Active Carbon Filter Gap Design for Hydrocarbon Emission Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current active carbon filter systems in fuel vapor buffer installations for vehicles are inadequate in removing hydrocarbons, as the rinsing process fails to completely clean the filters and peripheral components, leading to increased hydrocarbon emissions during SHED tests, which are stringent in the US market.
Innovation Solution
An additional filter system is designed without sealing elements, featuring a gap between the housing and filter walls to allow unfiltered vapors to escape, ensuring hydrocarbons pass through the active carbon granules before being released, thus reducing emissions by enhancing the rinsing efficiency of hydrocarbon vapors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sealing elements (foams, seals) are used in the active carbon filter system to prevent vapor escape, then vapor containment is improved, but rinsing efficiency deteriorates because hydrocarbons remain bonded in the sealing elements and cannot be completely removed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes sealing elements (foams and seals) from the active carbon filter system entirely. By extracting these harmful components, the system eliminates the source of persistent hydrocarbon emissions while maintaining vapor containment through alternative means (the filter housing structure and active carbon granules themselves).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the porous structure of active carbon granules to achieve both vapor containment and effective rinsing. The porous material allows vapor to be trapped during operation but also enables complete penetration and cleaning during the rinsing process, unlike solid sealing elements that trap hydrocarbons internally.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If rinsing period is extended to completely clean sealing elements, then hydrocarbon removal is improved, but operational time and cost increase making it impractical
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the sealing elements that are difficult to clean, the invention eliminates the need for extended rinsing periods. The active carbon filter can be completely rinsed in standard timeframes because the porous granular structure allows rapid penetration and cleaning compared to solid sealing materials.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If additional filter system is added to meet US emission thresholds, then emission compliance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves compliance with strict emission thresholds by simplifying rather than complicating the system. By removing sealing elements that generate emissions and optimizing the active carbon filter configuration, the system meets US market requirements without adding complex additional filter systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly reduces hydrocarbon emissions by allowing unfiltered vapors to be rinsed effectively, improving emission values and eliminating the need for seals or foams, which reduces costs and mounting time.
Implementation Method 1
The active carbon filter systems or fuel vapor buffer installations, referred to as active carbon filters among experts, that are incorporated in vehicles and designed to prevent that vapors from the fuel tank are released into the environment, contain active carbon granules
Implementation Method 2
atmospheric air is reversely guided through the active carbon filter in order to regenerate the fuel vapor buffer installation, i.e. to rinse out the hydrocarbon vapors bonded in the active carbon granules
Data Source
AI summary
A filter system, in particular as part of a fuel vapor buffer installation for reducing hydrocarbon emissions includes at least one filter 15, in particular a filter having channels and active carbon, and a housing 2 for receiving the filter 15, wherein the housing 2 has separate or integral holding devices for fixing the filter 15 and wherein at least one gap or gap space 28 is provided between the inner wall 6 of the housing 2 and the outer circumference of the filter 15 that has a fluid connection to the region causing the emissions and to the atmosphere.