FUEL STORAGE DEVICE CAPABLE OF DETECTING LIQUID LEVEL

Abstract

A fuel storage device, which contains liquid fuel needed by a fuel cell and is capable of detecting liquid level, includes a main fuel storage tank, a liquid level tube and a liquid level gage. The main fuel storage tank contains liquid fuel. The liquid level tube is disposed independent of the main fuel storage tank and connected to the main fuel storage tank with a short tube section. The liquid level gage is attached to the liquid level tube for measuring liquid level of the liquid fuel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detail structure, the applied principle, the function and the effectiveness of the present invention can be more fully understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the first embodiment of a fuel storage device capable of detecting liquid level according to the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the second embodiment of a fuel storage device capable of detecting liquid level; and

FIG. 2B is a sectional view of FIG. 2A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the first embodiment of a fuel storage device capable of detecting liquid level according to the present invention is illustrated. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that a fuel storage device 1 of the present is capable of containing liquid fuel needed by a fuel cell. If the fuel storage device 1 is provided for a direct methanol fuel cell, the liquid fuel 10 in the fuel cell is pure methanol with high consistency or diluted solution of methanol.

The fuel storage device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a main storage tank 12, a liquid level tube 14 and a liquid level gage 16. The main storage tank 12 contains the liquid fuel 10 such that the main storage tank 12 can be a conventional high consistency liquid fuel tank or a mixing tank. The main storage tank 12 connects with the liquid level tube 14 with a short tube section. The liquid level tube 14 is arranged to be independent of the main storage tank 12 and is designed to have a small space preferably with a diameter between 1 mm and 3 mm in order to obtain an economical size. Further, the liquid level gage 16 is provided at the level tube 14 for measuring level of the liquid fuel 10 in the fuel storage device 1. The level scale 16 shown in FIG. 1 can be an electronic type level scale and is disposed inside or outside the liquid level tube 14 to adhere the wall of the liquid level tube 14 for the liquid level being sensed without contacting the fuel. The electronic type level gage can be implemented to measure and record the liquid level of the liquid fuel 10 continuously with pneumatics, hydraulics, buoyant balls or supersonic waves. Besides, the surface of the liquid level gage 16 is treated to resist corrosion and/or acid against the highly corrosive and acid liquid fuel 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the second embodiment of a fuel storage tank capable of detecting liquid level according to the present invention is illustrated to be associated with a fuel cell device 3. It can be seen in FIG. 2B that the fuel storage device 2 includes a main storage tank 22, a liquid level tube 24 and a liquid level gage 26. The main storage tank 22 communicates with the liquid level tube 24 with a short tube section. The liquid level tube 24 is disposed to be independent of the main storage tank 22. The liquid level gage 26 is disposed at the liquid level tube 24 for measuring the liquid level of the liquid fuel 20 in the fuel storage device 2. The liquid level gage 26 is implemented with a water level rule, which has a scale marked on the wall of the liquid level tube 24 as shown in FIG. 2A. It is clearly seen that the main storage tank 22 is disposed in the fuel cell device 3 and the liquid level tube 24 is disposed outside the fuel cell device 3. Hence, the liquid level of the fuel 20 in the main storage tank 22 can be observed by sight directly by means of the water level rule of the liquid level tube 24.

It is appreciated that the fuel storage device according the present invention has applied the principle of manometer tube to measure quantity of the liquid fuel 20 in the main storage tank (12, 22) with the level gage (16, 26) of the liquid level tube (14, 24) such that the problem of the level gage (16, 26) being incapable of being built in the main storage tank (12, 22) can be solved and the amount of the fuel left in the fuel cell can be known from outside easily.

While the invention has been described with referencing to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fuel storage device, which contains liquid fuel needed by a fuel cell and is capable of detecting liquid level, comprising: a main fuel storage tank containing liquid fuel;a liquid level tube being disposed independent of said main fuel storage tank and connected to said main fuel storage tank with a short tube section; anda liquid level gage being attached to said level tube for measuring a liquid level of said liquid fuel.

2. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid level gage is an electronic type level gage.

3. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid level gage is a water level rule with the scale thereof being marked on the wall of said liquid level tube.

4. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid fuel is diluted methanol solution.

5. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid fuel is pure methanol solution.

6. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid level tube has a diameter between 1 mm and 3 mm.

7. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein surface of said liquid level gage is anti-corrosively and/or anti-acidly treated.

8. The fuel storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said fuel cell is a direct methanol fuel cell.