflux channel 1152 and the first reflux port 1151, which can further improve the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0086] The area occupied by the first return port 1151 on the flow guide 120 can be less than 28mm 2 To avoid the opening of the first reflux port 1151 being too large, which causes the liquid in the first liquid collecting chamber 113 to flow out directly from the first reflux port 1151 and affect the gas-liquid separation effect of the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100.

[0087] As shown in FIG6 , the second end 1212 of the flow guide 120 adjacent to the gas-liquid channel 111 is located above the gas-liquid channel 111, and the height between the second end 1212 and the gas-liquid channel 111 is a second height H2, which is less than 20 mm. For example, the second height H2 can be 10 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, etc. Since the gas-liquid channel 111 is separated by the vertical partition plate 114, the second height H2 can also be understood as the height between the second end 1212 of the flow guide 120 adjacent to the gas-liquid channel 111 and the vertical partition plate 114, and the second end 1212 of the flow guide 120 is located above the vertical partition plate 114.

[0088] By limiting the second height H2, not only can the flow of the gas-liquid mixture between the gas-liquid channel 111 and the adjacent guide member 120 be facilitated, but also the gas-liquid mixture can be prevented from contacting the liquid in the first liquid collecting chamber 113 during the flow, thereby ensuring the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0089] As shown in FIG6 , in some embodiments, the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 may further include a disturbance member 140 having a bent structure. Exemplarily, the disturbance member 140 may be a bent plate. The disturbance member 140 is connected to the side wall of the cavity. At least a portion of the structure of the disturbance member 140 is located within the second collecting chamber 115 and is configured to suppress the movement of the liquid within the second collecting chamber 115 to prevent the liquid from being blown out of the second collecting chamber 115 by the gas-liquid mixture flowing through it and from being remixed with the gas-liquid mixture flowing through the second collecting chamber 115 to ensure a gas-liquid separation effect. The bend of the disturbance member 140 has a through hole 141 for gas to pass through, so that the air within the second collecting chamber 115 can be discharged from the second collecting chamber 115 through the through hole 141, thereby preventing air from accumulating in the second collecting chamber 115 to form a cavity and affecting the accumulation of liquid in the second collecting chamber 115.

[0090] As shown in FIG5 , in some embodiments, the gas-liquid channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 can be coaxially arranged on the housing 110, so that the gas-liquid channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 can be located in the same axially extending position on the housing 110. The axial direction of the housing 110 can be referred to as the Y direction above. In this case, the curved guide plate 130 can be connected to the top wall or side wall of the cavity at the top of the cavity, so that the gas separated by the curved guide plate 130 can be discharged from the housing 110 through the exhaust channel 112.

[0091] As shown in FIG6 , in some embodiments, the gas-liquid channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 can be arranged in two different axial directions of the housing 110. That is, the gas-liquid channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 are not coaxially arranged on the housing 110. In this case, the arc-shaped guide plate 130 can be connected to the top wall of the cavity at the top of the cavity, and the gas separated by the arc-shaped guide plate 130 can also be discharged from the housing 110 through the exhaust channel 112.

[0092] Based on the above, an embodiment of the present application further provides a vehicle, comprising a fuel system and a multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 as described above. The fuel system may include but is not limited to the high-pressure fuel system described above.

[0093] As shown in FIG7 , the fuel system may include a fuel tank 200 and an exhaust line 300 connected to the fuel tank 200. A multi-stage gas-liquid separator 100 is located on and communicates with the exhaust line 300. When the fuel tank 200 is undergoing high-pressure pressure relief through the exhaust line 300, the multi-stage gas-liquid separator 100, through the provision of the guide member 120 and the curved guide plate 130, can perform multi-stage gas-liquid separation on the gas-liquid mixture (a mixture of fuel and oil vapor) flowing at a high flow rate in the exhaust line 300. This allows the gas (oil vapor) in the gas-liquid mixture to be discharged from the fuel tank 200 through the exhaust passage 112, achieving high-pressure pressure relief for the fuel tank 200. Furthermore, the liquid (fuel) in the gas-liquid mixture can be returned to the fuel tank 200 through the gas-liquid passage 111 and the exhaust line 300, thereby preventing the fuel from affecting downstream equipment 600 in the vehicle connected to the exhaust line 300.

[0094] The connection between the multi-stage liquid-gas separator 100 and the exhaust pipeline 300 and the type of the downstream equipment 600 can be found in the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0095] As shown in FIG7 , the fuel system may further include an oil inlet line 400 and an electronic isolation valve 500. The oil inlet line 400 is connected to the fuel tank 200. The electronic isolation valve 500 may be connected to the exhaust pipe so that it can open when the pressure in the fuel tank 200 is too high, thereby achieving high-pressure pressure relief control for the fuel tank 200.

