Dual compartment fuel storage tank

• US 6,223,526 B1
• Filed: 12/24/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson Matthey Catalysts (Germany) Gmbh (Johnson Matthey PLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Weigl, Manfred, Hofmann, Lothar, Wissler, Gerhard, Pajonk, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, BINH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/471,293
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 60/286, 60/283, 60/295, 60/324, 60/303, 220/562, 220/4.14, 220/905, 220/723, 220/23.87, 220/564
• US Class Current: 60/286
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03 Fuel tanks chassis frame comprising fluid storage compartment B62D21/16 ; Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank F02M37/0076
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03118 Multiple tanks, i.e. two or more separate tanks supplementary tanks inside the fuel tank B60K2015/03105
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03348 for supplying additives to fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0467 Fuel tanks with more than one filler pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/1406 Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0082 Devices inside the fuel tank other than fuel pumps or filters electrical pumps submerged in fuel tanks F02M37/10, jet pumps F02M37/025
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/905 Flexible fuel tank for a vehicle

Abstract

A tank for a vehicle having a selective catalytic reduction exhaust gas purification system operating with a reducing agent includes a fuel space for the vehicle fuel and a reducing agent space for the reducing agent. The fuel space and the reducing agent space are combined into a single structural that can be fastened as a whole to the vehicle by brackets on the structural unit. This utilizes the limited space available in any vehicle as efficiently as possible and eliminates the need to provide mounting arrangements for separate fuel and reducing agent tanks.

Claims

1. A structural unit for holding fuel for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas purification system using a reducing agent, said structural unit comprising:

a fuel space for holding the fuel; and

a reducing agent space for holding the reducing agent separate from the fuel, said reducing agent space having at least one common wall with said fuel space, wherein said common wall has a predetermined thermal conductivity promoting heat transfer between the fuel space and the reducing agent space.

2. The structural unit of claim 1, further comprising brackets for mounting said structural unit as a whole to a vehicle.

3. The structural unit of claim 1, wherein said fuel space and said reducing agent space are disposed side by side and are separated by said common wall.

4. The structural unit of claim 3, wherein said common wall is made of a metal with a high thermal conductivity.

5. The structural unit of claim 1, wherein said reducing agent space is disposed substantially wholly within said fuel space.

6. The structural unit of claim 5, further comprising a heating device for heating said reducing agent space.

7. The structural unit of claim 5, wherein said reducing agent space is suspended in said fuel space.

8. The structural unit of claim 5, wherein said reducing agent space has rigid walls.

9. The structural unit of claim 8, wherein said rigid walls are made of a metal with a high thermal conductivity.

10. The structural unit of claim 9, further comprising a heating device for heating said reducing agent space.

11. The structural unit of claim 5, wherein said fuel space and said reducing agent space are one of a cylinder or a parallelepiped.

12. The structural unit of claim 5, wherein said reducing agent space has flexible walls.

13. The structural unit of claim 12, wherein said reducing space is a flexible bladder.

14. The structural unit of claim 13, further comprising a heating device for heating said reducing agent space.

15. The structural unit of claim 13, wherein said fuel space includes at least one lateral holding wall for holding said flexible bladder in place in said fuel space.

16. The structural unit of claim 1, wherein said structural unit includes a fuel space feed/fill opening and a reducing agent feed/fill opening.

17. The structural unit of claim 1, further comprising a heating device for heating said reducing agent space.

18. A structural unit for holding fuel for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas purification system using an aqueous urea solution as a reducing agent, said structural unit comprising:

a fuel space for holding the fuel; and

a reducing agent space for holding the aqueous urea solution, said reducing agent space having at least one common wall with said fuel space, wherein said common wall has a predetermined thermal conductivity promoting heat transfer between the fuel space and the reducing agent space.

19. A diesel engine system comprising:

an internal combustion engine using diesel fuel;

an exhaust gas purification system using a reducing agent; and

a structural unit including a fuel space for holding the diesel fuel, and a reducing agent space for holding the reducing agent separate from the diesel fuel, said reducing agent space having at least one common wall with said fuel space, wherein said common wall has a predetermined thermal conductivity promoting heat transfer between the fuel space and the reducing agent space.

20. The diesel engine system of claim 19, further comprising a vehicle mounting said internal combustion engine and said structural unit.