Metering pumps for fueling applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11939209-B2
Application number	US-202016899270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A metering pump for dispensing a fuel additive includes a pump body, an inlet and an outlet at which fuel additive respectively enters and exits the metering pump, a piston contained within a piston bore and being configured to draw fuel additive into the metering pump through the inlet and to dispense fuel additive from the metering pump through the outlet, an inflow valve configured to permit fuel additive to flow in a single direction away from the inlet and to prevent fuel additive from flowing in an opposite direction back into the inlet, and an outflow valve configured to permit fuel additive to flow in the single direction towards the outlet, wherein the metering pump has a configuration in which the inlet, the outlet, the piston, the piston bore, the inflow valve, and the outflow valve are centrally positioned along a central plane of the pump body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metering pump for dispensing a fuel additive, the metering pump comprising:
a pump body;
an inlet at which the fuel additive enters the metering pump and an outlet at which the fuel additive exits the metering pump, the inlet and the outlet being coupled to the pump body, the inlet and the outlet aligned in an axial arrangement;
a piston bore defined by and within the pump body, this piston bore oriented parallel to the axial arrangement;
a piston contained within the piston bore, the piston being configured to draw the fuel additive into the metering pump through the inlet and to dispense the fuel additive from the metering pump through the outlet;
an inflow valve coupled to the pump body and configured to permit the fuel additive to flow in a single direction away from the inlet and to prevent the fuel additive from flowing in an opposite direction back into the inlet; and
an outflow valve coupled to the pump body and configured to permit the fuel additive to flow in the single direction towards the outlet,
wherein the metering pump comprises a configuration in which the inlet, the outlet, the piston, the piston bore, the inflow valve, and the outflow valve are centrally positioned along a central plane of the pump body.

2. The metering pump of claim 1 , wherein the configuration provides the metering pump with a substantially flat shape.

3. The metering pump of claim 1 , further comprising an actuation system coupled to the pump body and to the piston, the actuation system being configured to move the piston in a first direction to draw the fuel additive into the piston bore and to move the piston in a second direction to eject the fuel additive from the piston bore, the second direction being opposite to the first direction.

4. The metering pump of claim 1 , wherein the inflow valve and the outflow valve are axially aligned with the inlet and the outlet along the axial arrangement.

5. The metering pump of claim 4 , wherein the piston bore is disposed along a first side of the pump body, and wherein the metering pump further comprises a pressure relief system disposed along a second side of the pump body, the second side being opposite from the first side, and the pressure relief system being centrally positioned along the central plane of the pump body.

6. The metering pump of claim 5 , wherein the pressure relief system comprises a pressure relief valve and a bypass channel defined by the pump body, wherein the bypass channel comprises a main portion that contains the pressure relief valve, and wherein the pressure relief valve and the main portion are oriented parallel to the axial arrangement.

7. The metering pump of claim 6 , wherein a first end of the bypass channel is located downstream of the outflow valve and a second end of the bypass channel is located upstream of the inflow valve, wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to permit through-flow of the fuel additive along the bypass channel and back to the inlet once a fluid pressure of the fuel additive reaches a threshold pressure.

8. The metering pump of claim 6 , wherein the pump body defines an inflow channel that extends from the inlet through a position of the inflow valve, a channel hub that extends between the inflow and outflow valves, and an outflow channel that extends from the channel hub to the outlet and that therefore contains the outflow valve, and wherein the inflow channel, the channel hub, and the outflow channel are axially aligned with the axial arrangement.

9. The metering pump of claim 8 , wherein the pump body defines an actuation channel that extends from the channel hub towards the piston bore, and wherein the actuation channel, the inflow channel, the channel hub, the outflow channel and the bypass channel are centrally positioned along the central plane of the pump body.

10. The metering pump of claim 9 , wherein the actuation channel, the inflow channel, the channel hub, the outflow channel, the bypass channel, and the piston bore are integrally formed with the pump body.

11. The metering pump of claim 4 , further comprising:
a magnetically activated flow sensor that is configured to detect a flow of a volume of the fuel additive towards the outlet; and
a magnet disposed within an outflow channel of the body and configured to be moved axially by the flow of the volume of the fuel additive,
wherein the magnet is axially aligned with the inlet and the outlet along the axial arrangement.

12. The metering pump of claim 1 , wherein the pump body defines one or more lateral protrusions at which the metering pump is alignable laterally with another metering pump.

13. The metering pump of claim 1 , wherein the pump body defines an opening sized to receive a fastener for securing the metering pump to a mounting fixture.

14. The metering pump of claim 1 , wherein the metering pump has a total thickness that falls in a range of about 4 cm to about 5 cm.

15. A fuel dispensing system, comprising:
a fuel line configured for carrying a fuel to be dispensed from the fuel dispensing system;
a storage tank containing a fuel additive to be injected into the fuel;
an assembly of multiple metering pumps coupled to the storage tank and configured to inject the fuel additive into the fuel, the assembly of multiple metering pumps arranged in a laterally stacked configuration, each of the metering pumps of the assembly of multiple metering pumps comprising:
a pump body,
an inlet at which the fuel additive enters the respective metering pump and an outlet at which the fuel additive exits the respective metering pump, the inlet and the outlet being coupled to the pump body,
a piston bore within the pump body,
a piston contained within the piston bore, the piston being configured to draw the fuel additive into the respective metering pump through the inlet and to dispense the fuel additive from the respective metering pump through the outlet,
an inflow valve coupled to the pump body and configured to permit the fuel additive to flow in a single direction away from the inlet and to prevent the fuel additive from flowing in an opposite direction back into the inlet, and
an outflow valve coupled to the pump body and configured to permit the fuel additive to flow in the single direction towards the outlet,
wherein the metering pump comprises a configuration in which the inlet, the outlet, the piston, the piston bore, the inflow valve, and the outflow valve are centrally positioned along a central plane of the pump body; and

a control module configured to control operation of the assembly of multiple metering pumps.

16. The fuel dispensing system of claim 15 , further comprising a housing that supports or contains each of the fuel line, the storage tank, the metering pump, and the control module.

17. The fuel dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the metering pump is installed to a columnar member of the housing.

18. The fuel dispensing system of claim 15 , wherein the control module is configured to control an axial stroke length of the piston.

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Dirocco Jr James David

Classifications

• B67D7/744 Primary

  involving digital counting · CPC title

• B67D7/04

  for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants · CPC title

• B67D7/64

  of piston type · CPC title

• F04B49/12

  by varying the length of stroke of the working members · CPC title

• F04B49/24

  Bypassing · CPC title