CN102574462A - Fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides a fuel tank of a simple structure without any special device but having space of a predetermined ratio after the fuel tank has been filled with liquefied fuel. The fuel tank is of a form in which a number of cylindrical or spherical containers are arranged in parallel and are coupled together in a manner that the cylindrical or spherical containers neighboring each other share partitioning walls (8), respectively. Each of the partitioning walls has a passage through which the neighboring cylindrical or spherical containers are communicated with each other, and the upper ends of the passages are formed leaving partly the inner partitioning walls so that the liquid will not enter into the upper parts of the cylindrical or spherical containers.

Description

fuel tank

technical field

The invention relates to a fuel tank.

Background technique

In an internal combustion engine using liquefied fuel, the liquefied fuel is stored in a tank. However, when the temperature rises, the liquefied fuel is vaporized to increase the pressure inside the tank, which may cause the tank to rupture. Therefore, for example, according to the Japanese LPG vehicle use standard, the ratio of the gas space to the total internal volume of a tank with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) must not exceed 85%.

That is, a fuel tank storing liquefied fuel must retain a predetermined ratio of space after the tank has been filled with liquefied fuel.

In order to prevent overfilling of fuel, a float type conventional fuel tank is used to prevent overfilling in consideration of a complicated tank structure.

For example, Patent Document (PTL) 1 discloses a technique using a liquid level sensor. Also, the technology of providing an air chamber in a fuel tank has been disclosed in PTL2 and PTL3.

However, according to the technique of PTL1, filling of a predetermined amount of fuel in the fuel tank is detected by a liquid level sensor, and the fuel supply pump is stopped by a special device. In addition, the technologies of PTL2 and PTL3 involve fuel tanks with complex structures.

[list of citations]

[Patent Document]

[PTL1] JP 9-209979A

[PTL2] JP 7-132738A

[PTL3] JP 10-184464A

Contents of the invention

[technical problem]

An object of the present invention is to provide a structurally simple fuel tank which does not have any special devices but which has a predetermined ratio of space after the tank has been filled with liquefied fuel.

[Solution to problem]

According to the invention described in claim 1, there is provided a fuel tank in which a plurality of cylindrical containers are arranged side by side and respectively joined together in such a manner that the mutually adjacent cylindrical containers share a common partition wall Each of the partition walls has a passage through which the adjacent cylindrical containers communicate with each other; the upper end of the passage is formed to partly leave the inner partition wall so that the liquid does not enter the upper part of the cylindrical container; And when the liquid is supplied into the fuel tank, a space of a predetermined volume is formed on the liquid surface of the liquid.

That is, in the invention of claim 1, if liquefied fuel is injected into the fuel tank, the injected liquefied fuel flows through the communication passage of the inner partition wall and is injected into the cylindrical container. The upper end portion of the communication passage of the inner partition wall is formed partly away from the inner partition wall so that the liquefied gas fuel does not enter the upper portion of the cylindrical container. The position of the liquid surface of the liquefied fuel injected into the cylindrical container becomes the position of the upper end portion, and gas formed by vaporization of the liquefied fuel remains above the liquid surface. That is, a gas space is formed on the liquid surface of each cylindrical container. For filling storage tanks with liquefied fuel the ratio of the gas space of the tank to the total internal volume has been specified. By predetermining the upper end position of the communication passage of the inner partition wall so as to satisfy a prescribed filling rate, it is possible to charge liquefied fuel at a predetermined rate by virtue of a simple structure without using any special device.

According to the invention described in claim 2, there is provided a fuel tank, wherein the fuel tank is in a form in which a plurality of spherical containers are arranged in parallel and respectively joined together in such a manner that the mutually adjacent spherical containers share a common partition wall; Each of the partition walls has a passage through which the adjacent spherical containers communicate with each other; the upper end of the passage is formed to be partly separated from the inner partition wall so that the liquid does not enter the upper part of the spherical container; and when the liquid is supplied to the fuel tank When inside, a space of predetermined volume is formed on the liquid surface of the liquid.

That is, in the invention of claim 2 , the fuel tank is in a form in which a plurality of spherical containers are arranged in parallel and joined together to provide a fuel tank having the same effect as that of the fuel tank described in claim 1 .

According to the invention described in claim 3, there is provided the fuel tank of claim 1 or 2, wherein the volume of the space is not less than 15% of the entire internal volume of the fuel tank.

That is, the invention of claim 3 provides a fuel tank that satisfies a filling rate of not more than 85% prescribed under the Japanese LPG Automobile Use Standard when, for example, LPG is to be stored.

The invention described in each claim provides a structurally simple fuel tank that does not have any special device but has a predetermined ratio of space after the fuel tank has been filled with liquefied fuel.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a fuel tank.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the fuel tank of FIG. 1 in another section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the fuel tank of FIG. 1 , where I-I is a sectional position of FIG. 1 and II-II is a sectional position of FIG. 2 .

