Leak detection system
AssigneePlastic Omnium Advanced Innovation and Research
InventorsDavid Hill, Antoine Chaussinand, Mihai Baja
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a leak detection system on board of a vehicle comprising a fuel tank (301, 401), a filler pipe (302, 402), a venting line (303, 403) for recirculating fuel vapors from the tank to the filler pipe, said system having a combination pressure and temperature sensor mounted in the vapor dome of the fuel tank, and a pressure sensor located in the recirculation line above the highest possible liquid level that could be present in the recirculation line and to methods to detect said leak.
Claims15
A sealed fuel system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a fuel tank,
- a filler pipe,
- a venting line for recirculating fuel vapors from the tank to the filler pipe, and
- a leak detection device,
- wherein the leak detection device comprises:
- a first pressure sensor provided to measure a pressure in a vapor dome of the fuel tank,
- a second pressure sensor, and
- a controller,
- wherein:
- the filler pipe has a sealing means located near the fuel tank,
- a part of the venting line forms a sump, and
- the second pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure in the venting line above a predetermined maximum threshold after the sump.
A method for detecting a leak in a sealed fuel system of a vehicle comprising a fuel tank, a filler pipe, and a venting line for recirculating fuel vapors from the tank to the filler pipe, wherein a part of the venting line forms a sump, the method comprising:
- a) measuring and storing a pressure and a temperature in a vapor dome of a tank of the fuel tank at predetermined time points;
- b) measuring a pressure in the venting line of the fuel system above a predetermined maximum threshold after the sump at the predetermined time points;
- c) comparing the measured pressure in the vapor dome of a tank of the fuel tank and the measured pressure in the venting line of the fuel system above the predetermined maximum threshold after the sump at a same predetermined time point;
- and
- d) detecting a leak using a result obtained in step c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.