Motor Vehicle Tank Filler Pipe with Porous Vent Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for filling motor vehicle tanks with liquids like urea are inefficient, particularly when the tank is not easily accessible or when rapid filling is required, as they often create siphons and are prone to issues like backflow and corrosion, especially in catalytic reduction systems.
Innovation Solution
A device using a filler pipe with a lower end penetrating into the tank and an upper end for liquid intake, combined with an air vent pipe featuring a fixed pressure drop generating element, such as a porous material or geometric restriction, to manage air evacuation and prevent siphon formation, while minimizing structural impact and avoiding moving parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the vent pipe runs along the filler pipe to minimize size and complexity, then device complexity is reduced, but liquid accumulates in the siphon creating backflow problems
Solution Approach 1:
A porous plug is inserted into the vent pipe to allow gas to pass through while blocking liquid. The porous structure enables selective permeability based on fluid properties, allowing air evacuation during filling while preventing liquid accumulation and backflow in the siphon section.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic liquid accumulation function is extracted from the vent pipe by introducing a separate porous plug element. This isolated component specifically addresses liquid blocking while maintaining the vent pipe's primary gas evacuation function, resolving the contradiction between simplified routing and reliable backflow prevention.
2Reliability
If a non-return valve is installed to empty the siphon, then backflow is prevented, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug serves as a simple, inexpensive, and maintenance-free alternative to complex mechanical non-return valves. While the plug may eventually clog and require replacement, it eliminates the need for moving parts, springs, and complex valve mechanisms, significantly reducing assembly complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical non-return valve system is replaced with a passive porous material that relies on physical properties (porosity and surface tension) rather than mechanical actuation. This substitution eliminates moving parts, reduces complexity, and removes the risk of mechanical failure while maintaining backflow prevention functionality.
3Productivity
If the vent pipe outlet is positioned near the upper end of the filler pipe, then gas evacuation is improved, but liquid may rise untimely in the vent pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The porous plug positioned in the vent pipe creates a pressure differential that allows gas to escape upward during rapid filling while preventing liquid from rising into the vent pipe outlet. The porous structure provides resistance to liquid flow while maintaining gas permeability, enabling high-speed filling without liquid contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous plug is installed in advance to preemptively block the potential harmful effect of liquid rising into the vent pipe. By positioning this barrier before liquid can accumulate in the siphon, the system prevents the problem rather than reacting to it, ensuring reliable gas evacuation during rapid filling operations.
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 solution allows for efficient and remote filling of motor vehicle tanks, reducing the risk of siphon formation and corrosion, while maintaining the vehicle's structural integrity and volume, even in cold conditions where urea can solidify, thus ensuring effective gas evacuation and prolonged pollution control range.
Implementation Method 1
a fixed pressure drop generating element which communicates the lower section with a portion of the tank situated below the lower section
Implementation Method 2
said fixed pressure drop generating element comprises a porous material
Implementation Method 3
said fixed pressure drop generating element comprises a geometric restriction
Data Source
AI summary
In order to fill a tank (12) of a motor vehicle with a liquid, particularly for a selective catalytic reduction system, the device (7) of the invention includes a filling tube (13) that comprises a bottom end (18) penetrating into the tank (12) and a top end (19) for receiving the liquid so as to fill the tank (12). A ventilation duct (14) comprises an inlet end (10) penetrating into a top portion (16) of the tank (12), an outlet end (11) penetrating into the tube (13) near the top end (19), and a lower section (40) located at a first structural level below the inlet and outlet ends (10, 11). A stationary head-loss generating element (70, 71, 72) places the lower section (40) in communication with a cavity (15) located at a second structural level below the first structural level.