AUXILIARY FUEL TANK

• US 20110226362A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyster-Yale Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: NMHG Oregon, LLC
• Inventors: OXLEY, Lonnie R., HELTON, Darrell E., STEPHENSON, Jeffrey G., BILLINGS, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,000,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/572
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03006 Gas tanks B60K15/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03217 Fuel level sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/025 Failure diagnosis or prevention; Safety measures; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/027 Determining the fuel pressure, temperature or volume flow, the fuel tank fill level or a valve position
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0212 comprising at least 3 C-Atoms, e.g. liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], propane or butane
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0224 Secondary gaseous fuel storages
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0287 characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase F02M21/06 takes precedence; Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86196 Separable with valved-connecting passage

Abstract

A fuel system for an engine includes a fuel line that delivers fuel from a main fuel tank to the engine and a first control device that releases a flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into the fuel line. An auxiliary fuel tank is connected to the fuel line, and a second control device controls a flow of the fuel between the auxiliary fuel tank and the fuel line. After the fuel is released from the main fuel tank into the fuel line, the second control device fills the auxiliary fuel tank with the fuel from the main fuel tank.

Claims

1. A fuel system for an engine, comprising:

a fuel line configured to deliver fuel from a removable main fuel tank to the engine;

a first control device configured to release a flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into the fuel line;

an auxiliary fuel tank connected to the fuel line; and

a second control device configured to control a flow of the fuel between the auxiliary fuel tank and the fuel line, wherein after the fuel is released from the main fuel tank into the fuel line, the second control device fills the auxiliary fuel tank with the fuel from the main fuel tank.

2. The fuel system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure detecting device configured to detect a system pressure, wherein the second control device automatically releases a flow of the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank into the fuel line in response to the pressure detecting device detecting a decrease in the system pressure.

3. The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the second control device is configured to prohibit a release of the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank into the fuel line while the fuel is being delivered from the main fuel tank to the engine.

4. The fuel system of claim 1, further comprising a low fuel detection device configured to detect a decreased amount of fuel in the fuel system, wherein the second control device is configured to release a flow of the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank into the fuel line in response to the low fuel detection device detecting the decreased amount of fuel.

5. The fuel system of claim 4, wherein in response to the low fuel detection device detecting the decreased amount of fuel, the first control device is configured to prohibit the flow of the fuel both from the main fuel tank into the fuel line, and from the fuel line into the main fuel tank, and wherein the fuel line is configured to deliver the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank to the engine.

6. The fuel system of claim 5, wherein the main fuel tank is substantially empty of the fuel while the fuel is delivered from the auxiliary fuel tank to the engine.

7. The fuel system of claim 4, wherein the first control device is configured to release the flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into the fuel line prior to the detection of the decreased amount of fuel.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

means for delivering fuel from a main fuel tank to an engine;

means for releasing a flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into the means for delivering;

means for storing an auxiliary fuel supply;

means for controlling a flow of the auxiliary fuel supply between the means for storing and the means for delivering, and

means for filling the means for storing with the fuel from the main fuel tank after the flow of fuel is released from the main fuel tank into the means for delivering.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for controlling is configured to release the flow of auxiliary fuel supply into the means for delivering based on a predetermined period of time after the flow of fuel is released from the main fuel tank.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for controlling is further configured to prohibit a release of the flow of the auxiliary fuel supply into the means for delivering while the fuel is being delivered from the main fuel tank to the engine.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a means for detecting configured to detect a decreased amount of fuel in the fuel system, wherein the means for controlling is configured to release the flow of the auxiliary fuel supply into the means for delivering in response to the detection of the decreased amount of fuel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in response to the detection of the decreased amount of fuel, the means for releasing is configured to prohibit the flow of the fuel both from the main fuel tank into the means for delivering, and from the means for delivering into the main fuel tank.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the main fuel tank is configured to supply the fuel to the engine during a first mode of operation, and wherein the means for storing is configured to supply the auxiliary fuel supply to the engine during a second mode of operation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first mode of operation is associated with a normal operation of the engine, and wherein the second mode of operation is associated with a reduced level of operation of the engine.

15. A method, comprising:

delivering fuel from a removable main fuel tank to an engine;

releasing a flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into a fuel line;

controlling a flow of the fuel between an auxiliary fuel tank and the fuel line, and

filling the auxiliary fuel tank with the fuel from the main fuel tank after the flow of fuel is released from the main fuel tank into the fuel line.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting an installation of the main fuel tank onto a vehicle, wherein the flow of the fuel from the fuel line into the auxiliary fuel tank is controlled in response to detecting the installation of the main fuel tank.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising prohibiting a release of the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank into the fuel line while the fuel is being delivered from the main fuel tank to the engine.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a removal of the main fuel tank from the fuel system, wherein the flow of the fuel is released from the auxiliary fuel tank into the fuel line in response to the removal of the main fuel tank.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein in response to the detection of the decreased amount of fuel, the flow of the fuel from the main fuel tank into the fuel line is prohibited, and the flow of the fuel from the fuel line into the main fuel tank is prohibited.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the fuel line is configured to deliver the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank to the engine, and wherein the main fuel tank is substantially empty of the fuel while the fuel is delivered from the auxiliary fuel tank to the engine.