Fuel/air separation system

• US 7,025,048 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Bradley Ekstam
• Original Assignee: Charles Bradley Ekstam
• Inventors: Ekstam, Charles Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Moulis, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/124,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20050199222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 123/510, 123/516, 123/518, 123/519, 123/520
• US Class Current: 123/516
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/04 Breaking emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/10 with stationary filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0031 by filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 36/001 Filters in combination with devices for the removal of gas, air purge systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/20 characterised by means for preventing vapour lock
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/24 characterised by water separating means
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/34 by the filter structure, e.g. honeycomb, mesh or fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/54 characterised by air purging means having priming pumps F02M37/16

Abstract

A fuel/air separation apparatus for separating air and/or vapor from a liquid fuel. The apparatus includes a canister and filter element which separates the entrained air and/or vapor from the fuel and provides substantially air/vapor-free fuel for use by an engine and returns the filtered air/vapor and any excess fuel to the vehicle'"'"'s fuel tank.

Claims

1. In combination with a fuel filter canister having a filter element disposed in the canister and sealingly separating the canister into a clean side and a dirty side, an apparatus for separating entrained air and/or vapor from the fuel comprising:

a base having an inlet port for receiving the fuel with entrained air and/or vapor, an outlet port, a return port, and a receiver for sealingly mounting the canister to said base,

said inlet port in communication with the dirty side of said canister,

said return port in communication with an upper portion of the clean side of said canister,

said outlet port in communication with the clean side of said canister,

a draw tube coupled to said outlet port and having an opening extending to a lower portion of said clean side of said canister,

wherein fuel with entrained air and/or vapor enters said inlet port of said base and passes through said filter element, said air and/or vapor separates from said fuel rises to said upper portion of the clean side of said canister and exits through said return port in said base, and wherein fuel without entrained air and/or vapor enters said opening in said draw tube extending to said lower portion of said clean side of said canister and exits through said draw tube to said outlet port.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of the fuel passing through said filter element exits through said return port.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fuel filter canister includes a 10 micron filter.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fuel filter canister includes a 3 micron filter.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a fuel pump connected to said inlet port of said base.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a pressure regulator connected between said fuel pump and said inlet port.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base further includes a pressure regulator between said inlet port and the dirty side of the said canister.

8. In combination with a canister having a filter element disposed in the canister and sealingly separating the canister into an inlet side and an outlet side, an apparatus for removing undesired gas from a liquid comprising:

a base having an inlet port for receiving the liquid with undesired gas, an outlet port, a return port, and a receiver for sealingly mounting the canister to said base,

said inlet port in communication with the inlet side of the canister,

said outlet port in communication with the outlet side of the canister,

said return port in communication with an upper portion the outlet side of said canister,

a draw tube coupled to said outlet port and having an opening extending to a lower portion of said canister,

wherein liquid with undesired gas enters said inlet port of said base and the inlet side of the canister, the undesired gas rises to the top of the canister, passes through the filter element and exits through said return port of said base, said liquid passes through said filter element, enters said opening of said draw tube and exits through said draw tube to said outlet port.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein a portion of said liquid exits through said return port.

10. In combination with a filter canister, an apparatus for separating entrained air and/or vapor from a liquid fuel comprising:

a base having an inlet port for receiving fuel with entrained air and/or vapor, an outlet port, a return port, and a receiver for releasably mounting the filter canister to said base,

said inlet port in communication with an inlet side of the filter canister,

said outlet port and said return port in communication with an interior area of the filter canister, and

a tube connected to said outlet port and extending to a lower portion of said interior area of the filter canister below said return port,

wherein fuel entrained with air and/or vapor enters said inlet port of said base and flows to the inlet side of the filter canister, said air and/or vapor passes from the inlet side to the interior area of the filter canister and exits through said return port, fuel passes from the inlet side to the interior area of the filter canister and exits through said draw tube to said outlet port.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein a portion of the fuel passing from the inlet side to the interior area of the filter canister exits through said return port.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein said filter canister includes a 25 micron filter.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein said filter canister includes a filter of less than 45 microns.

14. The combination as set forth claim 10 further comprising a fuel pump connected to said inlet port of said base.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein said fuel pump has an output of greater than 30 gallons per hour.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein said base further includes a pressure regulator between said inlet port and said inlet side of said filter canister.

17. In combination with a fuel filter canister having a filter element disposed in the canister and sealingly separating the canister into a first side and a second side, an apparatus for separating entrained air and/or vapor from the fuel comprising:

a base having a first port for receiving the fuel with entrained air and/or vapor, a second port, a third port, and a receiver for sealingly mounting the canister to said base,

said first port in communication with the first side of said canister,

said second port in communication with a lower portion of the second side of said canister,

a draw tube coupled to said third port and having an opening extending to an upper portion of the second side of said canister,

wherein fuel with entrained air and/or vapor enters said first port of said base, into the first side of said canister, and passes through said filter element into the second side of said canister said air and/or vapor separates from said fuel and enters said opening in said draw tube and exits through said draw tube to said third port in said base, and wherein fuel without entrained air and/or vapor exits through said second port.

18. The combination as set forth in claim 17 wherein a portion of the fuel passing through said filter element exits through said draw tube to said third port.

19. The combination as set forth in claim 17 wherein said fuel filter canister includes a 10 micron filter.

20. The combination as set forth in claim 17 wherein said fuel filter canister includes a 3 micron filter.

21. The combination as set forth in claim 17 further comprising a fuel pump connected to said first portion of said base.

22. The combination as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a pressure regulator connected between said fuel pump and said first port.

23. The combination as set forth in claim 17 wherein said base further includes a pressure regulator between said first port and the first side of the said canister.