FUEL TANK CLEANING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

In a tank cleaning arrangement for cleaning liquid fuel stored in a fuel tank, the fuel is circulated from various selectable outlet areas to various selectable inlet areas provided on the tank via a conduit system including circulating pumps and filters arranged at various locations. At least one circulating pump is driven mechanically by an engine associated with the tank cleaning arrangement, whereby the tank cleaning arrangement is shut down automatically when the engine is shut down, so that a control as well as a separate drive system for the at least one circulating pump can be omitted. Also a combustion engine with such tank cleaning system is and an operating method for the tank cleaning arrangement are disclosed.

Claims

1. A tank cleaning arrangement for cleaning liquid fuel (150) stored in a fuel tank (120) having at least one fuel outlet (270, 272, 274, 276) and at least one fuel inlet (280, 282, 286, 380), the tank cleaning arrangement including: a fuel circulation conduit system (250) connected to the fuel tank (120) for circulating the liquid fuel (150) from the at least one outlet (270, 272, 274, 276) to the at least one inlet (280, 282, 284, 286, 380) of the tank (120), and at least one fuel filter (300, 310) and at least one circulating pump (260) being arranged in the fuel circulating conduit system (250) for circulating the liquid fuel trough the fuel circulating conduit system including the at least one fuel filter (300, 310), the at least one circulating pump (260) being a mechanically driven pump.

2. The tank cleaning, arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least a first fuel filter (300) is arranged in the fuel circulating conduit system (250) in flow direction (320) of the liquid fuel (150) ahead of the at least one circulating pump (260).

3. The tank cleaning arrangement according to claim 2, wherein at least a second fuel filter (310) is arranged in the circulation conduit system (250) in flow direction (320) of the fuel (150) after the at least one circulating pump (260).

4. The tank cleaning arrangement according to claim 3, wherein at least one sensor (390) is arranged in the fluid circulating system for detecting at least one of a contamination of the liquid fuel (150) and a pressure of the liquid fuel (150), the at least one sensor (390) being arranged in the flow direction of the liquid fuel in at least one of the following locations: ahead of the at least first fuel filter (300), after the at least first fuel filter (300), ahead of the at least one circulating pump (260), incorporated into the at least one circulating pump (260), after the at least .one circulating pump (260), ahead of the at least one second fuel filter (310), after the at least one second fuel filter (310).

5. The tank cleaning arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet area (270, 272, 274, 276) is provided in the tank cleaning arrangement at one of: an area (330) of a tank bottom (390) of the fuel tank (120), an area (210) of the main outlet (140) of the fuel tank (120), an area (220) of the main inlet (130) of the fuel tank (120), an intermediate area (230) between the main outlet (210) and the main inlet area (220) of the fuel tank (120).

6. The tank cleaning arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inlet (280, 282, 284, 286, 280) is provided in the tank cleaning arrangement at one of: the area (350) of the tank top (360) of the fuel tank (120), an area (370) of the middle of the fuel tank (120), an area (210) of the main outlet (140) of the fuel tank (120), an area (220) of the main inlet (130) of the fuel tank (120), an intermediate area (230) between the area (210) of the main outlet (140) and the area (220) of the main inlet (130).

7. A system comprising a fuel tank (120) and a tank cleaning arrangement (100) according to claim 1.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the fuel tank (120) is segmented including at least two tank segments (290, 292, 294, 296).

9. The system of a fuel tank and a tank cleaning arrangement according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the tank segments (290, 292, 294, 296) of the fuel tank (120) includes an outlet (270, 272, 274, 276) and an inlet (280, 282, 284, 286, 380).

10. A combustion engine with a tank cleaning arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circulating pump (260) is mechanically connected to the combustion engine (110) to be operated thereby.

11. The combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the at least one circulating pump (260) is arranged in an aggregate carrier (400) of the combustion engine (110).

12. An operating method for a tank cleaning arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein, during fill-up of the tank (120), the fuel (150) is circulated from an outlet (276) arranged in the area (210) of the main outlet (140) to an inlet (286) arranged in the area (210) of the main outlet (140).

13. The operating method according to claim 12, wherein, for a predetermined period after tank fill-up, the fuel (150) is circulated between an outlet (276) disposed in the area (210) of the main outlet (140) and an inlet (286, 380) arranged in the area (210) of the main outlet (140).

