Fuel supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415520-B2
Application number	US-201615575496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A fuel supply device supplying a fuel stored in a fuel tank to an engine includes a low-pressure pump configured to feed the fuel, a high-pressure pump configured to compress the fuel discharged from the low-pressure pump and to feed to the engine, a first low-pressure passage member configured to define a first fuel passage from the low-pressure pump to the high-pressure pump, and a second low-pressure passage member configured to define a second fuel passage branched from the first fuel passage at a low-pressure junction portion and joining the first fuel passage at a low-pressure confluence portion, wherein the first fuel passage and the second fuel passage are different in at least one of (i) temperatures of the fuels that flow through the fuel passages and (ii) passage lengths of the fuel passages from the low-pressure junction portion to the low-pressure confluence portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel supply device supplying a fuel stored in a fuel tank to an engine, comprising:
a low-pressure pump configured to feed the fuel of the fuel tank;
a high-pressure pump configured to compress the fuel discharged from the low-pressure pump and to feed to the engine;
a first low-pressure passage member configured to define a first fuel passage from the low-pressure pump to the high-pressure pump; and
a second low-pressure passage member configured to define a second fuel passage that is branched from the first fuel passage at a low-pressure junction portion and joins the first fuel passage at a low-pressure confluence portion, wherein
the first fuel passage and the second fuel passage are different in at least one of (i) temperatures of the fuels that flow through the first fuel passage and the second fuel passage and (ii) passage lengths of the first fuel passage and the second fuel passage from the low-pressure junction portion to the low-pressure confluence portion; and
the second low-pressure passage member includes a low-pressure temperature increasing portion configured to increase the temperature of the fuel flowing through the second fuel passage by a heat generated at the engine.

2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
when a region of the first fuel passage interposed between the high-pressure pump and the low-pressure junction portion is expressed as a pre-branching region and a region of the first fuel passage interposed between the low-pressure junction portion and the low-pressure confluence portion is expressed as a post-branching region, and
the pre-branching region has a flow passage area is smaller than a sum of a flow passage area of the post-branching region and a flow passage area of the second fuel passage that is branched at the low-pressure junction portion.

3. The fuel supply device according to claim 2 , wherein
the flow passage area of the post-branching region and the flow passage area of the second fuel passage are larger than or equal to the flow passage area of the pre-branching region.

4. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least a part of the second fuel passage is defined by a fuel gallery located in a cylinder head of the engine.

5. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first return passage member configured to define a first return passage that returns the fuel from the high-pressure pump toward the fuel tank; and
a second return passage member configured to define a second return passage that is branched from the first return passage at a return junction portion and joins the first return passage at a return confluence portion, wherein
the first return passage and the second return passage are different in at least one of (i) temperatures of the fuels that flow through the first return passage and the second return passage and (ii) passage lengths of the first return passage and the second return passage from the return junction portion to the return confluence portion.

6. A fuel supply device supplying a fuel stored in a fuel tank to an engine, comprising:
a high-pressure pump configured to compress the fuel fed from the fuel tank by a low-pressure pump;
a first return passage member configured to define a first return passage that returns the fuel from the high-pressure pump toward the fuel tank; and
a second return passage member configured to define a second return passage that is branched from the first return passage at a return junction portion and joins the first return passage at a return confluence portion, wherein:
the first return passage and the second return passage are different in at least one of (i) temperatures of the fuels that flow through the first return passage and the second return passage and (ii) passage lengths of the first return passage and the second return passage from the return junction portion to the return confluence portion; and
the second return passage member includes a return temperature increasing portion configured to increase the temperature of the fuel flowing through the second return passage by a heat generated at the engine.

7. The fuel supply device according to claim 5 , wherein
the second return passage member includes a return temperature increasing portion configured to increase the temperature of the fuel flowing through the second return passage by a heat generated at the engine.

8. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the low-pressure pump feeds the fuel including a liquefied dimethyl ether toward the high-pressure pump.

9. The fuel supply device according to claim 6 , wherein
the low-pressure pump feeds the fuel including a liquefied dimethyl ether toward the high-pressure pump.

10. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , wherein
the low-pressure temperature increasing portion is located in a cylinder head of the engine.

11. The fuel supply device according to claim 6 , wherein
the return temperature increasing portion is located in a cylinder head of the engine.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Kato Masaaki
• Takeuchi Hisaharu

Classifications

• F02M55/00

  Fuel-injection apparatus characterised by their fuel conduits or their venting means; {Arrangements of conduits between fuel tank and pump F02M37/00 (venting in general B01D19/00)} · CPC title

• F02M55/04

  Means for damping vibrations {or pressure fluctuations} in injection pump inlets {or outlets} · CPC title

• F02M53/02

  with fuel-heating means, e.g. for vaporising · CPC title

• F02M2200/953

  Dimethyl ether, DME · CPC title

• F02M2200/315

  for damping fuel pressure fluctuations · CPC title