Fuel vapor treatment system

A fuel vapor recovery system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank of an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas for purging fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material is introduced into said canister, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material is flown out of said canister;
• a membrane separation module connected to said canister and including a separation membrane for separating a mixture gas into an air-rich component and a fuel vapor-rich component, said separation membrane having an air-selective permeability so that the air-rich component is be able to pass through the separation membrane, said mixture gas containing air and fuel vapor, said membrane separation module having a portion defining an air-rich component discharge port through which the air-rich component is discharged out of said membrane separation module, and a portion defining a fuel-rich component discharge port through which the fuel-rich component is discharged out of said membrane separation module;
• and
• a gas transporting device connected to said canister, for causing the purge gas to be introduced into the canister to purge fuel vapor from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and causing the purged fuel vapor to be fed to said membrane separation module,
• wherein the fuel vapor-rich component discharge port of said membrane separation module is connected to an intake air passageway of an engine so that vacuum generated by the engine acts on said separation membrane so as to serve as a driving force for membrane separation, and
• wherein the air-rich component discharge port of said membrane separation module is connected to the fuel tank so that fuel vapor component contained in the fuel vapor-rich component is recovered to the fuel tank upon being subjected to at least one of liquefaction and absorption to liquid fuel in the fuel tank.

A fuel vapor treatment system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank for an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas containing steam is introduced into said canister so as to purge fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and steam are flown out of said canister;
• a gas supplying device for supplying the purge gas into said canister;
• and
• a reforming device for carrying out steam reforming for fuel vapor discharged through the outflow port of said canister to form reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide,
• wherein the reformed gas is introduced into an intake air passageway of the engine so as to be combusted in the engine.

A fuel vapor treatment system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and including a hydrogen-enriching device for reforming fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material so as to form a hydrogen-rich gas, said canister having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank of an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas is introduced into said canister so as to purge fuel vapor the hydrogen-rich gas in said canister, and a portion defining an outflow port through which the purged hydrogen-rich gas is flown out of said canister;
• and
• a gas transporting device for supplying the purge gas into said canister,
• wherein the purged hydrogen-rich gas is introduced into an exhaust gas passageway of the engine so as to purify exhaust gas of the engine.

An exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• a fuel vapor treatment system including
• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank for the engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas containing steam is introduced into said canister so as to purge fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and steam are flown out of said canister,
• a gas supplying device for supplying the purge gas into said canister, and
• a reforming device for carrying out steam reforming for fuel vapor discharged through the outflow port of said canister to form reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the reformed gas is introduced to said exhaust gas purifying catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides in exhaust gas of the engine.

An exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a catalyst for reducing NOx in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• a fuel vapor treatment system including
• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and including a hydrogen-enriching device for reforming fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material so as to form a hydrogen-rich gas, said canister having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank of the engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas is introduced into said canister so as to purge fuel vapor the hydrogen-rich gas in said canister, and a portion defining an outflow port through which the purged hydrogen-rich gas is flown out of said canister, and
• a gas transporting device for supplying the purge gas into said canister, wherein the purged hydrogen-rich gas from the hydrogen-enriching device is supplied to the NOx reducing catalyst so as to reduce nitrogen oxides and removing sulfur compound in exhaust gas of the engine.

A fuel vapor treatment system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank for an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas for purging fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material is introduced into said canister, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material is flown out of said canister;
• means for treating fuel vapor flown out of said canister through the outflow port so as to form a gas whose major part is other than fuel vapor;
• means for supplying the purge gas into the canister to purge fuel vapor from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and causing the purged fuel vapor to be fed to said fuel vapor treating means,
• wherein the gas formed in said fuel vapor treating means is introduced into at least one of an intake air passageway and an exhaust gas passageway of the engine so as to be combusted in the engine.

A fuel vapor recovery system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank of an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a gas for purging fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material is introduced into said canister, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material is flown out of said canister;
• a membrane separation module connected to said canister and including a separation membrane for separating a mixture gas into an air-rich component and a fuel vapor-rich component, said separation membrane having an air-selective permeability so that the air-rich component is be able to pass through the separation membrane, said mixture gas containing air and fuel vapor, said membrane separation module having a portion defining an air-rich component discharge port through which the air-rich component is discharged out of said membrane separation module, and a portion defining a fuel-rich component discharge port through which the fuel-rich component is discharged out of said membrane separation module;
• and
• means for causing the purge gas to be introduced into the canister to purge fuel vapor from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and causing the purged fuel vapor to be fed to said membrane separation module,
• wherein the fuel vapor-rich component discharge port of said membrane separation module is connected to an intake air passageway of an engine so that vacuum generated by the engine acts on said separation membrane so as to serve as a driving force for membrane separation, and
• wherein the air-rich component discharge port of said membrane separation module is connected to the fuel tank so that fuel vapor component contained in the fuel vapor-rich component is recovered to the fuel tank upon being subjected to at least one of liquefaction and absorption to liquid fuel in the fuel tank.

A fuel vapor treatment system comprising:

• a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material and having a portion defining an inflow port through which fuel vapor from a fuel tank for an engine is flown to the fuel vapor adsorbing material, a portion defining a gas introduction port though which a purge gas containing steam is introduced into said canister so as to purge fuel vapor adsorbed in the fuel vapor adsorbing material, and a portion defining an outflow port through which fuel vapor purged from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and steam are flown out of said canister;
• means for supplying the purge gas into said canister;
• and
• reforming means for carrying out steam reforming for fuel vapor discharged through the outflow port of said canister to form reformed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide,
• wherein the reformed gas is introduced into an intake air passageway of the engine so as to be combusted in the engine.