Compressible Fuel Tank Baffle for In-Tank Pump Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modifying older fuel tanks to accommodate an in-tank fuel pump is challenging due to the need for baffling to prevent fuel sloshing during maneuvers, and existing solutions fail to provide a flexible and adjustable baffle that can fit various tank depths and sizes.
Innovation Solution
A baffle made of compressible foam material with an impermeable skin, allowing it to fit through small holes and expand within the tank, providing adjustable height and preventing fuel sloshing by allowing fuel in while impeding its flow during maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid baffle is used to prevent fuel sloshing, then fuel retention is improved, but the baffle cannot fit through small holes and cannot adapt to various tank depths
Solution Approach 1:
The baffle employs a flexible, collapsible structure that can be compressed radially for insertion through small holes and then expanded to its full diameter inside the tank. This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to satisfy both the small insertion hole requirement and the large fuel retention requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The baffle's physical parameters (diameter, height) are made variable through its collapsible design. By changing the compression state from compressed to expanded, the baffle adapts to different installation constraints and tank configurations, solving both the insertion difficulty and adaptability problems.
2Ease of manufacture
If a large hole is cut in the tank to install the baffle, then the baffle can be properly installed, but the hole is larger than necessary and compromises tank integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible baffle design enables dynamic size adjustment, allowing insertion through a minimally sized hole that is just large enough for the compressed state, thereby preserving tank integrity while achieving proper installation.
3Device complexity
If a fixed-height baffle is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to fuel tanks of varying depths
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible structure allows the baffle height to be dynamically adjusted by compressing or expanding the flexible walls, enabling adaptation to different tank depths without requiring multiple fixed-height baffle designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The single collapsible baffle design serves multiple functions: it can be adjusted to fit various tank depths, inserted through small holes, and provides effective fuel retention. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple specialized baffle designs.
4Productivity
If a second in-tank pump is added to supplement fuel delivery, then fuel volume delivery is improved, but the tank must be modified to accommodate an additional pump
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible baffle serves dual purposes: it provides fuel retention for the original pump and creates a protective housing for the additional pump. This multi-functionality reduces the overall complexity of the modification by combining two separate requirements into one component.
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
Enables the successful installation of an in-tank fuel pump in fuel tanks of varying depths with uninterrupted fuel supply, ensuring efficient fuel delivery and preventing fuel starvation or vapor lock.
Implementation Method 1
The sidewall is formed of a flexible material so as to be longitudinally compressible. The baffle is radially compressible so that it can fit through a hole which is smaller than its uncompressed outside diameter.
Implementation Method 2
The sidewall preferably has sufficient resiliency to produce an expansive force when it is compressed, the expansive force helping to retain the baffle in position within the tank.
Implementation Method 3
The sidewall is formed of a fuel permeable foam material. The skin allows fuel to flow into the interior space of the baffle from the tank.
Implementation Method 4
The skin allows fuel to flow into the interior space of the baffle from the tank, but provides an impediment to the fuel flowing in the opposite direction during maneuvers which would cause the fuel to slosh in the tank.
Data Source
AI summary
A baffle has a sidewall and an interior space sized to receive the in-tank pump. The sidewall is formed of a flexible material so as to be longitudinally compressible. The compressibility of the sidewall allows the baffle to be mounted in fuel tanks of varying depths. The baffle is used in a method for mounting an in-tank fuel pump in a fuel tank. The method includes the steps of cutting a hole in a top wall of the fuel tank, inserting the baffle into the tank through the hole, compressing the sidewall of the baffle so that the baffle extends between the top and bottom walls of the tank, installing the in-tank pump in the interior space of the baffle and installing a cover plate over the hole.