Systems and method for a self disabling ejector of an air induction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145339-B1
Application number	US-201715709345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2017
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a self-disabling ejector of an air induction system and evaporative emissions systems. In one example, an ejector may include an outlet coupled to an inlet flow port of an air induction passage, upstream of a compressor, an evacuation port coupled to an external protrusion arranged adjacent to the inlet flow port on the air induction passage, a constriction arranged between the outlet and evacuation port, and first and second inlets positioned on either side of the constriction. If the outlet becomes disconnected from the inlet flow port, the evacuation port may disconnect from the external protrusion, thereby disabling the vacuum generating capabilities of the ejector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an air induction passage of an engine including an inlet flow port and an external protrusion having a closed end, each branching off a same side of the air induction passage; and
an ejector, including:
a constriction arranged between an outlet adapted to couple to the inlet flow port and an evacuation port adapted to couple to the protrusion; and
first and second inlets positioned on either side of the constriction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external protrusion is arranged outside of the air induction passage and coupled to an outer wall of the air induction passage.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the outlet and evacuation port are rigid and arranged parallel with one another.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first inlet is arranged perpendicular to each of the outlet and evacuation port and wherein the second inlet is arranged parallel to each of the outlet and evacuation port.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the constriction includes a wider end and a narrower, constricted end positioned downstream in the ejector from the wider end and wherein the first inlet is positioned upstream of the wider end and the second inlet is positioned downstream of the constricted end.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the evacuation port is positioned upstream of the wider end and the outlet is positioned downstream of the constricted end.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ejector includes a central airflow passage in which the constriction is disposed, wherein the first inlet is arranged at a first end of the central airflow passage and the outlet is arranged at a second end of the central airflow passage, and wherein each of the outlet, second inlet, and evacuation port branch off the central airflow passage, where airflow through each of the outlet, second inlet, and evacuation port is perpendicular to airflow through the central airflow passage.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein an o-ring is disposed within an interior of the evacuation port and adapted to seal around and against an outer wall of the external protrusion.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet includes an end connector having an inner mating surface adapted to removably couple with a corresponding outer mating surface on an end of the inlet flow port of the air induction passage.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the inlet flow port and external protrusion are arranged upstream of a compressor disposed in the air induction passage, wherein the first inlet is adapted to couple to an intake manifold of the engine, and wherein the second inlet is adapted to couple to an evaporative emissions passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister coupled to a fuel tank.

11. A method, comprising:
during a first condition, when an outlet port of an ejector is connected to an air induction system passage, upstream of a compressor, flowing boosted air from an intake manifold coupled to the AIS passage, through a constriction arranged inside the ejector and out to the AIS passage via the outlet port while pulling fuel vapors from an evaporative emissions system into the ejector, via vacuum created at the constriction, and into the AIS passage via the outlet port; and
during a second condition, when the outlet port is disconnected from the AIS passage, upstream of the compressor, flowing boosted air from the intake manifold, into the ejector and out an evacuation port of the ejector arranged upstream of the constriction and not flowing fuel vapors into the ejector.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein, during the first condition, the evacuation port is sealingly coupled to a closed-end protrusion extending from an outer wall of the AIS passage, upstream of the compressor and downstream of where the outlet port is connected to the AIS passage and further comprising, during the first condition, blocking flow out of the ejector from the evacuation port via the protrusion.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, during the second condition, uncoupling the evacuation port from the protrusion and moving the evacuation port away from the protrusion.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, during the first condition, the outlet port is connected to an inlet flow port of the AIS passage arranged upstream of the compressor via a mating connection including a first mating feature arranged on an inner surface of the outlet port and a second mating feature arranged on an outer surface of the inlet flow port, the first mating feature adapted to be removably coupled to the second mating feature.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, during the second condition, the first mating feature and second mating feature are not coupled with one another and the outlet port is positioned away from the inlet flow port.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein flowing boosted air from the intake manifold coupled to the AIS passage, through the constriction arranged inside the ejector includes flowing boosted air into the ejector from the intake manifold via a first inlet of the ejector arranged upstream of the constriction and the evacuation port and wherein pulling fuel vapors from the evaporative emissions system into the ejector includes pulling fuel vapors from an evaporative emissions systems passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister coupled to a fuel tank into the ejector via a second inlet of the ejector arranged downstream of the constriction and upstream of the outlet port.

17. A system, comprising:
an air induction system including an intake passage coupled to an intake manifold and a compressor disposed in the intake passage, upstream of the intake manifold, the intake passage including an intake flow port and an external protrusion having a closed end, each arranged upstream of the compressor and extending outward in a same direction from the intake passage;
an evaporative emissions system including an evaporative emissions passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister, the fuel vapor canister coupled to a fuel tank; and
an ejector, including:
a constriction arranged in a flow passage of the ejector;
an outlet arranged downstream from the constriction and adapted to connect to the intake flow port;
an evacuation port arranged upstream of the constriction and adapted to couple to the external protrusion;
a first inlet coupled to the intake manifold and arranged upstream of the constriction; and
a second inlet coupled to the evaporative emissions passage and arranged downstream of the constriction.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the outlet and the evacuation port are each rigid, wherein a central, passage axis of each of the outlet and evacuation port are arranged parallel to one another, and wherein each of the outlet and evacuation port extend outward, toward the intake passage, from the flow passage of the ejector.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the external protrusion is arranged outside of the intake passage and extends from an outer wall of the intake passage toward the ejector.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first inlet is fixedly coupled to the intake manifold and wherein the outlet is coupled to the intake port via a removable, quick connect connection including a first mating feature on an inner surface of the outlet that is removably coupled around a second mating feature on an outer surface of the intake flow port.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Werner Matthew
• Bohr Scott Alan

Classifications

• F02M35/10222

  Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission · CPC title

• F02M35/10091

  characterised by details of intake ducts: shapes; connections; arrangements (ducts within or on the plenum chamber F02M35/10039) · CPC title

• F02M25/0872 Primary

  Details of the fuel vapour pipes or conduits · CPC title

• F02M25/08

  adding fuel vapours drawn from engine fuel reservoir {(electrical control of purge system F02D41/003)} · CPC title

• F02M25/089 Primary

  Layout of the fuel vapour installation · CPC title