Patent ID: 6457460
Filing Date: 2002-10-01
Classification: F01P,F02M,F28F,Y02T

Abstract:
A fuel system with a recirculation cooler for an internal combustion engine, comprising:an electric fuel pump having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet for supplying fuel at a varying flow rate under high pressure to the engine; a cooler housing; a fuel passage defined at least in part in the hosing having a fuel inlet in communication with the outlet of the electric fuel pump, and a fuel outlet in communication with the fuel inlet of the electric fuel pump; a coolant passage defined at least in part in the housing separate from and generally adjacent to the fuel passage having a coolant inlet in communication with a source of coolant, and a coolant outlet from which coolant is discharged from the recirculation cooler; a drive controlling the electric fuel pump to vary the flow rate of fuel under high pressure delivered to the engine in response to the engine fuel demand and to circulate fuel through the cooler at least during engine low fuel demand conditions; whereby under at least engine low fuel demand conditions, a portion of the fuel discharged from the outlet of the electric fuel pump flows into the recirculation cooler through the fuel inlet thereof and is cooled before flowing out of the recirculation cooler housing through the fuel outlet to the inlet of the electric fuel pump to cool the electric fuel pump and reduce fuel vapor formation.