Land vehicles – Tank or boiler – Service tank
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2001-09-25
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Tank or boiler
Service tank
C280S831000, C220S562000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a mounting structure for a fuel tank on vehicle, such as an automobile that use natural gas and the like as fuels.
Automobiles that use natural gas for fuel (which are hereinafter referred to as “automobiles of the prior art”) are equipped with fuel tanks for storing the natural gas in a compressed state. As typically shown in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 8-99542, the fuel tank is cylindrical in shape so that the pressure of the contained gas is distributed uniformly in its interior. If one wants to install the cylindrical fuel tank in an automobile, the installation area is limited by its size and shape and a typical example is within a part of the space of the trunk at the rear of the car.
Thus, the installable area of the fuel tank is limited in the automobiles of the prior art. In addition, the fuel tank requires so much installation space that if it is installed in the trunk of the car, the availability of the trunk space is reduced.
The fuel tank must withstand high pressure and the costs of manufacture and quality control increase unavoidably. What is more, the fuel tank must satisfy various regulations on safety and this also contributes to increase the overall cost.
In order to deal with these difficulties, one may think of liquefying natural gas and storing it in the car. To this end, the natural gas has to be held at a cryogenic temperature (say, about −161° C.) within a tank capable of excellent heat insulation (such as one having an evacuated dual-wall structure) and this is another cost increasing factor in the development and manufacture of the fuel tank. As a further problem, a special mechanism such as a vapor chamber for evaporating the liquefied natural gas must be provided and this not only increases the complexity of the system but also requires cumbersome maintenance and management procedures. As a result, the overall cost of the vehicle is increased and at the same time the weight of the car body is increased to cause a significant increase in the cost of servicing the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under these circumstances and has as its objective providing a mounting structure of a fuel tank that allows for effective space utilization without increasing the manufacturing cost and which yet is simplified in construction.
The stated object of the invention can be attained by a mounting structure of a fuel tank characterized in that a fuel tank packed with a fuel gas storing adsorbent is installed in a space region defined by two longitudinal frame beams provided under the floor portion of an automobile to extend in the direction in which the automobile advances and a plurality of transverse frame beams that span said longitudinal frame beams to run generally perpendicular to the direction in which the automobile advances.
Unlike in the prior art, no part of the trunk space of the automobile is sacrificed an the space within the car body is effectively utilized.
If desired, the fuel tank may be divided into a plurality of sections so that they are respectively installed in a plurality of space regions that are defined by said two longitudinal frame beams and said plurality of transverse frame beams.
The shapes of the individual sections of the fuel tank are determined in accordance with the assembly construction of said longitudinal frame beams and said plurality of transverse frame beams and those sections are installed within said plurality of space regions so as to realize more effective utilization of the space within the car body.
In another embodiment, an exhaust line for the automobile is provided in proximity to the fuel tank and a fuel cooling pipe through which water for cooling the engine of said automobile circulates is provided to extend along said fuel tank so that the temperature of the fuel gas within said fuel tank is controlled with the exhaust gas flowing through said exhaust line and the cooling water flowing through said fuel cooling pipe. The cooling water and the heat of the exhaust gas are effectively used to control the adsorption of the fuel gas on the adsorbent and its desorption from the adsorbent, thereby achieving a further improvement in the storage efficiency of the fuel gas.
If desired, temperature sensors may be provided on the fuel tank and the fuel cooling pipe so that the flow of the cooling water circulating through said fuel cooling pipe is controlled on the basis of the temperature data as detected with said temperature sensors. The temperature of the fuel gas in the fuel tank is controlled in such a way that the fuel gas is adsorbed on the adsorbent and desorbed from it in an optimal state, thereby achieving an even greater improvement in the storage efficiency of the fuel gas.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3615848 (1971-10-01), Sibenhorn
patent: 3830326 (1974-08-01), Hartung
patent: 3884255 (1975-05-01), Merkle
patent: 4016836 (1977-04-01), MacKay et al.
patent: 4211537 (1980-07-01), Teitel
patent: 4523548 (1985-06-01), Engel et al.
patent: 5323953 (1994-06-01), Adderley et al.
patent: 5370418 (1994-12-01), Pugh
patent: 5443578 (1995-08-01), Davis, Jr.
patent: 5673939 (1997-10-01), Bees et al.
patent: 6013385 (2000-01-01), DuBose
patent: 8-99542 (1996-04-01), None
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Johnson Brian L.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yeagley Daniel
LandOfFree
Mounting structure of a fuel tank for vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Mounting structure of a fuel tank for vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mounting structure of a fuel tank for vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2448213