14. The operating method according to claim 13, wherein, after the predetermined period, the fuel (150) is circulated selectively between an outlet (276) disposed in the area (210) of the main outlet (140) or an outlet (272, 274) disposed in the intermediate area (230) or an outlet (270) disposed in the area of the main inlet (130) and an inlet (286, 380) disposed in the area of the main outlet (140).

15. The operating method according to claim 12, wherein the respective outlet (270, 272, 274, 276) and the respective inlet (280, 282, 284, 286, 380) via which the fuel (150) is being circulated is selected depending on the degree of contamination of the fuel (150) being circulated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] The drawings show schematically in:

[0066] FIG. 1: a tank cleaning arrangement including a fuel tank and a combustion engine, and in

[0067] FIG. 2: an aggregate carrier of a combustion engine.

DESCRIPTION OF A PARTICULAR EMBODIMENT

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1 a tank cleaning arrangement 100 can be provided in the form of a combination of a combustion engine 110 with a fuel tank 120.

[0069] Herein the fuel tank may have a main inlet 130 and a main outlet 140. The liquid fuel 150 stored in the fuel tank 120 can for example be used for operating the combustion engine 110 so that fuel 150 can be supplied to the combustion engine 110 from the main outlet area 140 via a supply line 160. In the supply line 160 an engine fuel pump 170 and an engine filter 180 may be arranged. In this way, it can be ensured that only sufficiently filtered fuel 150 is supplied to an injection device 190 of the combustion engine 110. In addition, a return line 200 may be provided by way of which the excessive fuel 150 can be returned from the injection device 190 to the fuel tank 120. Preferably, the fuel 150 is returned to a part 210 of the main outlet 140. In this way, advantageously it is ensured that the clean returned fuel mixes to a lesser degree with the possibly contaminated fuel before it is again removed from the main outlet area 140 of tank and re-supplied to the combustion engine 110.

[0070] The fuel tank 120 can be divided at least into a section 210 next to the main outlet area and a section 220 next to the main inlet 130. An intermediate area 230 between the main outlet 140 and the area 220 next to the main inlet 130 can further be divided as shown in FIG. 1. Such a segmentation or, respectively division of the fuel tank 120 into different areas 210 220 230 are established for example by plates 240 which are installed in the fuel tank 120 and which may be perforated.

[0071] The tank cleaning arrangement 100 includes a circulation conduit system 250 and at least one circulation pump 260 by which the fuel 150 is circulated through the circulation conduit system 250. Herewith the fuel is withdrawn from the fuel tank 120 via the outlets 270, 272, 274, 276 and returned to the fuel tank 120 via the inlets 280, 282, 284, 286. If, as shown in FIG. 1, the fuel tank is segmented and, additionally, each tank element 290, 292, 294, 296 includes an outlet 270, 272, 274, 276 and an inlet 280, 282, 284, 286, the fuel tank 120 can be cleaned by such a cleaning arrangement segment by segment.

[0072] In the circulation conduit system 250 at least a first fuel filter 300 and a second fuel filter 310 may be arranged. Herein the first fuel filter 300 is arranged in the flow direction 320 of the fuel 150 ahead of the circulation pump 260, whereas the second fuel filter 310 is arranged in the flow direction 320 of the fuel 150 after the circulation pump 260. The first fuel filter 300 may be in the form of a water collector or a coarse filter whereas the second fuel filter 310 may be a fine material filter or, respectively, it may be in the form of an engine filter. In FIG. 1, the circulation pump 260 is shown schematically as being part of the combustion engine 110.

[0073] If, as shown in FIG. 1, the outlets 272-276 are arranged advantageously in the area 330 of a tank bottom, the area 330 of the tank bottom 340 can be kept largely free from contaminations and deposits.

[0074] If, additionally the inlets 282-286 are arranged in the area 350 of the tank top 360, then in cooperation with the earlier described outlets 272-276, a contamination gradient can be established which increases from the area 350 of the tank top 360 to the area 330 of the tank bottom. In combination with the segmented design therefore a contamination gradient can be established which is flexible horizontally as well as vertically. It is also conceivable that an inlet location 370 is arranged in the area 380 of the middle of the tank and/or in the area 220 of the main inlet 130.

[0075] In the circulation conduit system 250 also one or several sensors may be provided by which the contamination degree of the fuel 150 can be detected. This can be achieved for example in that the circulation pump 260 is arranged during operation in an aggregate carrier 400 as shown in FIG. 2. Such an aggregate carrier 400 includes generally one or more openings 410 in which for example the circulation pump 260 can be accommodated and engaged therein so that the circulation pump 260, when installed, can be driven by the combustion engine 110.