| Title of Invention | GASEOUS FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR TWO-WHEELER |
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| Abstract | The present subject matter relates to a gaseous fuel supply system for a two-wheeler. The gaseous fuel supply system supplies a gaseous fuel stored in a cylinder 108 to an internal combustion engine 102 The gaseous fuel supply system includes a remote filling assembly for filling the gaseous fuel into the cylinder 108. The gaseous fuel supply system further includes at least one pressure reducer 110, 116 provided in line between the gaseous fuel tank 108 and the internal combustion engine 102 for reducing the pressure of said gaseous fuel to a predetermined level before supplying the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine 102. The gaseous fuel supply system further includes valve 106 for regulating the flow of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder 108 to the pressure reducer 110, 116. |
| Full Text | TECHNICAL FIELD The subject matter described herein, in general, relates to a fuel supply system of a two-wheeler and in particular, relates to a gaseous fuel supply system for the two-wheeler. BACKGROUND Conventionally, two-wheelers are powered by an internal combustion engine operated by liquid fuels like petrol or diesel. The increase in demand for two-wheelers across the world has triggered an exponential increase in demand for liquid fuels as well. The price of liquid fuel has proportionally increased with the increase in demand for liquid fuels. Further, there has been a sharp increase in exhaust emission due to increased use of liquid fuel. Exhaust emissions, including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, released from the combustion of liquid fuels lead to several health hazards and ailments. Due to general environmental and economic concerns of using liquid fuels as mentioned above, there is a growing need for an alternative fuel. The need for alternative fuel has led to the use of gaseous fuels, such as natural gas in place of liquid fuels. Gaseous fuels are available in surplus as compared to the liquid fuels, and are also a cleaner combustible alternative. Further advancements in technologies have enabled the internal combustion engines to operate efficiently on gaseous fuels as well. However, gaseous fuel occupies more space for each GGE (gallon of gas equivalent) than the conventional liquid fuel. The conventional liquid fuel tanks are inappropriate to be used for storing the gaseous fuel in automobiles owing to their inadequate size as the size of the liquid fuel tank needs to be substantially increased for storing gaseous fuel. Therefore, specially designed storage cylinders are employed for storing gaseous fuels in a compressed form. Present day gaseous fuel supply systems, for supplying pressurized fuel from a storage cylinder to the internal combustion engine, as designed for three-wheelers and four-wheelers, are not suitable for deployment in the two-wheelers. A gaseous fuel supply system, as designed for three-wheelers and four-wheelers, includes multiple components that are fitted together with the storage cylinder as a single unh. As a result, the gaseous fuel supply system becomes very bulky and occupies a larger space. Moreover, the components become difficult to access and operate ^ due to space constraints. The various components have to be precisely manufactured in order to assemble the components as a single unit. This increases the manufacturing cost of the gaseous fuel supply system. Further, for replacement of a single component due to corrosion, requires the overall replacement of the gaseous fuel supply system. This increases the servicing and maintenance cost of the gaseous fuel supply system tremendously. There is therefore a need to provide a compact gaseous fuel supply system that can be mounted on a two-wheeler with ease, and that also maintains the aesthetics of the two-wheeler. Further, the gaseous fuel supply system should ensure ease of access to various components and safe operation of the two-wheeler. The various components of the gaseous fuel supply are made easy to assemble and service, thereby reducing the cost of assembling and servicing. This also reduces the overall cost of the two-wheeler. SUMMARY The present subject matter relates to a gaseous fuel supply system for a two-wheeler. In accordance with one embodiment, a gaseous fuel supply system includes a cylinder for storing gaseous fuel at a high pressure and is mounted on a two-wheeler frame structure. A remote filling assembly is mounted on the two-wheeler frame structure for filling the gaseous fuel into the cylinder. The remote filling assembly includes a gas filler valve integrated with a pressure gauge. The accessibility of the remote filling assembly from the top of the two-wheeler ensures easy refueling of the gaseous fuel in the cylinder. The gaseous fuel supply system includes at least one reducer in line between the cylinder and the internal combustion engine. In one implementation, a first stage pressure reducer is connected to the cylinder to reduce the pressure of the gaseous fuel before supplying the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine. The first stage pressure reducer is also connected to a second stage pressure reducer through a high pressure fuel tube. The second stage pressure reducer further reduces the pressure of the gaseous fuel before supplying it to the internal combustion engine. The pressure reduction is performed to ensure safe operation as combustion of high pressure gaseous fuel can lead to explosion. The gaseous fuel supply system further includes a quarter valve for regulating the flow of the high pressure gaseous fuel from the cylinder to the first stage reducer. The use of the quarter valve enables ease of access and ensures safe operafion of the two-wheeler. