Drain system for fuel processor apparatus
First Claim
1. In a fuel processor means operative to separate out water or other impurities from the fuel, said fuel processor means including a chamber adapted to receive said fuel flowing therethrough, said fuel and said water or other impurities being separated in a lower portion of said chamber, the improvement comprising:
- quantity sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities therein;
drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said water or other impurities from said chamber in response to the detection of said predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said water or other impurities in said chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity; and
temperature sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for sensing the temperature of said water or other impurities in said lower portion of said chamber and for disabling said drain means in response to detection of a water temperature below a predetermined temperature level.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drain system adapted for use in fuel processing devices, as well as in other fluid equipment applications, includes sensing means for detecting the presence of predetermined quantities of water or other impurities separated from the fuel, or the presence of other fluids, in an enclosure or container. Drain means are also included for discharging at least a substantial portion of one of said predetermined quantities in response to said detection of the presence thereof. The drain means is preferably actuated and deactuation by automatic control means in order to maintain said water or other impurities, or said other fluids, at or below said predetermined quantity.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. In a fuel processor means operative to separate out water or other impurities from the fuel, said fuel processor means including a chamber adapted to receive said fuel flowing therethrough, said fuel and said water or other impurities being separated in a lower portion of said chamber, the improvement comprising:
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quantity sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities therein; drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said water or other impurities from said chamber in response to the detection of said predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said water or other impurities in said chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity; and temperature sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for sensing the temperature of said water or other impurities in said lower portion of said chamber and for disabling said drain means in response to detection of a water temperature below a predetermined temperature level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 30)
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13. A fuel processing apparatus for use on trucks, automobiles, and the like, said apparatus being operative to preheat the fuel to separate out water or other impurities from the fuel, said apparatus comprising in combination:
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a fluid-tight chamber having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, said fuel and said water or other impurities being substantially separated in a lower portion of said chamber; heating means in said chamber for preheating said fuel; filter means operatively connected with said chamber for filtering said fuel after said water and other impurities have been substantially separated; quantity sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of various quantities of said water or other impurities therein; drain valve means actuable to provide fluid communication between the interior of said lower portion of said chamber and the exterior of said chamber in order to discharge a substantial portion of said water and other impurities therefrom, said drain valve means further being deactuable to prevent said fluid communication; automatic control means for actuating said drain valve means in response to detection by said quantity sensing means of the presence of a first predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities in said lower portion of said chamber and for deactuating said drain valve means in response to detection by said quantity sensing means of the presence of a second lesser predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities in said lower portion of said chamber whereby the quantity of said water or other impurities is maintained generally between said first and second predetermined quantities; and temperature sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for sensing the temperature of said water or other impurities therein and for disabling said drain means in response to detection of a water temperature below a predetermined temperature level. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 31)
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22. An automatic drain system for a chamber having at least one fluid therein, said system comprising:
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quantity sensing means located in a lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said fluid therein; drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said fluid from said chamber in response to the detection of said predetermined quantity of said fluid by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said fluid in said chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity; and temperature sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for sensing the temperature of said fluid therein and for disabling said drain means in response to detection of a fluid temperature below a predetermined temperature level. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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32. In a fluid fuel processor device operative to separate water or other impurities from the fuel, the fuel processor device including a chamber adapted to receive the fuel flowing therethrough, the fuel and the water or other impurities being separated in a lower portion of the chamber wherein an interface is created between the fuel and the water or other impurities, the fuel having a different resistance or electrical conductivity from that of the water or other impurities, the improvement comprising:
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drain means located in the lower portion of the chamber and actuable for providing fluid communication between the lower portion of the chamber and the exterior of the chamber; quantity sensing means located in the lower portion of the chamber for detecting the level of the interface between the fuel and the water or other impurities, said quantity sensing means including at least one elongated electric probe protruding generally vertically into the lower portion of said chamber, said probe having an insulated lower probe portion and an uninsulated upper probe portion, said upper probe portion being adapted to generate distinct electrical signals as it is exposed along its length to the interface between the fuel and the water or other impurities, said distinct electrical signals varying continuously along the length of said uninsulated upper probe portion as the level of the interface changes, automatic control means adapted to receive said electrical signals from said probe and to actuate said drain means in response to a first electrical signal corresponding to a predetermined high level of the interface and to deactuate said drain means in response to a second electrical signal corresponding to a predetermined low level of the interface, whereby the quantity of said water or other impurities in the lower portion of the chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined high level, and temperature sensing means in said chamber for detecting the temperature therein, said control means being adapted to disable said drain means in response to detection by said temperature sensing means of a temperature at or below a predetermined temperature level. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A unitary processing and filtering unit, particularly for diesel fuel and operative to separate out water-impurities from the fuel, comprising a housing including a lower portion defining a combined heating and sediment chamber having a fuel inlet, a concentric annular shaped filtering means carried by an upper portion of said housing and having a fuel outlet, means defining a passage for conducting fluid from said chamber to the filtering means, heating means in said lower portion operative to heat the incoming fuel by direct contact therewith in said chamber, said heating means including a heated portion in close proximity to said passage, said heating means extending through a substantial part of the lower portion, said water-impurities being separated out in said lower portion, quantity sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said water-impurities therein, and drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said water-impurities from said lower portion in response to the detection by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said water-impurities is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity.
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36. A fuel processor means for use with diesel engines on diesel trucks, automobiles, and the like, and whereby said fuel processor means is operative to preheat the diesel fuel and to separate out water-impurities from the diesel fuel, comprising,
a vertically oriented tubular vessel means operative for separating water-impurities out of the fuel in a lower portion thereof, inlet conduit means to introduce hot liquid from the engine, another conduit means passing through a central portion of said vessel for transmitting the hot liquid therethrough, outlet conduit means for recirculating the hot liquid back through the engine system, a second inlet conduit means for introducing fuel to the interior of the vessel near the midpoint thereof for flow therethrough and such that this inlet is above the level of water-impurities being collected in the vessel, a second outlet conduit means for the fuel near the top of the vessel for transmitting the water-free fuel to the engine, vent means near the top of the vessel for venting the vessel when desired, quantity sensing means located in said lower portion for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said water-impurities therein, and drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said water-impurities from said chamber in response to the detection of said predetermined quantity of said water-impurities by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said water-impurities in said chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity.
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37. A fuel processor means for use with diesel engines on diesel trucks, automobiles, and the like, and whereby said fuel processor means is operative to preheat the diesel fuel and to separate out water-impurities from the diesel fuel, comprising,
a vertically oriented tubular vessel means operative for separating water-impurities out of the fuel in a lower portion thereof, inlet conduit means to introduce hot liquid from the engine, another conduit means passing through a central portion of said vessel for transmitting the hot liquid therethrough, outlet conduit means for recirculating the hot liquid back through the engine system, a second inlet conduit means for introducing fuel to the interior of the vessel near the midpoint thereof for flow therethrough and such that this inlet is above the level of water-impurities being collected in the vessel, a second outlet conduit means for the fuel near the top of the vessel for transmitting the water-free fuel to the engine, quantity sensing means located in said lower portion of said chamber for detecting the presence of at least one predetermined quantity of said water-impurities therein, and drain means actuable to discharge a substantial portion of said water-impurities from said chamber in response to the detection of said predetermined quantity of said water or other impurities by said quantity sensing means, whereby the quantity of said water-impurities in said chamber is maintained at or below said predetermined quantity.
Specification