Fuel tank having additional reserve volume

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fuel tank having a module pot, which forms a first separate fuel reservoir for a fuel pump arranged inside the fuel tank. To prevent a gap in delivery of fuel to supply the first fuel reservoir in certain operating conditions, in particular when there is persistent lateral acceleration, according to the invention, a second separate fuel reservoir arranged separately from the first fuel reservoir inside the fuel tank is proposed, such that fuel is transferred from the second fuel reservoir into the first fuel reservoir at least when a predetermined acceleration level acting on the fuel tank is exceeded.

Claims

1. A fuel tank having a module pot, which forms a first separate fuel reservoir for a fuel pump located inside the fuel tank, wherein a second separate fuel reservoir for the fuel pump located inside the fuel tank separately from the first fuel reservoir, is structured such that fuel is transferred into the first fuel reservoir when a predetermined acceleration level acting on the fuel tank is exceeded, wherein the second fuel reservoir has a dome section, which is closed at the bottom, and a side wall section, which is connected to an upper edge region of the dome section by a ring web, and wherein at least one through-opening, from which a liquid line leads to the first fuel reservoir, is provided in the ring web.

2. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second fuel reservoir is/are filled with fuel by at least one feed pump located adjacent the bottom of the fuel tank.

3. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the ring web of the second fuel reservoir is arranged above the first fuel reservoir.

4. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein a feed pump is a suction jet pump and is arranged in the fuel tank and delivers fuel to the second fuel reservoir.

5. The fuel tank according to claim 1, wherein the second fuel reservoir is arranged on a carrier body for fuel components, and wherein the carrier body arranged in the fuel tank.

6. A method for supplying fuel to a fuel pump arranged in a first separate fuel reservoir in a fuel tank of a vehicle, wherein the first separate fuel reservoir is supplied with fuel continuously by means of a first feed pump, the method having the following steps: providing a second separate fuel reservoir, from which a liquid line leads to the first separate fuel reservoir, wherein the second fuel reservoir has a dome section, which is closed at the bottom, and a side wall section, which is connected to the upper edge region of the dome section by a ring web, and wherein at least one through-opening, from which a liquid line leads to the first fuel reservoir, is provided in the ring web; continuously filling the second separate fuel reservoir with fuel; and utilizing a centrifugal force on the fuel tank for conveying fuel out of the second fuel reservoir into the first fuel reservoir via the at least one through-opening and liquid line when the supply of fuel to the first separate fuel reservoir by means of the feed pump is interrupted because of a fuel level in the fuel tank, the centrifugal force due to a persistent longitudinal or lateral acceleration of the vehicle equipped with the fuel tank.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a second feed pump is used for continuous filling of the second separate fuel reservoir.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a suction jet pump is used as one of the first and second feed pump.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second separate fuel reservoir is arranged at least partially above the first separate fuel reservoir.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, which is illustrated schematically in the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cut-away of a fuel tank, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a second fuel reservoir arranged in the fuel tank.

(4) detailed description Now, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The sizes, materials, and other specific numerical values in the following description of the embodiment are simply by way of examples for ease of understanding of the present disclosure and should not be construed to limit the present disclosure unless otherwise specified. Note that in the description and the drawings, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference characters, so that their description is not repeated, while components not directly relevant to the present disclosure are not shown.

(5) The fuel tank 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 contains a module pot 12, in which a fuel pump for supplying fuel to an engine is located. The module pot forms a first fuel reservoir 12, which is separate from the remaining tank volume and typically has a fuel supply of approximately 0.5 to 0.7 liter. A drive line 16, which is supplied with fuel by the fuel pump, leads from the module pot into a side chamber of the fuel tank 10, which is embodied as a saddle tank and entrains additional fuel there via a suction jet pump 14, 18. The total flow is sent to a second separate fuel reservoir 22 via another line 20. The suction jet pump 14, 18 conveys fuel without interruption during normal operation of the vehicle. In normal operation, the fuel reservoir 22 is constantly full, and excess fuel flows out through an additional line 24, which connects an upper region of the second fuel reservoir 22 to the first fuel reservoir 12.

(6) When the fuel level in the fuel tank 10 is low, and the longitudinal or lateral acceleration lasts longer, it may happen that the fuel which is present is displaced from the intake point of the suction jet pump 14, 18, so that the pump is no longer pumping any fuel. However, in this case, the acceleration also causes the fuel that is present in the second fuel reservoir 22 to be displaced into the region of the drain location and thereby go through the line 24 to the first fuel reservoir, thus bridging the gap in fuel delivery.

(7) The second fuel reservoir 22 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2. It consists essentially of a dome section 26, on the upper edge of which a ring web 28 is connected, so that it is offset slightly downward. A side wall section 30 is connected essentially at a right angle to the outside circumference of the ring web 28, so that a shallow channel 32 is formed between the upper bordering wall of the dome section 26 and the side wall section 30. When there is a corresponding acceleration, the fuel present in the dome section 26 flows into the channel 32, as indicated by the arrows 34, 36, and from there flows through a through-opening 38 and the line 24 to the first fuel reservoir 12.

(8) In summary, the following can be stipulated: the present disclosure relates to a fuel tank 10 having a module pot, which forms a separate fuel reservoir 12 for a fuel pump arranged inside the fuel tank 10. To prevent a gap in the fuel supply in the first fuel reservoir 12 during certain operating conditions, in particular while there is persistent lateral acceleration, a second separate fuel reservoir 22 for the fuel pump arranged inside the fuel tank 10, separately from the first fuel reservoir 12, is proposed according to the invention, such that fuel is transferred from this second fuel reservoir into the first fuel reservoir 12, at least when a predetermined acceleration acting on the fuel tank 10 is exceeded.