Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Kautex Textron Gmbh & Co. Kg

Emmanuel Arras

Markus Huber

Roman Bouffier

Gernot Weiss

Axel Frohwein

Martin Bauer

Daniel Harms

Markus Brater

Attila Farkas

Jutta Pribil

Florian Hoefer

A tank system of a motor vehicle includes a volume-modifying element, which is provided in the interior of the fuel tank at least substantially above the liquid level and which is designed as a deformable bag, which forms a compensation volume connected to the environment, and includes a valve assembly, which closes under the control of a float during the filling of the fuel tank and thus brings about a maximum fill level in the fuel tank. A measure is provided for eliminating an effect of the volume-modifying element on the maximum fill level height. This measure can be that the volume-modifying element is arranged in the fuel tank such that, when the vehicle is standing on a horizontal surface, the top side of the volume-modifying element is not significantly above the fuel fill level at which the valve assembly closes in the vertical axis direction. Other measures include, for example, a controllable valve, which is provided in the connection between the compensation volume of the volume-modifying element and the environment and which is actuated in the closing direction when the fill level rising during the filling process has reached the maximum fill level height.

Tank system of a motor vehicle comprising a volume-modifying element

A method for testing the tightness of a fuel supply system of a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel supply system includes a volume-changing element provided in the fuel tank, the volume of which volume-changing element is in contact with the environment. The fuel tank is customarily sealed off against the environment by way of a valve unit. For testing the tightness, a differential pressure with respect to environment is generated in the tank by way of a gas conveying device, sequentially and thus not simultaneously, the volume-changing element being sealed off against the environment, and the volume-changing element not being sealed off against the environment, a differential pressure with respect to environmental pressure is generated in the volume-changing element or in the tank. The differential pressures are maintained and monitored over a certain period of time, and if after this period of time, the differential pressures still exceed a certain threshold value, a sufficient tightness of the fuel supply system is concluded.

Method for testing the tightness of a fuel supply system

A tank system of a motor vehicle includes a volume modifying element, having a compensation volume, which is provided in the inner chamber of the fuel tank and which is used to equalize the vapor pressure. The compensation volume is connected to the surrounding area. The only connection between the volume modifying element and the surrounding area is formed by a storage unit of the gaseous fuel components and the inner chamber of the fuel tank is connected to the surrounding area by a valve unit. The valve unit is normally open when filling the fuel tank and when exceeding or falling below the pressure limits in the inner chamber of the tank, and is otherwise closed. The storage unit is connected to the valve unit. The volume modifying element and the valve unit are designed in such a way that vehicles which are parked for several days do not undergo diurnal losses due to changes in temperature of the surroundings, due to the fact that the vapor pressure equilibrium in the fuel tank can be maintained by the automatic supply and removal of ambient air in the, or from the, volume modifying element as long as the valve unit remains closed.

Tank system for a motor vehicle having a volume modifying element

A method for checking the tightness of a fuel supply system of a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel supply system includes a volume-changing element, which is provided in the fuel tank and the volume of which is connected to the environment. The fuel tank is typically closed off from the environment by way of a valve unit. For tightness testing, a differential pressure with respect to the environment is produced in the tank interior by way of a gas-conveying device while the volume change element is connected to the environment. The differential pressure is held by switching a suitable shut-off valve and is monitored over a certain time span or checked after a certain time span. Sufficient tightness of the fuel supply system is inferred if the differential pressure still exceeds a certain threshold value after the time span.

Method for checking the tightness of a fuel supply system

A filter arrangement of a vehicle includes a filter, preferably an active carbon filter, a sprung suspension for the vibrational mounting of the filter in the vehicle, a sensor unit for determining a variable corresponding to the current weight of the filter from a vibrational movement of the filter, and an analyzing unit for calculating a filling degree of the filter from the filter weight determined, taking the empty weight of the filter into account. The filter is suspended such that the filter can vibrate about a rotational axis fixed to the vehicle.

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Munich, Germany

Emmanuel Arras