DESC:Eco Fuel Tank
FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to fuel tanks used in automobiles. Specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to a double walled fuel tank with fabricating and packing foam in the form of tank’s shape or in various forms of inserts into the tank to minimize both evaporative fuel losses caused by turbulence of fuel during the automobile’s running and also the evaporative fuel losses caused by ambient heat, particularly sunlight.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Non-renewable resource is a type of resource that cannot be renewed. There can be no way for humans to reproduce non-renewable resource either in nature or in lab. Fuel can be one such kind of non-renewable resource that is being rapidly depleted by the increasing needs of mankind. So, once mankind utilized the current supply of fuels available now, more cannot be available for many centuries. Hence, it is the need to conserve the fuel as much as possible.
[003] For transportation purposes mankind mainly uses fuel which can include petroleum / diesel. Also day by day there is tremendous increase in the number of vehicles all over the world. It leads to the need for more consumption of fuels. Also, due to poor maintenance of vehicles and old vehicles can lead to consumption of more fuel than the normal consumption. But in another way, fuel is wasted even before it is sent to combustion chamber. This evaporation is caused by turbulence of fuel during the automobile’s running and also the evaporative fuel loss caused by ambient heat, particularly sunlight.
[004] Evaporative loss can occur due to sloshing inside the tank and due to exposure of fuel tank to sunlight, which heats up the fuel tank and the fuel inside. There are some methods adopted to reduce the fuel evaporation loss such as using a fuel saving apparatus in the liquid fuel tank, a casing with chambers having fuel gas absorbing agent layers, a fuel vapor storage canister to prevent evaporative emission The above methods can reduce evaporative loss indirectly only (such as by capturing the vapor and condensing, etc) and also involved complex procedure and hence, their practical utility is very poor as observed in the current automobile market. There are some tanks with provisions for minimizing the sloshing by baffles, but the purpose is to reduce the vibration of the vehicle and to increase stability during driving/flight. Such incorporation of baffles into the tank has no connection to save evaporative emissions.
[005] Therefore, there exists a need in prior art to develop a fuel tank which can reduce evaporative loss due to sloshing and to avoid exposure of fuel tank wall to sunlight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[006] In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a novel fuel tank for minimizing evaporative loss of fuels such as petrol, diesel, etc in fuel tank. The novel fuel tank includes foam and/or mesh in the form of tank’s shape in a single piece are made in the form of various shaped inserts that can be packed into the tank during manufacture of a tank in order to reduce fuel slosh in the tank. For example, the material used for metallic foam and/or mesh may be of light weight material and the material may not react with the fuel. Porous open cells in hive structure of foam and/or mesh can be used inside the fuel tank to confine the fuel movement in the vehicle while travelling. Specifically, circular shaped hive cell can be more effective in minimizing evaporation caused by sloshing. The cell size of the hive can be in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm and inter cell distance between the hive cells can be in the range of 3 mm to 6 mm. Also the hive wall thickness can be as small as necessary to retain the shape of the entire metallic foam and/or mesh structure. In order to measure the level of fuel, a fuel level sensor is mounted in an isolated chamber inside the fuel tank.
[007] Further, the novel fuel tank can be double walled to reduce the transfer of heat from the outer wall to inner. Moreover an inner wall’s outside surface and an outer wall’s inside surface can be made shining. The two walls can be separated by 10 mm gap. The air in the gap can act as insulator and also, other insulating materials such as fiber glass wool or rock wool can be used.
[008] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[009] The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures the use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
[0010] Fig.1 shows a cross section view of a structure of foam and/or mesh with suitable cell size and suitable inter-cell distance between hives to effectively control the turbulence-induced evaporation, according to an example embodiment herein;
[0011] Fig.2 shows a double walled tank panel to reduce exposure of fuel tank to sunlight, according to an example embodiment herein;
[0012] Fig. 3(a) shows a cut-sectional front view of a double walled tank with metallic foam and/or mesh structure, according to an example embodiment herein; and
[0013] Fig. 3(b) shows a cut sectional side view of a double walled tank with metallic foam and/or mesh structure, according to an example embodiment herein;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0015] As mentioned above, there is a need for a novel fuel tank with porous, open cell and hive structure foam and/or mesh structure in the fuel tank to reduce the turbulence/sloshing of fuel inside a tank, which aggravates the natural evaporation loss. Further, the fuel tank can be double walled to reduce evaporation caused by exposure of sunlight in the fuel tank. Referring now to drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3(b), where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments. As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed.
[0016] In accordance with an embodiment, the evaporative loss in a fuel tank can be reduced by engaging foam and/or mesh into the tank and building double walls for the tank. The foam and/or mesh that can be used in the tank can be fabricated and inserted into the tank by various forms. The foam and/or mesh can be light weight material with porous, open cell and hive like structure to minimize the evaporation by sloshing in the fuel tank. A cell size and a cell pitch for a hive cell can be designed suitable to reduce evaporation. Further, the fuel tank can be double walled with an air gap between the walls to act as insulators or other insulators such as fiber glass wool and rock wool may be used instead of air gap to reduce the exposure of heat into the tank due to sunlight.
[0017] In some example embodiments, the novel fuel tank can be used as the fuel tank for all types of vehicles.
[0018] In some example embodiments, the double walled foam and/or mesh fuel tank can be used to reduce evaporation loss at room temperature, and also even when the vehicle in static position.
