Fuel Distributor Block Leakage Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing fuel supply systems for internal combustion engines, particularly in marine diesel engines, face issues with excessive leakage in the high-pressure area due to numerous sealing points, which can lead to system malfunction and damage to high-pressure lines, necessitating a reliable monitoring solution.

Innovation Solution

A fuel distributor block is introduced between the low-pressure and high-pressure pumps, featuring a fuel leakage collection line with a constriction and bypass, equipped with a leakage sensor, allowing for the detection of fuel leakage exceeding a threshold, ensuring reliable monitoring of total fuel leakage in the high-pressure area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a fuel supply system with multiple sealing points in the high-pressure area is used, then the system can function properly, but fuel leakage increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operation reliabilityVSAvoidfuel leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the fuel leakage monitoring function from the complex high-pressure system by introducing a separate fuel leakage collection line that collects leakage from multiple sealing points and routing it to a dedicated sensor, allowing independent monitoring of total leakage without interfering with normal system operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The fuel leakage collection line acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the multiple sealing points and the leakage sensor, collecting and channeling fuel leakage from various sources to a single detection point for simplified monitoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If individual leakage testing devices are assigned to each distribution unit, then leakage can be attributed to specific units, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveleakage source identificationVSAvoidnumber of testing devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the leakage collection function for all distribution units into a single fuel leakage collection line that aggregates leakage from multiple sources, reducing the number of testing devices while maintaining the ability to detect total leakage exceeding permissible limits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The common fuel leakage collection line serves multiple distribution units simultaneously, providing a universal leakage collection path that monitors total system leakage without requiring individual dedicated testing devices for each unit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of substance

If high-pressure lines are designed as sheathed lines to dissipate leakage, then leakage is contained, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveleakage containmentVSAvoidhigh-pressure line structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of preventing leakage with complex sheathed lines, the invention converts the harmful leakage into a detectable signal by collecting it through a dedicated line and using it to trigger warnings, transforming the problem of leakage into a useful monitoring opportunity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 enables simple and effective monitoring of fuel leakage, preventing system malfunctions by distinguishing between permissible and excessive leakage, facilitating easy adjustment and maintenance of the constriction, thus ensuring reliable operation of the fuel supply system.

Implementation Method 1

the fuel distribution block has a fuel leakage collection line for the fuel leakage supplied to the fuel distribution block with a constriction or throttle, with a bypass to the constriction or throttle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThrottle flow restriction: Pressure Drop

Data Source

PatentEP3548731B1Fuel supply system and fuel distributor block
Publication Date: 2021.03.24 MAN ENERGY SOLUTION SE
  • EP3548731B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3548731B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a fuel supply system, in particular a common-rail fuel supply system, of an internal combustion engine, which in particular is designed as a large diesel internal combustion engine or marine diesel internal combustion engine, comprising a low-pressure region (4), a high-pressure region (6), a pumping device (3), having at least one low-pressure pump (5) and at least one high-pressure pump (2), for conveying fuel from the low-pressure region (4) of the fuel supply system into the high-pressure region (6) of the fuel supply system, wherein a pressure accumulator system (7) permanently under high pressure is provided between the pumping device (3) and injectors associated with cylinders and has a plurality of distributor units (9), wherein, between the or each low-pressure pump (5) and the or each high-pressure pump (2), a fuel distributor block (13) is provided, to which fuel can be supplied from the or each low-pressure pump (5) and from which fuel can be supplied to the or each high-pressure pump (2) and to which fuel leakage can be supplied from the distributor units (9) and the pumping device (3), and wherein the fuel distributor block (13) has a fuel leakage collection line for the fuel leakage supplied to the fuel distributor block (13), which fuel leakage collection line has a narrow point or choke and a bypass around the narrow point or choke and a leakage sensor in the region of the bypass, wherein the narrow point or choke is dimensioned in such a way that all fuel leakage flows through the narrow point or choke if the fuel leakage conducted via the fuel leakage collection line is less than a limit value, whereas part of the fuel leakage flows through the bypass and thus across the leakage sensor if the fuel leakage conducted via the fuel leakage collection line is greater than the limit value.