4(A) and 4(B) are sectional views schematically illustrating the configuration of another embodiment when the present invention is applied to a fuel tank.

5 is a view schematically illustrating the configuration of still another embodiment when the present invention is applied to a fuel tank, in which (A) is a plan view of the outer shape and (B) is a position of III-III in (A) Elevation view of the section at .

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the several drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the fuel tank 1 for storing liquefied fuel such as LPG, ammonia, etc. of the present invention. The fuel tank 1 has a form in which a plurality of cylindrical containers are arranged in parallel and connected together. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by arrow II-II in FIG. 3 , and shows a portion of the inner partition wall 8 where no communication passage exists. As is well known, a cylindrical container has excellent pressure resistance, and the thickness of the cylindrical container can be easily designed to meet the pressure resistance standard. That is, the fuel tank 1 can be easily designed to meet the pressure resistance standard required for liquefied fuel.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portion indicated by an arrow I-I in FIG. 3 , and shows a portion having a communication passage in the inner partition wall 8 . If liquefied fuel is injected into the fuel tank 1 through the fuel input port 2, the injected liquefied fuel 5 flows through the communication passage of the inner partition wall and is injected into the cylindrical container. The upper end portion 9 of the communication passage of the inner partition wall is formed partly away from the inner partition wall so that the liquefied gas fuel 5 does not enter the upper portion of the cylindrical container. The position of the liquid surface 6 of the liquefied fuel 5 injected into the cylindrical container becomes the position of the upper end 9 . That is, a gas space formed mainly by vaporization of the liquefied fuel is left above the liquid surface 6 in the cylindrical container; that is, a gas space 7 is formed there. In FIG. 1, only the rightmost cylindrical container has the vent hole 4, and liquefied fuel is filled into this container. If the liquefied fuel passes through the vent hole 4, a gas shutoff valve (not shown) provided in the vent hole 4 operates to stop fuel filling.

In the above description, the cylindrical containers of the fuel tank 1 need not all be of the same size, and need not be arranged side by side on the same plane, but can have, for example, Fig. 4(A) or Fig. The form shown in 4(B). FIG. 4(A) shows an embodiment in which the respective cylindrical containers of the fuel tank 1 have different sizes, and FIG. 4(B) shows an embodiment in which the respective cylindrical containers of the fuel tank 1 are not arranged on the same plane. Example. Also in these embodiments, the communication passage is formed in the inner partition wall, and the upper end portion 9 of the communication passage is formed so that the gas space 7 is left there.

Therefore, when mounted on a vehicle, the fuel tank 1 can have a complex shape as shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 shows an embodiment when the fuel tank 1 is formed to be mountable on a vehicle across a propeller shaft.

For storage of liquefied fuel in storage tanks, fill rates have been specified. Therefore, by determining the upper end positions of the respective communication passages of the inner partition wall in advance in such a manner that the volume of the gas space 7 satisfies a prescribed filling rate, it is allowed to fill the structure with liquefied gas fuel at a predetermined ratio without using any special device. Simple fuel tank. For example, according to the Japanese LPG automobile use standard, the filling rate of LPG has been stipulated as not exceeding 85%. Therefore, the volume of the gas space 7 can be set at not less than 15%.

The foregoing has described the fuel tank 1 in the form in which a plurality of cylindrical containers are arranged in parallel and joined together. However, it will be easily understood from FIGS. 1 to 5 that the same effect is provided even when a plurality of containers arranged side by side have a spherical shape.

[List of Reference Signs]

1 fuel tank

2 Fuel input ports

3 fuel outlet

4 ventilation holes

5 liquefied fuel

6 liquid level

7 gas space

8 partition walls

9 The upper end of the channel

Claims (3)

1. A fuel tank, wherein the fuel tank is in a form in which a plurality of cylindrical containers are arranged side by side and connected together in such a manner that the adjacent cylindrical containers share a common partition wall; Each of the partition walls has a passage through which the adjoining cylindrical containers communicate with each other; an upper end portion of the passage is formed partly away from the inner partition wall so that liquid does not enter the upper portion of the cylindrical container; and When liquid is supplied into the fuel tank, a space of a predetermined volume is formed on the liquid surface of the liquid. 2. A fuel tank, wherein the fuel tank is in the form of a plurality of spherical containers arranged side by side and connected together in such a way that the adjacent spherical containers share a common partition wall; Each of the partition walls has a passage through which the adjacent spherical containers communicate with each other; The upper end of the passage is formed partly away from the inner partition wall so that liquid does not enter the upper part of the spherical container; and When liquid is supplied into the fuel tank, a space of a predetermined volume is formed on the liquid surface of the liquid. 3. The fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the volume of the space is not less than 15% of the entire internal volume of the fuel tank.

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