[0096] The vehicle may also include a vehicle body, which can be understood as the vehicle structure excluding the fuel system. The fuel system may be located within the vehicle body. Specifically, the location of the fuel system within the vehicle body can be referenced to the location in existing vehicles and will not be further described here.

[0097] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0098] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof used herein are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses.

[0099] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc. should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integration. They can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, allowing internal communication between two elements or an interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated.

[0100] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-stage liquid-gas separator, applied to a vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a shell, an arc-shaped guide plate and at least one guide member, wherein the bottom of the shell has a gas-liquid channel for the gas-liquid mixture in the exhaust pipe of the vehicle to enter, the top of the shell has an exhaust channel connected to the exhaust pipe, and the gas-liquid channel and the exhaust channel are both connected to the cavity of the shell; the cavity has a first liquid collecting cavity connected to the gas-liquid channel on the side of the gas-liquid channel; The flow guide is connected to the side wall of the cavity, and forms a second liquid collecting cavity with the shell above the first liquid collecting cavity, and the bottom of the second liquid collecting cavity has a first reflux port; the flow guide comprises a first flow guide portion facing the first liquid collecting cavity, and the first flow guide portion is an arc-shaped structure with a middle portion convex toward the second liquid collecting cavity; the flow guide is configured to perform gas-liquid separation on the gas-liquid mixture flowing through the first flow guide portion, so as to guide the liquid to the first liquid collecting cavity, and guide the gas-liquid mixture after gas-liquid separation to the arc-shaped flow guide plate; The arc-shaped guide plate is connected to the top of the cavity and is located above the second liquid collecting chamber. The arc-shaped guide plate is configured to separate the gas-liquid mixture flowing therethrough so that the liquid is directed to the second liquid collecting chamber and the gas is directed to the exhaust channel.

2. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first end of the first flow guide portion is connected to the side wall of the cavity, and the second end of the first flow guide portion extends toward the interior of the first liquid collecting cavity.

3. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: A height between an extended end of the second end and a vertex of the first guide portion is a first height, and the first height is greater than or equal to 20 mm.

4. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The width between the second end and the vertex of the first guide portion is a first width, and the ratio of the first width to the width of the shell is 20-40%; And / or, a width between the first end and a vertex of the first air guide portion is a second width, and a ratio of the second width to a width of the shell is 20-70%.

5. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide member further includes a second guide portion, which is connected to the side wall of the cavity through the first guide portion and is configured to guide the gas-liquid mixture passing through the first guide portion to the arc-shaped guide plate.

6. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second guide portion includes an arc-shaped guide segment and a vertical segment connected to each other. The vertical segment is parallel to the side wall of the cavity and is connected to the first guide portion through the arc-shaped guide segment.

7. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The number of the guide members is at least two. Along the direction from the gas-liquid channel to the exhaust channel, the guide members are alternately arranged on two opposite side walls of the cavity, and two adjacent guide members are arranged at intervals and have an overlapping area.

8. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The volume of the first liquid collecting chamber is greater than that of the second liquid collecting chamber, and the volume of the second liquid collecting chamber surrounded by the guide member and the shell gradually decreases in the direction from the gas-liquid channel to the exhaust channel.

9. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first end of the guide member, which is away from the first liquid collecting chamber, extends toward one side of the first liquid collecting chamber and forms a reflux channel with the shell in the second liquid collecting chamber; The bottom end of the reflux channel is located in the first liquid collecting chamber, and the first reflux port is located at the bottom end of the reflux channel.

10. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first return ports are all located at the second end of the first guide portion.

11. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second end of the flow guide member adjacent to the gas-liquid channel is located above the gas-liquid channel, and the height between the second end and the gas-liquid channel is a second height, and the second height is less than 20 mm.

12. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A vertical partition plate is also provided in the cavity. The vertical partition plate is located on the bottom wall of the cavity and is configured to separate the bottom of the cavity into the gas-liquid channel and the first liquid collecting chamber.

13. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 12, characterized in that: The vertical partition plate is provided with a second reflux port, and the first liquid collecting chamber is communicated with the gas-liquid channel through the second reflux port.

14. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It also includes a disturbing member, wherein the disturbing member is a bent structure; The disturbance member is connected to the side wall of the cavity. At least a part of the structure of the disturbance member is located in the second liquid collecting chamber and is configured to inhibit the movement of liquid in the second liquid collecting chamber.

15. The multi-stage liquid-gas separator according to claim 14, characterized in that: The bending part of the disturbance piece is provided with a through hole for gas to pass through.

16. A vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises a fuel system and a multi-stage liquid-gas separator as described in any one of claims 1-15, wherein the fuel system comprises a fuel tank and an exhaust pipeline connected to the fuel tank, and the multi-stage liquid-gas separator is located on the exhaust pipeline and connected to the exhaust pipeline.

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