Fuel system having pumping and filtration fuel module and flow housing for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268482-B2
Application number	US-202016854567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 21, 2020
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A fuel module for pumping and filtration of a fuel in a fuel system includes a flow housing, and each of an electrically powered pump, a first cartridge filter, and a second cartridge filter in sealed, direct engagement with the flow housing. The fuel module is applied in a low pressure fuel circuit feeding fuel to a high pressure fuel circuit for pressurization to an injection pressure. Electronic closed loop control techniques for the pump are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel system for an engine comprising:
a high pressure fuel circuit including a high pressure pump having a pump drive gear for engagement with a gear train on the engine;
a low pressure fuel circuit including a low pressure pump having a pump electric drive motor and being structured to feed fuel to the high pressure fuel circuit for pressurization to an injection pressure;
the low pressure fuel circuit further including a fuel module having a first cartridge filter, a second cartridge filter, and a flow housing;
the flow housing forming a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet to the high pressure fuel circuit, and a plurality of internal fuel conduits; and
the low pressure pump, the first cartridge filter, and the second cartridge filter are each in sealed, direct engagement with the flow housing and, together with the plurality of internal fuel conduits, fluidly connect the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
the flow housing further forming an outgoing pump port and an incoming pump port, a first cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the fuel inlet and the outgoing pump port, and a second cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the incoming pump port and the fuel outlet;
the first cartridge filter being installed in the first cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the fuel inlet to the outgoing pump port;
the second cartridge filter installed in the second cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the incoming pump port to the fuel outlet; and
the low pressure pump being attached externally to the flow housing such that the low pressure pump is fluidly connected to the outgoing pump port and the incoming pump port and arranged to convey fuel outside of the flow housing between the outgoing pump port and the incoming pump port.

2. The fuel system of claim 1 wherein:
the first cartridge filter is arranged upstream of the low pressure pump to filter an incoming flow of fuel from the fuel inlet to the low pressure pump; and
the second cartridge filter is arranged downstream of the low pressure pump to filter an outgoing flow of fuel from the low pressure pump to the fuel outlet.

3. The fuel system of claim 2 wherein the flow housing forms a sensor port fluidly connected to the first filter receptacle, the second filter receptacle, or one of the plurality of internal fuel conduits, and the fuel system further includes a sensor installed in the sensor port.

4. The fuel system of claim 3 wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor structured to produce a pump outlet pressure signal, and the fuel system further includes a proportional controller coupled with the electric drive motor and structured to vary a speed of the low pressure pump based on the pump outlet pressure signal.

5. The fuel system of claim 3 wherein:
the sensor port is arranged fluidly between the second cartridge filter and the fuel outlet;
the flow housing forms a second sensor port arranged fluidly between the low pressure pump and the second cartridge filter; and
the fuel system includes a second sensor installed in the second sensor port.

6. The fuel system of claim 3 wherein the fuel system further includes a filter ID sensor assembly installed in the flow housing and having a first sensor leg and a second sensor leg extending toward the first filter receptacle and the second filter receptacle, respectively.

7. The fuel system of claim 1 wherein the low pressure pump is mounted upon the flow housing and fluidly connected to each of the outgoing pump port and the incoming pump port.

8. The fuel system of claim 7 wherein the flow housing further includes a pump side having a plurality of threaded bolting holes formed therein and receiving bolts clamping the low pressure pump to the pump side, and a filter side opposite to the pump side and having the first cartridge receptacle and the second cartridge receptacle formed therein, and wherein each of the first cartridge receptacle and the second cartridge receptacle is threaded.

9. A fuel module for pumping and filtration of a fuel in a fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
a flow housing forming a fuel inlet for receiving fuel to be pumped and filtered in the fuel module, and a fuel outlet;
the flow housing further forming an outgoing pump port and an incoming pump port, a first cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the fuel inlet and the outgoing pump port, and a second cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the incoming pump port and the fuel outlet;
a first cartridge filter installed in the first cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the fuel inlet to the outgoing pump port;
a second cartridge filter installed in the second cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the incoming pump port to the fuel outlet; and
a pump having a pump electric drive motor and a pump housing attached to the flow housing, and the pump housing having formed therein a pump inlet fluidly connected to the outgoing pump port and a pump outlet fluidly connected to the incoming pump port.

10. The fuel module of claim 9 wherein the flow housing includes a pump side having a planar pump mounting surface, and a filter side having the first cartridge receptacle and the second cartridge receptacle formed therein.

11. The fuel module of claim 10 further comprising a first seal and a second seal clamped between the flow housing and the pump and fluidly sealing around the outgoing pump port and the incoming pump port, respectively.

12. The fuel module of claim 11 wherein a plurality of threaded bolting holes are formed in the pump side, and further comprising bolts received in the plurality of threaded bolting holes and clamping the pump to the pump side.

13. The fuel module of claim 10 wherein each of the first cartridge receptacle and the second cartridge receptacle is threaded.

14. The fuel module of claim 9 further comprising a filter ID sensor assembly installed in the flow housing and having a first sensor leg and a second sensor leg extending toward the first filter receptacle and the second filter receptacle, respectively.

15. The fuel module of claim 9 wherein the flow housing forms a first sensor port and a second sensor port each arranged fluidly between the low pressure pump and the fuel outlet.

16. The fuel module of claim 15 further comprising a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor installed in the first sensor port and the second sensor port, respectively.

17. A fuel module for pumping and filtration of a fuel in a fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
a flow housing forming a fuel inlet for receiving fuel to be pumped and filtered in the fuel module, and a fuel outlet:
the flow housing further forming an outgoing pump port and an incoming pump port, a first cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the fuel inlet and the outgoing pump port, and a second cartridge receptacle positioned fluidly between the incoming pump port and the fuel outlet:
a first cartridge filter installed in the first cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the fuel inlet to the outgoing pump port:
a second cartridge filter installed in the second cartridge receptacle and fluidly connecting the incoming pump port to the fuel outlet: and
a pump having a pump electric drive motor and attached to the flow housing such that the pump is fluidly connected to the outgoing pump port and the incoming pump port;
wherein the flow housing includes:
a flow housing body including a pump side having a pump-housing interface structured for lineless installation o

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Tian Ye
• Burcar Quinton Marcus
• Mckinley Michael Taylor
• Roozenboom Stephan Donald

Classifications

• B01D2201/303

  not arranged concentrically · CPC title

• F02M37/44 Primary

  Filters structurally associated with pumps · CPC title

• F02M37/08 Primary

  electrically driven · CPC title

• F02M37/34 Primary

  by the filter structure, e.g. honeycomb, mesh or fibrous · CPC title

• B01D27/08

  Construction of the casing · CPC title