Marine vapor separator with bypass line

Abstract

In a fuel supply system, liquid fuel is supplied to a marine engine from a fuel tank (). The fuel first passes through a water filter (), a lift pump () and is temporarily deposited in a vapor separator () where vapors given off from the fuel are collected and vented. A high pressure pump () withdraws liquid fuel from the vapor separator (and delivers it under pressure to an engine injector system () via a fuel delivery line (). The fuel pressure between the high pressure pump () and the engine injector system () is monitored to determine whether the engine injector system () is being presented with more fuel than is required for efficient engine operation. If more fuel than needed is being supplied by the high pressure pump (), the unneeded fuel is returned to the vapor separator () through a bypass line (). A pressure regulator () along the bypass line () prevents the return of fuel to the vapor separator () when the pressure differential between the vapor separator () and the fuel being delivered to the engine injector system () reaches a predetermined value. The bypass line () comprises a short path from the fuel delivery line () and returns fuel back into the vapor separator () without traversing large spaces. The water filter (), lift pump (), vapor separator (), high pressure pump (), by-pass line () and pressure regulator () are contained as an integral unit ().