Fuel systems and methods for controlling fuel systems in a vehicle with multiple fuel tanks

• US 8,707,937 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elwart, Shane, Kerns, James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAJMUDDIN, RAZA NEHAL
• Application Number:
  US14/023,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20140007951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: 137/312, 137/571, 137/255, 137/256, 137/262, 137/263, 137/264, 137/265, 137/266, 137/267, 137/587, 137/589, 123/198.D, 123/575, 123/576, 123/577, 123/578, 123/515, 123/516, 123/518, 123/519, 123/520, 123/525, 123/526, 123/527, 123/529, 123/198.DB, 220/746, 220/750, 220/749
• US Class Current: 123/575
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0088 Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4673 Plural tanks or compartments with parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/469 Sequentially filled and emptied [e.g., holding type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/479 Flow dividing compartments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7758 Pilot or servo controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

Fuel systems and methods for controlling fuel systems in a vehicle with multiple fuel tanks are provided. An exemplary vehicle fuel system includes a first fuel tank including a first pressure sensor, and a second fuel tank. The system may further include a fuel tank isolation valve positioned to selectively decouple the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank. The system may further include an electronic controller configured to identify which of the first fuel tank and second fuel tank includes a fuel system leak by selectively decoupling the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank via the fuel tank isolation valve, responsive to an identification of the fuel system leak.

Claims

1. A vehicle fuel system, the system comprising:

a first fuel tank including a first pressure sensor;

a second fuel tank;

a fuel tank isolation valve positioned to selectively decouple the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank; and

an electronic controller configured to identify which of the first fuel tank and second fuel tank includes a fuel system leak by selectively decoupling the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank via the fuel tank isolation valve, responsive to an identification of the fuel system leak.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to receive a pressure signal from the first pressure sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fuel tank includes a first fuel type and the second fuel tank includes a second fuel type.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic controller identifies that the first fuel tank has the fuel system leak when a difference between the pressure signal and an expected pressure signal is above a predetermined difference threshold, and wherein the electronic controller identifies that the second fuel tank has the fuel system leak when the difference between the pressure signal and the expected pressure signal is below the predetermined difference threshold.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a canister isolation valve coupled downstream of the first fuel tank and wherein the fuel tank isolation valve is downstream of the second fuel tank and upstream of the canister isolation valve, and wherein the selectively decoupling includes closing the canister isolation valve and the fuel tank isolation valve.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller identifies which of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank includes the fuel system leak based on operating conditions.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fuel reservoir upstream of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank,

a first fuel conduit including a first selector valve connecting the fuel reservoir and the first fuel tank,

a second fuel conduit including a second selector valve connecting the fuel reservoir and the second fuel tank, and

a drain tube connecting the fuel reservoir to the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank, wherein the drain tube includes at least a tube portion with a restricting portion.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the fuel reservoir includes a fuel type sensor, and wherein the expected pressure signal is based on one or more of a fuel type and a fuel quantity in the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank, the fuel type being detectable by the fuel type sensor.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the pressure signal is a pressure reduction rate, and the expected pressure signal is an expected pressure reduction rate.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second pressure sensor in the second fuel tank, wherein the selectively decoupling includes;

closing the fuel tank isolation valve positioned downstream of the second fuel tank and upstream of a canister isolation valve; and

receiving a first pressure signal from the first pressure sensor and a second pressure signal from the second pressure sensor,

and wherein the identifying includes;

identifying that the first fuel tank has the fuel system leak when the difference between the first pressure signal and a first expected pressure signal is above a first difference threshold; and

identifying that the second fuel tank has the fuel system leak when a difference between the second pressure signal and a second expected pressure signal is above a second difference threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a fuel reservoir including a fuel type sensor located upstream of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank, wherein the first expected pressure signal is based on one or more of a fuel type and a fuel quantity in the first fuel tank, and wherein the second expected pressure signal is based on one or more of a fuel type and a fuel quantity in the second fuel tank, the fuel type being detectable by the fuel type sensor.