FUEL VAPOUR STORAGE CANISTER

Abstract: A canister (l0) adapted to store fuel vapour discharged from a fuel tank has an inlet chamber (28) at one end that forms a trap for liquid fuel. Fuel is purged from the canister (l0) through a purge tube (26) that has a small liquid-purge hole (32) therein at the bottom of the chamber (28) and a large vapour-purge hole (34) therein spaced above the bottom of the chamber (28).

Description: This invention relates to control of fuel vapour released from a fuel tank. During day-to-day operation of an automotive vehicle, the temperature of the vehicle fuel tank rises and falls. As the fuel tank temperature rises, some of the fuel vapour in the space above the liquid fuel level is displaced out of the tank. To avoid releasing the fuel vapour to the atmosphere, an existing system vents the vapour to a canister having a bed that adsorbs and stores the fuel vapour. This invention provides a canister installed with a horizontal axis and having an inlet chamber at one end that forms a trap for liquid fuel. The trap protects a vapour storage bed against absorption of liquid fuel and thereby preserves the bed for adsorption of fuel vapour. The details as well as other features and advantages of a preferred embodiment of this invention are set forth in the remainder of the specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is an end elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a fuel vapour storage canister employing this invention. Figure 2 is a sectional view of the canister, taken along line 2-2 of Figure l. Referring to the drawings, a fuel vapour storage canister l0 with a horizontal axis has a bed l2 of activated carbon adapted to adsorb fuel vapour. Bed l2 is supported between foam screens l4 and l6 within a housing l8. At the left end of canister l0, as viewed in Figure 2, housing l8 is closed by a partition l9 and a cover 20. A fuel vapour inlet tube 24 and a purge tube 26 are formed as part of cover 20 and open into an inlet chamber 28 between cover 20 and partition l9. Chamber 28 opens to bed l2 through an aperture 29 in partition l9, aperture 29 being spaced substantially above the bottom of chamber 28. The region 30 at the right end of canister l0 is open to the atmosphere through a vent tube 3l of a cover 3la. Vapour inlet tube 24 receives a mixture of fuel vapour and air discharged from a fuel tank (not shown). As the mixture flows through chamber 28, aperture 29 and bed l2, the activated carbon in bed l2 adsorbs the fuel vapour and the air flows out through vent tube 3l. Chamber 28 serves as a trap to capture any liquid fuel that may be present in the mixture of fuel vapour and air received through inlet tube 24. By capturing the liquid fuel before it reaches bed l2, bed l2 is protected against absorption of liquid fuel, and the activated carbon is thereby preserved for adsorption of fuel vapour. Fuel is purged from canister l0 by applying vacuum to purge tube 26. Purge tube 26 has a small liquid-purge hole 32 about 0.020in (0.5mm) in diameter at the lower end and a large vapour-purge hole 34 about 0.ll0in (2.79mm) in diameter near the top. The vacuum applied through vapour-purge hole 34 draws air from vent tube 3l through bed l2, and into chamber 28. The air flow through bed l2 desorbs the fuel vapour, and the resulting mixture of air and fuel vapour is drawn out through purge tube 26. The vacuum applied through liquid-purge hole 32 gradually purges the liquid fuel from chamber 28, and the liquid fuel is drawn out through purge tube 26 along with the mixture of air and fuel vapour. It will be noted that canister l0 has a generally triangular configuration in cross-section with the apex of the triangle at the top. This construction maximizes the capacity at the base of chamber 28 to minimize the possibility that liquid might be transferred through aperture 29 into bed l2. The preferred embodiment of the fuel vapour storage canister of the present invention also includes therein an invention disclosed in, and claimed in, our co-pending European patent application No. , filed on the same date.

Claims: 1. A fuel vapour storage canister (l0) comprising a housing (l8) having a bed (l2) of material adapted to adsorb fuel vapour, said canister (l0) having a region (30) vented to the atmosphere at one end of said bed, characterised in that the canister (l0) includes a cover (20) defining an inlet chamber (28) at the other end of said bed (l2) and separated from said bed (l2) by a partition (l9), said inlet chamber (28) and bed (l2) and region (30) being aligned with one another along a horizontal axis; in that said partition (l9) has an aperture (29) opening from said chamber (28) to said bed (l2) with said aperture (29) being spaced substantially above the bottom of said chamber (28); in that there is a fuel vapour inlet tube (24) opening to said inlet chamber (28), whereby fuel vapour may be introduced into said canister (l0) and can flow from said chamber (28) through said aperture (29) into said bed (l2) and said bed (l2) may adsorb said fuel vapour; and in that there is a purge tube (26) opening to said inlet chamber (28), whereby vacuum applied to said purge tube (26) may cause air to flow from said region (30) through said bed (l2) and said aperture (29) to said chamber (28) and whereby said air flow may desorb fuel vapour from said bed (l2), said purge tube having a liquid-purge hole (32) therein disposed near the bottom of said chamber (28) and a vapour-purge hole (34) therein spaced substantially above the bottom of said chamber (28), whereby said chamber (28) may serve as a trap for liquid fuel introduced through said inlet tube (24), and whereby said liquid fuel may be purged from said chamber (28) along with said air flow and desorbed fuel vapour. 2. A fuel vapour storage canister according to claim l, characterised in that said chamber (28) has a generally triangular configuration in vertical cross-section, with an apex of said triangular configuration uppermost.

Inventors: FORNUTO, JOSEPH, GIFFORD, WILLIAM ELIHU, MEYER, KAREN MARIE
Applicants: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: F02M25
IPC codes: F02M25