Storage device for liquefied gas fuel

Abstract

A liquefied gas fuel storage device is provided to store liquefied gas fuel capable of obtaining a sufficient cruising distance and deliver the liquefied gas fuel to an engine. A liquefied gas fuel storage device includes a first storage tank(2A), a feed pump(25), a second storage tank(3A,4A), a fuel supply unit, and a supply control unit. The first storage tank stores liquefied gas fuel. The feed pump delivers liquefied gas fuel in the first storage tank to an engine(50). The second storage tank is connected to the first storage tank through a supply line for supplying liquefied gas fuel, and stores liquefied gas fuel. The fuel supply unit supplies liquefied gas fuel in the second storage tank to the first storage tank through a supply line. The supply control unit controls the fuel supply unit and supplies liquefied gas fuel to the first storage tank from the second storage tank in accordance with the consumption of liquefied gas fuel in the first storage tank.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a storage device for liquefied gas fuel which stores liquefied gas fuel used as vehicle fuel and pressurizes the liquefied gas fuel to an engine. Background technique [0002] As exhaust regulations have been strengthened in recent years, vehicles using LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or DME (Dimethyl Ether) as fuel for the purpose of reducing pollution tend to increase. In particular, DME is valued because of its high cetane number and extremely low emission of PM and NOx. [0003] As a device using DME as fuel in this way, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a configuration has been proposed in which, among the DME fuel pressure-fed from the fuel tank to the engine, once the fuel remaining when the engine is stopped is sent to the purge tank Returned and depressurized, then sent to the fuel tank. This is because the DME fuel is pressure-fed from the fuel tank to the engine at high pressure, so it is depressurized in...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, in practice, the storage amount of the liquefied gas fuel in each storage tank cannot be equalized, resulting in uneven consumption of the liquefied gas fuel, and there is a problem that the liquefied gas fuel pressure-fed to the engine tends to become unstable.

[0009] In addition, in the feed pump for pumping the liquefied gas fuel to the engine, a pump and a motor for pumping the liquefied gas fuel at a relatively high pressure are required, and an inverter for controlling the discharge amount is required. With these parts installed, the weight becomes heavy

Therefore, as described above, in a structure in which a plurality of storage tanks are loaded and a charge pump is arranged in each storage tank, the fuel consumption thereof deteriorates due to an increase in the weight of the vehicle as a whole

In addition, since the feed pump is a component with the above functions, its own purchase cost or manufacturing cost is relatively high, and the cost also increases accordingly.

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