# US 10,309,358 B2 · Fuel pressure pulsation damping device and fuel system including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,358 B2 - Document ID: US10309358B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/809,841 - Filed: 2017-11-10 - Published: 2018-05-17 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-15 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies LLC - Inventors: Charles Qin; Le Hong; Steven Shi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309358B2 ## CPC - F02M 55/04: Means for damping vibrations {or pressure fluctuations} in injection pump inlets {or outlets} - F02M 37/0041: {Means for damping pressure pulsations (equalisation of pulses in positive displacement pumps F04B1/00; devices for damping fluid pulsations in pipes F16L55/04)} - F02M 37/0052: {Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators} - F02M 2200/315: for damping fuel pressure fluctuations - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a fuel pressure pulsation damping device in a fuel return line between a high pressure pump and a fuel tank in a fuel system. The fuel pressure pulsation damping device includes a housing having an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe and an intermediate pipe; and a rotatory impeller positioned in the intermediate pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel pressure pulsation damping device located in a fuel return line between a high pressure pump and fuel tank in a fuel system, comprising: a housing having an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe and an intermediate pipe; and a rotatory impeller positioned in the intermediate pipe and having a plurality of vanes, wherein the housing and the plurality of vanes are configured to reduce pulsation and wherein the housing is made of plastic material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the intermediate pipe is larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 1, wherein a radius of the intermediate pipe is three times of a radius of the inlet pipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 1, wherein a length of the intermediate pipe is in a range of from about 12 mm and to about 15 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vanes of the impeller has an angle relative to a cross-section of the intermediate pipe and is spaced apart from each other, and wherein the impeller is made from plastic material and the plurality of vanes are deformable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 5, wherein the angle of the vane relative to the cross-section of the intermediate pipe is in a range from about ten degrees to about thirty degrees. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 5, wherein a sum of an area of the plurality of vanes projecting on the cross-section of the intermediate pipe is about 60% to about 90% of a cross-sectional area of the intermediate pipe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 5, further comprising a supporting structure integrally formed with the housing and connected to the impeller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of claim 8, wherein the impeller further includes an annular portion surrounding the plurality of vanes and an outer surface of the annular portion of the impeller is spaced apart from an inner surface of the intermediate pipe. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 8, wherein the supporting structure is positioned at the cross-section of the intermediate pipe, and the supporting structure includes an annular ring and a plurality of ribs extending from the annular ring at a radial direction and connecting each other at a center of the cross section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 10, wherein the impeller is connected to the supporting structure by a fastener via an assembling hole formed on a connection portion of the plurality of ribs of the supporting structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 8, wherein the housing includes a first housing half and a second housing half extending along a lengthwise direction and facing each other at the lengthwise direction, and the first housing half and the second housing half together form the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 12, wherein the supporting structure includes a first supporting portion integrally formed with the first housing half and a second supporting portion integrally formed with the second housing half. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 13, wherein the first housing half and the second housing half include a first reinforcement rib and a second reinforcement rib adjacent to a rim along the lengthwise direction, respectively, and the first reinforcement rib and the second reinforcement rib contact each other when the first housing half is assembled to the second housing half. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fuel pressure pulsation damping device of the claim 14, wherein the housing is made from plastic material, wherein the first housing half and the second housing half are made from plastic material in an injection molding process and assembled together to form the housing. ### Claim 16 A fuel supply system, comprising: a fuel tank; a high pressure pump; a supply line connecting the fuel tank and the high pressure pump; a return line connecting the fuel tank and the high pressure pump; and a fuel pressure pulsation damping device positioned at the return line between the high pressure pump and the fuel tank; wherein the fuel pressure pulsation damping device includes a housing having an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe and an intermediate pipe positioned between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe; and a rotatory impeller positioned in the intermediate pipe, wherein the impeller includes a plurality of vanes, wherein a cross-section area of the intermediate pipe is larger than a cross-section area of the outlet pipe, and larger than a cross-section area of the inlet pipe, and wherein the housing and the plurality of vanes are configured to reduce pulsation and the housing is made of plastic material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The fuel supply system of the claim 16, wherein the fuel pressure pulsation damping device is positioned closer to the high pressure pump than the fuel tank. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The fuel supply system of the claim 16, wherein the plurality of vanes have an angle relative to a cross-section of the intermediate pipe and spaced apart from each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The fuel supply system of the claim 16, further comprising a supporting structure integrally formed with the housing to support the impeller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The fuel supply system of the claim 19, wherein the impeller is connected to the supporting structure via a fastener.