Fuel supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644579-B2
Application number	US-201514790016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A fuel supply system has a pressure chamber which communicates with a fuel gallery. The pressure chamber receives the fuel from the feed pump or the returned fuel from the fuel gallery. The fuel in the pressure chamber receives heat energy from the engine E so that the fuel is brought into gas-liquid phase. A volume change of the fuel in liquid phase in the fuel gallery can be compensated by a volume change of the fuel in gas phase or gas-liquid phase in the pressure chamber. Thus, the pressure pulsation in the fuel gallery is absorbed in the pressure chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel supply system comprising:
a fuel tank containing a liquefied gas fuel;
a feed pump feeding the liquefied gas fuel from the fuel tank;
a high-pressure pump having a fuel gallery into which the fuel in liquid phase is introduced from the feed pump;
a pump chamber into which the fuel is introduced from the fuel gallery and a plunger which pressurizes the fuel in the pump chamber; and
a pressure chamber which communicates with the fuel gallery and receives the fuel from the feed pump or a returned fuel from the fuel gallery, wherein
the fuel in the pressure chamber receives heat energy from a specified heat source so that the fuel is brought into gas phase or gas-liquid phase.

2. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed passage for introducing the fuel into the fuel gallery from the feed pump;
a return passage for returning the fuel returned from the fuel gallery into the fuel tank; and
a bypass passage which bypasses the fuel gallery and connects the feed passage and the return passages, wherein
the pressure chamber is defined in the bypass passage.

3. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a return passage for returning the fuel returned from the fuel gallery into the fuel tank, wherein
the pressure chamber is defined in the return passage.

4. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel injector which injects the fuel pressurized in the pump chamber into a combustion chamber of an engine; wherein:
the fuel returned from the fuel injector flows into the pressure chamber.

5. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure chamber is defined in a housing of the engine.

6. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the specified heat source is an engine.

7. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure chamber is arranged above the fuel gallery in a gravity direction or the pressure chamber is connected to the fuel gallery through a siphon pipe, so that the fuel in the gas phase or the gas-liquid phase in the pressure chamber is prevented from flowing into the fuel gallery.

8. A fuel supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first phase-control portion which controls at least one of a fuel temperature and a fuel pressure in the fuel gallery in such a manner that the fuel in the fuel gallery is kept in the liquid phase; and
a second phase-control portion which controls at least one of the fuel temperature and the fuel pressure in the pressure chamber in such a manner that the fuel in the pressure chamber is kept in the gas phase or the gas-liquid phase.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Kato Masaaki

Classifications

• Y02T10/30

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

• F02M21/0245

  High pressure fuel supply systems; Rails; Pumps; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• F02M31/02 Primary

  for heating ({F02M31/005 takes precedence;} for purifying liquid fuel F02M37/30) · CPC title

• F02M2200/953

  Dimethyl ether, DME · CPC title

• Y02T10/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic