Fuel Overflow Prevention Chamber for Vehicle Fuel Tank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle fuel systems face issues with liquid fuel overflowing into the canister due to insufficient sealing of the vent valve, leading to engine stalling and malfunctioning of the activated carbon, as liquid fuel is introduced into the engine and causes fuel evaporation gas to be discharged to the atmosphere instead of being collected.
Innovation Solution
A fuel overflow prevention apparatus and method that includes a fuel overflow prevention chamber to temporarily store liquid fuel overflowing from the vent valve during vehicle travel, with a reverse-driven fuel pump returning the stored fuel to the tank when the engine is turned off, utilizing a reverse check valve to prevent backflow and a forward check valve to prevent residual fuel from entering the tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vent valve is used to discharge fuel evaporation gas, then fuel evaporation gas can be supplied to the canister, but liquid fuel may overflow into the canister when sealing is insufficient or abnormality occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A fuel overflow prevention chamber is introduced as an intermediary component between the vent valve and the canister. This chamber temporarily stores liquid fuel that overflows through the vent valve, preventing it from entering the canister. The chamber acts as a buffer zone that separates the vent valve discharge path from the canister intake, thereby protecting the canister from liquid fuel contamination while maintaining the vent valve's primary function of discharging fuel evaporation gas.
2Strength
If liquid fuel enters the canister, then the canister structure remains intact, but the activated carbon becomes wetted and loses its fuel evaporation gas collection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel overflow prevention chamber serves as a protective buffer that anticipates and captures liquid fuel overflow before it can reach the canister. By positioning this chamber upstream in the fuel flow path, the system proactively prevents liquid fuel from contacting the activated carbon, thereby preserving the canister's fuel evaporation gas collection capability and preventing the wetting that would render the activated carbon ineffective.
3Reliability
If a fuel pump is driven in reverse direction to collect overflowed fuel, then liquid fuel can be returned to the fuel tank, but additional control complexity is required
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel pump operates in periodic cycles: during normal engine operation, it supplies fuel to the engine; when the engine is turned off, it reverses direction to collect and return overflowed fuel from the prevention chamber to the fuel tank. This periodic reversal of pump operation simplifies control logic compared to continuous monitoring and active pumping systems, as the recovery action is automatically triggered by the engine shutdown state.
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
Effectively prevents liquid fuel overflow into the canister, avoids engine stalling, and maintains the functionality of the canister by ensuring fuel evaporation gas is collected and not discharged to the atmosphere.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel pump driven in a reverse direction for a predetermined time when an engine is turned off, to collect the liquid fuel stored in the fuel overflow prevention chamber
Implementation Method 2
A reverse check valve may be mounted in the return line to prevent the fuel in the fuel tank from flowing into the fuel overflow prevention chamber when the fuel pump is driven in a forward direction
Implementation Method 3
A forward check valve may be mounted in a discharge port of the fuel pump to prevent a fuel remaining in a feed line, provided between the fuel pump and the engine, from flowing into the fuel tank when the fuel pump is driven in the reverse direction
Implementation Method 4
The vent valve serves to prevent liquid fuel from flowing into the canister when fuel leakage is a concern
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method for preventing overflow of fuel from a vehicle fuel tank are provided may prevent liquid fuel from overflowing into a canister by for a predetermined time storing liquid fuel, which overflows from a fuel tank through a vent valve while the vehicle is traveling, in a fuel overflow prevention chamber, and by returning the fuel in the fuel overflow prevention chamber to the fuel tank by driving a fuel pump in a reverse direction when an engine is turned off.