Arrangement and method for draining at least one line connected to a liquid tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11506322-B2
Application number	US-201917058862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2019
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement ( 100 ) having a liquid tank ( 10 ), at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) connected to the liquid tank ( 10 ), through which liquid (F) can be transported from the liquid tank ( 10 ), and a pump ( 13 ) connected to the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) for conveying the liquid (F) from the liquid tank ( 10 ) through the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) in the direction of flow (R) during an operating phase, wherein a pressure accumulator ( 14 ) connected to the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) is provided, by means of which a pressure can be generated in the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) outside of the operating phase, and a ventilating element ( 15, 15 a, 15 b ), which can be transitioned into an open position and into a closed position, is arranged along the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ), wherein, outside of the operating phase, a pressure impulse within the at least one line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) can be generated by the pressure generated by the pressure accumulator ( 14 ) and a subsequent transition of the ventilating element ( 15, 15 a, 15 b ) into the open position in order to drain the line ( 11, 11 a, 11 b ) of the fluid (F).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arrangement comprising:
a liquid tank,
at least one line connected to the liquid tank, through which line liquid can be transported from the liquid tank, and
a pump connected to the at least one line for conveying the liquid from the liquid tank through the at least one line in the direction of flow during an operating phase, the pump having a reversible conveying direction;
a pressure accumulator, connected to the at least one line, configured to generate, by means of the pump, a pressure in the at least one line outside of the operating phase, and
a ventilating element, which can be transitioned into an open position and into a closed position, configured to be arranged along the at least one line, wherein, outside of the operating phase, a pressure impulse within the at least one line can be generated by the pressure generated by the pressure accumulator and a subsequent transition of the ventilating element into the open position in order to drain the line of the liquid.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure accumulator has a volume V D and the at least one line has a volume V L , wherein V D ≥V L .

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
by means of the pressure accumulator, a negative pressure can be generated, by means of which, outside of the operating phase, the liquid can be suctioned from the at least one line against the direction of flow in the direction of the pressure accumulator.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein:
the pressure accumulator has a collecting container for collecting the liquid suctioned from the at least one line.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
by means of the pressure accumulator, an excess pressure can be generated, by means of which, outside of the operating phase, the liquid can be removed from the at least one line in the direction of flow.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein:
a collecting container connected to the at least one line for collecting the liquid removed from the at least one line is arranged spaced apart from the pressure accumulator.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
a first line designed as a feed line and a second line designed as a return line are provided, which each have a ventilating element, wherein the first line and the second line are connected to the pressure accumulator, so that, outside of the operating phase, a pressure impulse for draining liquid from the first line can be generated in the first line, and a pressure impulse for draining liquid from the second line can be generated in the second line.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pump and the pressure accumulator are arranged in a modular unit which is arranged on the liquid tank.

9. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one line has an inner surface formed from a low-energy material.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein:
the low-energy material has a surface energy which is less than 30 mN/m.

11. The arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein:
the low-energy material has a surface energy which is less than 20 mN/m.

12. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure accumulator is a pressure accumulation chamber within the line.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein, during the operating phase, the liquid flows through the pressure accumulator.

14. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure is generated outside of the operating phase and before the transition of the ventilating element.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the pressure impulse is generated at the time of the transition of the ventilating element into the open position.

16. A method for draining at least one line connected to a liquid tank, through the at least one line a liquid is conveyed during an operating phase by means of a pump from the liquid tank in the direction of flow, wherein, by means of a pressure accumulator connected to the at least one line, a pressure is generated, by means of the pump, in the at least one line outside of the operating phase, and by transitioning a ventilating element arranged along the at least one line into an open position, a pressure impulse is subsequently generated within the at least one line, by means of which pressure impulse the liquid contained in the at least one line is removed from said line, wherein the pump has a reversible conveying direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure accumulator is a pressure accumulation chamber within the line.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein, during the operating phase, the liquid flows through the pressure accumulator.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure is generated outside of the operating phase and before the transition of the ventilating element.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the pressure impulse is generated at the time of the transition of the ventilating element into the open position.

Assignees

• Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Heidemeyer Timm
• Wolf Hartmut

Classifications

• Y02A50/20

  Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters · CPC title

• F02M25/0227

  Control aspects; Arrangement of sensors; Diagnostics; Actuators · CPC title

• F01N2610/02

  the substance being ammonia or urea · CPC title

• F02M25/025 Primary

  Adding water · CPC title

• F01N3/208

  Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. by adjusting the dosing of reducing agent · CPC title