# US 10,767,598 B2 · System for storing an auxiliary liquid and supplying same to an internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,598 B2 - Document ID: US10767598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/076,872 - Filed: 2016-08-02 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-09 - Assignees: Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Timm Heidemeyer; Hartmut Wolf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767598B2 ## CPC - F02M 25/0224: {Water treatment or cleaning (F02M25/032 takes precedence)} - F01N 3/2066: {Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]} - F02B 47/00: Methods of operating engines involving adding non-fuel substances or anti-knock agents to combustion air, fuel, or fuel-air mixtures of engines - F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures} - F02M 25/025: Adding water - F02M 25/028: into the charge intakes - F02M 25/03: into the cylinder {or the pre-combustion chamber} - F02M 25/14: adding anti-knock agents, not provided for in subgroups F02M25/022 - F02M25/10 - F01N 2610/10: the substance being heated, e.g. by heating tank or supply line of the added substance - F01N 2610/1406: Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs - F01N 2610/1486: Means to prevent the substance from freezing - F01N 2610/1493: Purging the reducing agent out of the conduits or nozzle - F02D 41/042: {for stopping the engine} - Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The invention relates to a system for storing and feeding an auxiliary liquid to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle or to parts of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, having a storage vessel for the fluid, having at least one delivery pump for the fluid, and having at least one line system comprising an inflow to a consumer and a return flow into the storage vessel, the system comprising a connector module which is inserted into an opening of the storage vessel, the connector module having fluid ducts which communicate with the storage vessel and are connected to an inflow line and to a return flow line of the line system, and the connector module comprising a module block which is configured as a thermally conductive and/or heatable body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system configured to store and feed an auxiliary liquid comprising water to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle or to parts of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, comprising: a storage vessel for the auxiliary liquid, having at least one delivery pump for the auxiliary liquid, and having at least one line system comprising an inflow line to a consumer and a return flow line into the storage vessel, a connector module inserted into an opening of the storage vessel, the connector module having fluid ducts which communicate with the storage vessel and are connected to the inflow line and to the return flow line of the line system, the connector module comprising a module block having a thermally conductive and/or heating body configured to heat the auxiliary liquid, the connector module being configured as a switchable multiway valve which, in a case of corresponding actuation, makes ventilation and/or emptying of the line system possible, wherein the module block comprises thermally conducting elements which extend into a volume of the storage vessel, the thermally conducting elements being spaced apart from the line system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector module is configured to expand a return flow of the auxiliary liquid within the storage vessel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector module comprises a ventilation connector which is activatable operably and upstream of which a filter is connected. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector module comprises a heater, and the thermally conductive body is configured as a heating body of the heater. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to ventilate and/or empty the line system after a shutdown of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to control ventilation and/or emptying of the line system dependent on an operating state of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an extraction point of the inflow line, provided in the storage vessel, arranged upstream of a siphon or a riser pipe in the inflow line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a check valve is provided in the return flow line, the check valve configured to prevent auxiliary liquid being sucked back out of the storage vessel into the line system upon a ventilation and/or emptying of the system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A heatable connector module for a water injection tank as a storage vessel for the system as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is a water injection system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is an aqueous-urea system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the module block is configured to be heated by a return flow of the auxiliary liquid in the return flow line. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heater, and wherein the module block is configured to be heated by the heater. ### Claim 14 A method for operating a system configured to store and feed an auxiliary liquid comprising water to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle or to parts of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, comprising: venting and/or emptying of at least one line system are/is provided in each case after a shutdown of the internal combustion engine and dependent on ambient temperature, wherein the system configured to store and feed the auxiliary liquid comprising water to the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle or to parts of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle comprises, a storage vessel for the auxiliary liquid, having at least one delivery pump for the auxiliary liquid, and having the at least one line system, the at least one line system comprising an inflow line to a consumer and a return flow line into the storage vessel, a connector module inserted into an opening of the storage vessel, the connector module having fluid ducts which communicate with the storage vessel and are connected to the inflow line and to the return flow line of the line system, the connector module comprising a module block having a thermally conductive and/or heating body configured to heat the auxiliary liquid, the connector module being configured as a switchable multiway valve which, in a case of corresponding actuation, makes ventilation and/or emptying of the line system possible, and wherein the module block comprises thermally conducting elements which extend into a volume of the storage vessel, the thermally conducting elements being spaced apart from the line system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the heater comprises at least one of a defroster, a heating element or an electric heater. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the system is a water injection system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the system is an aqueous-urea system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the module block is configured to be heated by a return flow of the auxiliary liquid in the return flow line. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a heater, and wherein the module block is configured to be heated by the heater. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the heater comprises at least one of a defroster, a heating element or an electric heater.