Purge system for internal combustion engine

Abstract

A canister is connected with a fuel tank to adsorb fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank. The canister is also connected to a downstream side point of an intake air pipe, which is on a downstream side of a supercharging device, through a first purge line. The canister is also connected to an upstream side point of the intake air pipe, which is on an upstream side of the supercharging device, through a second purge line. An ECU opens a first valve of the first purge line and a second valve of the second purge line to generate an air flow through the first connection passage, the canister and the second connection passage to desorb the fuel vapor from the adsorbent and to purge the desorbed fuel vapor into the intake air passage in an operational period of the supercharging device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, together with additional objectives, features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a purge system according to a first embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a purge operation according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modification of the purge system of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure of a purge system according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the purge system of the second embodiment.

Claims

1. A purge system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a fuel tank that receives fuel;a fuel vapor passage that is communicated with the fuel tank to conduct fuel vapor, which is generated in the fuel tank;a canister that is communicated with the fuel tank through the fuel vapor passage and includes an adsorbent, which is received in an interior of a housing of the canister to adsorb the fuel vapor;an intake air passage that conducts intake air to the engine;a supercharging device that is provided in the intake air passage to supercharge the intake air;a first connection passage that communicates between the interior of the housing of the canister and a first connection point of the intake air passage, which is located on a downstream side of the supercharging device in a flow direction of the intake air in the intake air passage;a first valve that is provided in the first connection passage to open and close the first connection passage;a second connection passage that communicates between the interior of the housing of the canister and a second connection point of the intake air passage, which is located on an upstream side of the supercharging device in the flow direction of the intake air in the intake air passage;a second valve that is provided in the second connection passage to open and close the second connection passage; anda control means for controlling the first valve and the second valve, wherein the control means opens the first valve and the second valve to generate an air flow, which flows from the first connection point of the intake air passage to the second connection point of the intake air passage through the first connection passage, the interior of the housing of the canister and the second connection passage to desorb the fuel vapor from the adsorbent and to purge the desorbed fuel vapor into the intake air passage in an operational period of the supercharging device, during which the supercharging device supercharges the intake air.

2. The purge system according to claim 1, wherein: an opening degree of the first valve is linearly variable; andthe second valve is operable only between a valve open position and a valve closed position.

3. The purge system according to claim 1, further comprising: an atmospheric passage that communicates between the interior of the housing of the canister and a surrounding atmosphere;a third valve that is provided in the atmospheric passage and is controlled by the control means to open and close the atmospheric passage; anda throttle valve that is provided in the intake air passage on a downstream side of the supercharging device in the flow direction of the intake air in the intake air passage to adjust a quantity of the intake air, which is supplied to the engine, wherein:the first connection point of the intake air passage is located on a downstream side of the throttle valve in the flow direction of the intake air;the control means opens the first valve and the third valve and closes the second valve to generate an air flow, which flows from the atmospheric passage to the first connection point of the intake air passage through the interior of the housing of the canister and the first connection passage to desorb the fuel vapor from the adsorbent and to purge the desorbed fuel vapor into the intake air passage in a non-operational period of the supercharging device, during which the supercharging device does not supercharge the intake air.

4. The purge system according to claim 3, wherein the canister further includes: a first connection port that penetrates through a wall of the housing and is communicated with the first connection passage;a second connection port that penetrates through the wall of the housing and is communicated with the second connection passage; anda fuel vapor port that penetrates through the wall of the housing between the first connection port and the second connection port and is communicated with the fuel vapor passage;a first partition plate that extends from the wall of the housing at a location between the fuel vapor port and the first connection port into the adsorbent in the interior of the housing; anda second partition plate that extends from the wall of the housing at a location between the fuel vapor port and the second connection port into the adsorbent in the interior of the housing and has a length, which is measured in a direction of extension of the second partition plate into the adsorbent and is shorter than that of the first partition plate.

5. The purge system according to claim 4, wherein: the wall of the housing is a first wall of the housing; andthe canister further includes an atmospheric port that is communicated with the atmospheric passage and penetrates through a second wall of the housing, which is opposed to the first wall of the housing.

6. The purge system according to claim 4, wherein: the wall of the housing is a first wall of the housing;the canister further includes: an atmospheric port that is communicated with the atmospheric passage and penetrates through the first wall of the housing;an interior space that is formed between the adsorbent and a second wall of the housing, which is spaced from the first wall of the housing; anda third partition plate that extends from the first wall of the housing into the interior space through the adsorbent in the interior of the housing and partitions the atmospheric port from the first connection port, the second connection port and the fuel vapor port to guide the air flow from the atmospheric port to the first connection port in the interior of the housing through divided parts of the adsorbent, which are divided by the third partition plate, and also through the interior space.

7. The purge system according to claim 1, further comprising a throttle valve that is provided in the intake air passage on a downstream side of the supercharging device in the flow direction of the intake air in the intake air passage to adjust a quantity of the intake air, which is supplied to the engine, wherein: the first connection point of the intake air passage is located on a downstream side of the throttle valve in the flow direction of the intake air in the intake air passage; andthe control means opens the first valve and the second valve to generate an air flow, which flows from the second connection point of the intake air passage into the first connection point of the intake air passage through the second connection passage, the interior of the housing of the canister and the first connection passage to desorb the fuel vapor from the adsorbent and to purge the desorbed fuel vapor into the intake air passage in a non-operational period of the supercharging device, during which the supercharging device does not supercharge the intake air.

8. The purge system according to claim 7, wherein the canister further includes: a first connection port that penetrates through a first wall of the housing and is communicated with the first connection passage; anda fuel vapor port that penetrates through the first wall of the housing and is communicated with the fuel vapor passage;a second connection port that is communicated with the second connection passage and penetrates through a second wall of the housing, which is opposed to the first wall of the housing; anda partition plate that extends from the first wall of the housing at a location between the fuel vapor port and the first connection port into the adsorbent in the interior of the housing.

9. The purge system according to claim 7, wherein the canister further includes: a first connection port that penetrates through a first wall of the housing and is communicated with the first connection passage;a second connection port that penetrates through the first wall of the housing and is communicated with the second connection passage; anda fuel vapor port that penetrates through the first wall of the housing between the first connection port and the second connection port and is communicated with the fuel vapor passage;a first partition plate that extends from the first wall of the housing at a location between the fuel vapor port and the first connection port into the adsorbent in the interior of the housing;a second partition plate that extends from the first wall at a location between the fuel vapor port and the second connection port through the adsorbent in the interior of the housing; andan interior space that is formed on a distal end side of the second partition plate in the interior of the housing between the adsorbent and a second wall of the housing, which is spaced from the first wall of the housing, wherein the air flow, which flows between the first connection port and the second connection port, is guided by the second partition plate in the interior of the housing through divided parts of the adsorbent, which is divided by the second partition plate, and also through the interior space.