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US 12,612,881 B2Granted
Evaporative emissions control system
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJason M. Andrzejewski, Chao Wan, Wenshui Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle emissions control system including: a fuel tank; a canister including a material configured to absorb fuel vapors released from liquid fuel stored within the fuel tank; a pressure relief valve configured to open to vent the fuel tank and permit the fuel vapors and the liquid fuel to flow out of the fuel tank; and a fuel separator configured to change a flow velocity of fuel flowing from the fuel tank to separate the fuel vapors from the liquid fuel, the fuel separator in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the canister to direct the fuel vapors to the canister and direct the liquid fuel away from the canister.
Claims13
A vehicle emissions control system comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a canister including a material configured to absorb fuel vapors released from liquid fuel stored within the fuel tank;
- a pressure relief valve configured to open to vent the fuel tank and permit the fuel vapors and the liquid fuel to flow out of the fuel tank;
- a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure within the fuel tank;
- a fuel separator outside of the fuel tank and connected to the fuel tank with a fuel line, the fuel separator configured to change a flow velocity of fuel flowing from the fuel tank to separate the fuel vapors from the liquid fuel, the fuel separator in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the canister to direct the fuel vapors to the canister and direct the liquid fuel away from the canister;
- a return line extending from the fuel separator to the fuel tank to direct the liquid fuel separated from the fuel vapors back to the fuel tank;
- and
- a control module in communication with the pressure relief valve and the pressure sensor, the control module configured to open the pressure relief valve when pressure within the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined value,
- wherein the fuel separator includes a cone-shaped chamber configured to induce cyclonic flow of the liquid fuel that separates the liquid fuel from the fuel vapors.
6 more elements
A vehicle emissions control system comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a canister including a material configured to absorb fuel vapors released from liquid fuel stored within the fuel tank;
- a diurnal control valve configured to open to vent the fuel tank and permit the fuel vapors and the liquid fuel to flow out of the fuel tank;
- a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure within the fuel tank;
- a fuel separator outside of the fuel tank and connected to the fuel tank with a fuel line, the fuel separator including a cone-shaped chamber configured to induce cyclonic flow of the liquid fuel that separates the liquid fuel from the fuel vapors, the fuel separator in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the canister to direct the fuel vapors to the canister and direct the liquid fuel away from the canister;
- a return line extending from the fuel separator to the fuel tank to direct the liquid fuel separated from the fuel vapors back to the fuel tank;
- and
- a control module in communication with the diurnal control valve and the pressure sensor, the control module configured to open the diurnal control valve when pressure within the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined value,
- wherein the fuel separator includes a cone-shaped chamber configured to induce cyclonic flow of the liquid fuel that separates the liquid fuel from the fuel vapors.
6 more elements
A vehicle emissions control system comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a canister including a material configured to absorb fuel vapors released from liquid fuel stored within the fuel tank;
- a diurnal control valve configured to open to vent the fuel tank and permit the fuel vapors and the liquid fuel to flow out of the fuel tank;
- a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure within the fuel tank;
- and
- a fuel separator outside of the fuel tank and connected to the fuel tank with a fuel line, the fuel separator including:
- a cone-shaped chamber configured to induce cyclonic flow of the liquid fuel that separates the liquid fuel from the fuel vapors, the fuel separator in fluid communication with the fuel tank and the canister to direct the fuel vapors to the canister and direct the liquid fuel away from the canister,
- a return line extending from the cone-shaped chamber to the fuel tank to direct the liquid fuel separated from the fuel vapors back to the fuel tank, and
- a partition wall along a flow path to the canister, the partition wall configured to change a flow velocity of fuel to separate the liquid fuel from the fuel vapors;
- and
- a control module in communication with the diurnal control valve and the pressure sensor, the control module configured to open the diurnal control valve when pressure within the fuel tank exceeds a predetermined value.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.