Split Fuel Tank Layout for Inclined Work Vehicle Fuel Supply
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel tank designs in work vehicles, such as earthwork vibration rollers, face challenges in supplying fuel to internal combustion engines when the vehicle is inclined, as the fuel can become biased and fail to reach the engine due to inadequate retention near the inlet.
Innovation Solution
A fuel tank system with a first storage tank located on one side of the vehicle body, a second storage tank closer to the center, and a partition separating them, along with hollow tube members that allow fluid flow from the first to the second tank, ensuring fuel delivery regardless of inclination angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the fuel tank is located on the rear part of the vehicle body, then the fuel storage capacity is improved, but the fuel supply reliability deteriorates when the vehicle is inclined
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tank is divided into a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber separated by a partition wall. The first chamber is located at the rear end for bulk storage, while the second chamber is positioned at the front end near the engine to ensure reliable fuel supply during inclination. This segmentation allows the tank to maintain both large capacity and reliable delivery under various operating conditions.
2Ease of operation
If the inlet is located at the center in the front-rear direction of the fuel tank, then the fuel supply is simplified, but the fuel cannot be sucked when the fuel is biased to the rear side
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet is extracted from the conventional central position and relocated to the front end of the fuel tank near the engine. This extraction ensures that the inlet remains in a position where fuel is always available, even when the vehicle is inclined and fuel biases toward the rear. The motor draws fuel from this front-positioned inlet, guaranteeing continuous supply regardless of vehicle orientation.
3Reliability
If a retaining part is provided inside the fuel tank, then the fuel retention near the inlet is improved, but the retained amount is reduced depending on the inclination angle
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on a retaining part that provides limited local fuel storage, the invention uses the longitudinal dimension of the fuel tank by positioning the inlet at the front end and the main storage at the rear end. This dimensional arrangement ensures that fuel always flows toward the inlet under gravity, providing reliable supply across all inclination angles without being constrained by the capacity of a small retaining part.
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
The system effectively supplies fuel to the engine across various inclination angles, preventing fuel bias and ensuring continuous engine operation by strategically positioning the second storage tank and hollow tube members to maintain fuel flow.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow tube member that has a first end communicated with the first storage tank through the partition part so as to enable the stored fluid to flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A work vehicle including a tank (31,131) formed so as to extend from a rear part of a vehicle body toward a center, wherein the tank includes: a first storage tank (32) located on the rear side of the vehicle body, and stores stored fluid (9); a second storage tank (34) located on a side close to the center in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and stores the fluid; a partition part (36) that separates the first storage tank and the second storage tank; a discharge member (49) that has a discharge opening (49a) extending and opened inside the second storage tank, and discharges, from the second storage tank, the fluid stored in the second storage tank; and a hollow tube member (60) that has a first end communicated with the first storage tank through the partition part so as to enable the stored fluid to flow, and a second end having a hollow tube opening (62) extending and opened toward the center of the vehicle body inside the second storage tank, wherein the hollow tube opening of the hollow tube member is located on the central side of the vehicle body with respect to the discharge opening of the discharge member.