Electronic pressure reducer for liquid petroleum gasses

• US 6,267,105 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bruno Bertossi
• Original Assignee: Bruno Bertossi
• Inventors: Bertossi, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, HAI H
• Application Number:
  US09/332,485
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 123/525, 123/527, 123/529, 123/27.GE
• US Class Current: 123/525
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

An electronic pressure reducer for liquid petroleum gasses comprises a heat exchanger (2,3) located upstream of an evaporation chamber (4) connected to a pressure reducing valve (5); the chambers (13,14) of the reducing valve (5) are separated by a passage section (15) for the fuel in the state of superheated vapor; the area of the passage section (15) is changed by a conic closing device (16) manoeuvred by a step motor (17) controlled by the central unit (6); the control central unit (6) defines the displacement of the conic closing device (16) from a first position of maximum flow to a second position of minimum flow by changing the area of the passage section (15), the dimension of which defines the flow and the pressure of the fuel coming out of the reducing valve (5) through an outlet orifice (18) connected to a metering valve (10).

Claims

1. An electronic pressure reducer for liquid petroleum gasses comprising a solenoid valve intercepting the liquid fuel, the solenoid valve being connected to a bottle housing the liquid fuel;

a heat exchanger being located upstream of an evaporation chamber jointed to a pressure reducing valve in which the pressure of the evaporated fuel is regulated considering the engine working phases;

the pressure reducing valve being controlled by a control central unit fitted with electronic components jointed to sensors;

the control central unite defines the regulating process to be effected by the reducing valve according to the signals coming out of the sensors in order to obtain pre-established fuel pressure values at the outlet of the reducing valve, said values being stored in the control central unit, wherein the fuel pressure reducing valve comprises a variable hydraulic resistance mechanism and a passage section for the fuel in the state of superheated vapour.

2. An electronic pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the area of the passage section is changed by a closing device manoeuvred by an actuator controlled by the central unit.

3. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the reducing valve consists of two chambers separated by a passage section for the fuel in the state of superheated vapour;

the area of the passage section is changed by a closing device manoeuvred by an actuator controlled by the central unit;

the control central unit defining the displacement of the closing device from a first position of maximum flow to a second position of minimum flow by changing the area of the passage section, the dimension of which defines the flow and pressure of the fuel coming out the reducing valve through a outlet orifice connected to the metering valve.

4. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor measures the pressure in the engine intake manifold;

according to the value of the signal of the pressure sensor, the control central unit processes an operative signal for the actuator of the pressure reducing valve in order to obtain a constant difference between the pressure in the intake manifold and the pressure at the outlet of the reducing valve.

5. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein an absolute pressure sensor of the absolute pressure is situated at the outlet duct of the reducing valve;

the absolute pressure sensor being jointed to the control central unit defining the displacement of the closing device by changing the area of the passage section according to the difference between the pressure measured by the absolute pressure sensor and a pressure reference value stored in the control central unit.

6. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises two stages;

a first stage consists of an exchanger in which the heat to be transmitted to the liquid fuel is supplied by the engine cooling water, while a second stage houses electrical resistors fed by the engine battery, the resistors transmitting the heat due to the Joule effect to the liquid fuel.

7. Pressure reducer as in claim 6, wherein the second stage of the heat exchanger consists of a series of resistors controlled by the central unit for transmitting an amount of heat to the fuel, said amount of heat gradually decreasing with the increase of the engine temperature measured by a temperature sensor situated at the outlet of the reducing valve.

8. Pressure reducer as in claim 6, wherein the second stage of the heat exchanger comprises a thermostat allowing the feeding of the resistors when the cooling water temperature is lower than a pre-established value, said thermostat preventing the feeding when the cooling water temperature is higher than said value;

in this case, the fuel evaporation heat is delivered only by the water tube stage.

9. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the heat exchangers are planned for supplying an amount of heat to the fuel crossing the evaporation chamber and the pressure reducing valve in the state of superheated vapour, the amount of heat being sufficient to prevent condensation phenomena and eventual frosting in the throttling of the pressure reducing valve.

10. Pressure reducer as in claim 1, wherein the resistors of the stage of the heat exchanger are housed in a gasproof box so that the heat transmission to the fuel occurs in the absence of oxygen.