Evaporative emission control system with new adsorbents

• US 7,467,620 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Reddy, Sam R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie; Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US11/760,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 123/520, 123/516, 123/518, 123/519, 123/198.D, 137587-589, 137/43, 137/493
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 33/04 returning to the intake passage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention includes an adsorbent canister in a vehicle and an adsorbent having a nearly linear isotherm provided in the adsorbent canister.

Claims

1. An evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a fuel tank for storing a volatile fuel;

an engine having an air induction system;

at least one canister containing an adsorbent material, wherein the adsorbent material has a nearly linear isotherm;

a vapor inlet on the canister coupled to the fuel tank;

a purge outlet on the canister coupled to the air induction system;

a first vent opening on the canister for allowing fuel vapor to enter and exit said canister;

a scrubber canister fluidically coupled to canister through said first vent opening, said scrubber canister including an activated carbon adsorbent material;

wherein the adsorbent material and said activated carbon adsorbent material adsorbs fuel vapors when the engine is not running and desorbs fuel vapors when the engine is running.

2. An evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material consists essentially of an alumino-silicate gel comprising 97 weight % SiO₂ and 3 weight % Al₂O₃.

3. An evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the engine is integrated with a hybrid powertrain.

4. An evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the canister has a volume of about 800 cc to about 1200 cc.

5. An evaporative emission control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material has a surface area of at least 750 m²/g.

6. An evaporative emission control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material has a pore volume of at least 0.5 cm³/g.

7. An evaporative emission control system for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material has an attrition rate less than 0.05 wt %.

8. A method for reducing purge air flow requirements of an evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle comprising:

storing a volatile fuel in a fuel tank;

providing at least one canister containing an adsorbent material and including a first vent opening, wherein the adsorbent material has a nearly linear isotherm;

coupling a vapor inlet of the canister to the fuel tank;

coupling a purge outlet of the canister to an air induction system of an engine of the vehicle;

fluidically coupling a scrubber canister having an activated carbon adsorbent material to the canister through said first vent opening;

adsorbing fuel vapors when the engine is not running using the adsorbent material and the activated carbon adsorbent material; and

desorbing fuel vapors from the adsorbent material and from the activated carbon adsorbent material when the engine is running.

9. A method for reducing purge air flow requirements of an evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth at claim 8 wherein the canister has a volume of about 800 cc to about 1200 cc.

10. A method for reducing purge air flow requirements of an evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth at claim 8 wherein the adsorbent material consists essentially of an alumino-silicate gel comprising 97 weight % SiO₂ and 3 weight % Al₂O₃.

11. A method for reducing purge air flow requirements of an evaporative emissions control system for a vehicle as set forth at claim 8 wherein the engine is integrated with a hybrid powertrain.

12. A hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the hybrid vehicle further comprising:

a fuel tank for storing a volatile fuel;

an engine having an air induction system;

at least one canister containing an adsorbent material, wherein the adsorbent material has a nearly linear isotherm;

a vapor inlet coupled to the fuel tank;

a purge outlet coupled to the air induction system;

a first vent opening on the canister;

a scrubber canister fluidically coupled to the canister through said first vent opening, said scrubber canister including an activated carbon adsorbent material;

wherein the adsorbent material and said activated carbon adsorbent material adsorbs fuel vapors when the engine is not running and desorbs fuel vapors fuel vapors when the engine is running.

13. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 12 wherein the adsorbent material consists essentially of an alumino-silicate gel comprising 97 weight % SiO₂ and 3 weight % Al₂O₃.

14. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 12 wherein the canister has a volume of about 800 cc to about 1200 cc.