[0019] In some example embodiments, the foam and/or mesh can be fabricated and packed in the form of tank’s shape or in various forms of inserts into the tank to reduce evaporation loss in fuel tank.
[0020] In some example embodiments, foam and/or mesh can be made of an open cell and hive structure as not to allow the fuel slosh around the fuel tank.
[0021] In some example embodiments, a fuel sensor can be mounted inside the fuel tank for the measurement of fuel level. The fuel level sensor can be mounted in an isolated chamber inside the fuel tank.
[0022] In some example embodiments, the shape of a hive cell in the foam and/or mesh can include shapes like circular, oval / elliptical, cubical, rectangular, diamond, pentagonal or hexagonal. In a preferred embodiment, the shape of the hive cell in the foam and/or mesh can be in circular shape, since it can effectively minimize the evaporation caused by sloshing.
[0023] Fig. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a structure 100 of foam and/or mesh with suitable cell size and suitable inter-cell distance between hives to effectively control evaporation, according to an embodiment. The fuel tank can include foam and/or mesh with porous, open cell and hive structure to reduce evaporation caused by sloshing. A cell size in the hive structure can be one of the important criteria to effectively control evaporative loss in fuel tank and it can be of 2 mm to 10 mm size. But the cell size can be as low as possible to achieve a reliable control of evaporative loss. In a preferred embodiment, the cell size is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm in order to effectively minimize the fuel into the metallic foam and/or mesh.
[0024] A cell wall thickness of the hive material can be just sufficient to retain the shape of an entire structure. If the wall thickness is lower, then the hive structure can become weak. In such situation, hive supports can be provided inside the tank. In a preferred embodiment, the inter cell distance can vary from 3 mm to 6 mm of the hive material.
[0025] In some example embodiments, for the tank size of 12-15 liters, 0.5 mm wall thickness can be used with stainless steel or polymers such as nylon as hive material. Based on the tank capacity and hive material, the wall thickness can be increased to improve the hive strength.
[0026] Fig. 2 illustrates a double walled tank panel 200 to reduce exposure of fuel tank to sunlight, according to an embodiment. The tank can be double walled in order to avoid the exposure of sunlight onto the fuel tank. It can be used to reduce evaporation caused by heat. In the space between the two walls, insulators such as fibre glass wool rock wool wool can be implemented. According to an embodiment, an inner wall’s outside surface and an outer wall’s inside surface can be made shining. In some example embodiments, in order to avoid the exposure of sunlight into the fuel tank, the area between the walls can be insulated. The walls can be insulted either by air or some insulators such as rock wool. Further, the distance between the walls can be in the range of 10mm to maintain the gap for insulation.
[0027] Fig. 3(a) & 3(b) illustrates a cut-sectional front view 300(a) and a cut-sectional side view 300(b) respectively of a double walled tank with metallic foam and/or mesh structure, according to an embodiment. Both 300(a) and 300(b) describes the insertion of metallic foam and/or mesh into the fuel tank in various views. The structure 100 of metallic foam and/or mesh structure with a suitable cell size and an inter-cell distance can be engaged inside the double walled layer 301 in the fuel tank. In some example embodiments, the foam and/or mesh can engage into the tank in a way to cover the tank wholly to efficiently minimize the evaporative loss.
[0028] In an example embodiment, the cell size and the inter-cell distance can be altered to control evaporative loss in fuel tank.
EXPERIMENT
[0029] Using the novel fuel tank after ride there was the evaporative loss of 8g of fuel and the normal tank suffered 13 grams. So, it was found that the evaporative fuel loss was very much reduced by using novel fuel tank. These are typical values in summer time in a particular place. It may vary with locations in a country, from country to country for various climates.
[0030] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
,CLAIMS:We Claim
1) A novel compartmentalized and insulated fuel tank for minimizing turbulence-induced and heat-induced evaporative fuel loss comprising:
a compartmentalized foam and/or mesh structure which is made of suitable material;
an insulated double walled tank structure;
wherein said compartmentalized metallic foam structure reduces fuel slosh in a tank and said insulated double walled tank structure minimizes heat induced evaporative loss in a tank; and
wherein said foam having porous open cells in hive structure confines the fuel movement.
2) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said foam is packed in the form of various shaped inserts into the fuel tank.
3) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said porous open cells minimizes both evaporative fuel losses caused by turbulence of fuel during automobile’s running and also the evaporative fuel losses caused by ambient heat, particularly sunlight.
4) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said hive cells of the metallic foam are in the shape circular, oval, elliptical, cubical, rectangular, diamond, pentagonal or hexagonal; and wherein said hive cells are preferably in circular shape to effectively minimize the evaporation caused by sloshing.
5) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein a cell size of the hive is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm and an inter cell distance between the hive cells are in the range of 3 mm to 6 mm; and wherein said cell size and said inter cell distance is altered to a wide range.
6) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said novel fuel tank is used as the fuel tank for all types of vehicles.
7) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said hive has a small wall thickness to retain the shape of an entire metallic foam structure.
8) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said tank is a double walled tank to reduce the transfer of heat from an outer wall to an inner wall.
9) The novel fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said inner wall’s outside surface and an outer wall’s inside surface are made shining and two walls are separated by 10 mm gap; and wherein said gap is filled by air act as an insulator or other insulating materials such as fiber glass wool or rock wool is used.