Fuel supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8985064-B2
Application number	US-201313911719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 24, 2015
Grant date	Mar 24, 2015

Abstract

A device capable of supplying an internal combustion engine 60 with a first fuel F 1 of a high octane number fuel, and a second fuel F 2 of a low octane number fuel or a raw fuel F 0 . The device is equipped with a cooling medium circulating path LL configured to perform heat exchange between a cooling medium for cooling the internal combustion engine 60 and a separator 20 . The device adjusts a flow rate of the cooling medium in the cooling medium circulating path LL, so that a separator temperature T 1 is contained in a predetermined temperature range, according to T 1 , a raw fuel temperature T 2 and a cooling medium temperature T 3.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel supply device which supplies an internal combustion engine with a first fuel which contains a larger number of high octane number components than a raw fuel, and the raw fuel or a second fuel which contains a larger number of low octane number components than the raw fuel selectively or with a specified mixing ratio simultaneously, where the first fuel and the second fuel are separated from the raw fuel, the device comprising:
a raw fuel tank storing the raw fuel;
a separator which separates the raw fuel into the first fuel and the second fuel;
a raw fuel path configured to discharge the raw fuel from the raw fuel tank to the separator by a raw fuel discharge device;
a cooling medium circulating path configured to circulate a cooling medium for cooling the internal combustion engine;
a second fuel path configured to feed the second fuel separated by the separator into the raw fuel tank; and
a cooler configured to cool the second fuel, in the second fuel path, wherein
the cooling medium circulating path is configured to perform heat exchange between the cooling medium circulating in the cooling medium circulating path and the separator, and
the fuel supply device further comprises a flow rate adjusting mechanism which adjusts a flow rate of the cooling medium in the cooling medium circulating path, taking at least one of a first temperature which is a temperature of the separator, a second temperature which is a temperature of the raw fuel in the raw fuel path, and a third temperature which is a temperature of the cooling medium downstream of the internal combustion engine and upstream of the separator flowing in the cooling medium circulating path, as a reference factor, so that the first temperature is contained in a predetermined temperature range.

2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the cooling medium flowing in the cooling medium circulating path downstream of the internal combustion engine and upstream of the separator and the raw fuel flowing in the raw fuel path.

3. A fuel supply device which supplies an internal combustion engine with a first fuel which contains a larger number of high octane number components than a raw fuel, and the raw fuel or a second fuel which contains a larger number of low octane number components than the raw fuel selectively or with a specified mixing ratio simultaneously, where the first fuel and the second fuel are separated from the raw fuel, the device comprising:
a raw fuel tank storing the raw fuel;
a separator which separates the raw fuel into the first fuel and the second fuel;
a raw fuel path configured to discharge the raw fuel from the raw fuel tank to the separator by a raw fuel discharge device;
a cooling medium circulating path configured to circulate a cooling medium for cooling the internal combustion engine;
a temperature sensor which measures the temperature of the separator as a first temperature and the temperature of the raw fuel flowing in the raw fuel path as a second temperature, upon receiving an internal combustion engine stop command;
a circulation control element which actuates the raw fuel discharge device in a case where the first or the second temperature measured by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature; and
a stopping element which stops the internal combustion engine and the raw fuel discharge device, in a case where the first or the second temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined temperature, wherein
the cooling medium circulating path is configured to perform heat exchange between the cooling medium circulating in the cooling medium circulating path and the separator, and
the fuel supply device further comprises a flow rate adjusting mechanism which adjusts a flow rate of the cooling medium in the cooling medium circulating path, taking at least one of a first temperature which is a temperature of the separator, a second temperature which is a temperature of the raw fuel in the raw fuel path, and a third temperature which is a temperature of the cooling medium downstream of the internal combustion engine and upstream of the separator flowing in the cooling medium circulating path, as a reference factor, so that the first temperature is contained in a predetermined temperature range.

4. The fuel supply device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the cooling medium flowing in the cooling medium circulating path downstream of the internal combustion engine and upstream of the separator and the raw fuel flowing in the raw fuel path.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shigetoyo Kenji
• Kudo Hirotsugu
• Chishima Hiroshi
• Asanuma Masahiko

Classifications

• F02M53/04 Primary

  Injectors with heating, cooling, or thermally-insulating means · CPC title

• F02D19/0649 Primary

  Liquid fuels having different boiling temperatures, volatilities, densities, viscosities, cetane or octane numbers · CPC title

• Y02T10/30

  Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels · CPC title