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary implementation of a gaseous fuel supply system in a two-wheeler according to one embodiment of present subject matter. Figure 2 provides a perspective view of the gaseous fuel supply system of Figure 1 in the two-wheeler. Figure 3 provides a magnified view of the gaseous fuel supply system of Figure 1. Figure 4 provides a top perspective view of the gaseous fiiel supply system of Figure 1. Figure 5 provides a side perspective view of the two-wheeler structure and underlying components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Described herein is a two wheeler that is powered by at least a gaseous fuel supply. The two-wheeler can be powered by a different fuel supply as well based on user selection. Therefore, the two wheeler of the present subject matter employs a gaseous fuel supply system for supplying the gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine of the two wheeler. The gaseous fuel supply system includes a gaseous fuel storage tank, a first stage pressure reducer, a second stage pressure reducer and a mixer for supplying metered quantity of gaseous fuel from the second stage pressure reducer to the internal combustion engine. A gaseous fuel storage tank, preferably a cylinder, is used for storing the gaseous fuel. The cylinder is mounted on the two wheeler frame structure. For filling the cylinder, the gaseous fuel supply system employs a remote filling assembly having a gas filler valve integrated with a pressure gauge. The remote filling assembly is located on top of the cylinder such that the remote filling assembly is accessible from the top of the two wheeler frame structure for easy fuelling and refueling of the gaseous fuel into the cylinder. The gaseous fuel supply system supplies the gaseous fuel from the cylinder to the first stage pressure reducer for reducing the pressure of the gaseous fuel. The first stage pressure reducer is connected to the cylinder through a quarter valve for regulating the flow of the gaseous fuel at a high pressure. The quarter valve is located at the front end of the cylinder for ease of access. The use of the quarter valve ensures safe operation of the two wheeler by minimizing the danger of leakage of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder. The gaseous fuel from the first stage pressure reducer is supplied to the second stage pressure reducer for further reducing the pressure of the gaseous fuel to near atmospheric level. The gaseous fuel is then supplied to a mixer, which supplies a required quantity of the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine. The gaseous fuel supply system of the present subject matter is designed for compactness and ease of accessibility such as the mounting of the remote filling assembly on the cylinder. The gaseous fuel supply system is mounted on the two-wheeler frame structure, while maintaining the shape and size of the two wheeler, by disposing the components necessary for supplying the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine near the cylinder. Further, the gaseous fuel supply system ensures safe operation of the two wheeler by eliminating the danger of the leakage of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder through the quarter valve. Figure 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a fuel supply system in a two-wheeler, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. According to one embodiment of the present subject matter, the two-wheeler can be powered by a gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel i.e. the fuel supply system includes a gaseous fuel supply system and a liquid fuel supply system. A selector switch 100 is disposed on the handlebar of the two-wheeler to select the mode of operation of the two-wheeler out of two modes, gaseous fuel mode and liquid fuel mode. According to the mode of operation selected through the selector switch 100, the corresponding fuel supply system for supplying the desired fuel to an internal combustion engine 102 gets activated. When the selector switch 100 is turned on to the gaseous fuel mode, a liquid fuel solenoid valve 104 disconnects the liquid fuel supply system from the internal combustion engine 102, thereby discontinuing the supply of the liquid fuel to the internal combustion engine 102. However, by turning the selector switch 100 to the gaseous fuel mode, a gaseous fuel supply system of the two-wheeler is activated. The gaseous fuel supply system includes a quarter valve 106, a cylinder 108, a first stage pressure reducer 110 connected to the quarter valve 106 through a connector 112, a pressure gauge 114 connected to the first stage pressure reducer 110, a second stage reducer 116 connected to the first stage reducer through a high pressure tube 118, and a mixer 120. The quarter valve 106 of the gaseous fuel supply system is opened when the gaseous fuel supply system is activated by the selector switch 100. Once the quarter valve 106 is open, the gaseous fuel, stored in the cylinder 108 at a high pressure, is supplied to the first stage pressure reducer 110 through the quarter valve 106. The quarter valve 106 is connected with the cylinder 108 and the first stage pressure reducer 110 by means of a connector 112 forming a single assembly. A pressure gauge 114 is connected to the first stage pressure reducer 110 for indicating the pressure of the gaseous fuel stored in the cylinder 108. The pressure of the gaseous fuel is generally maintained at around 200 bar in the cylinder 108. The first stage pressure reducer 110 reduces the pressure of the gaseous fuel from around 200 bar to around 5 bar. The gaseous fuel from the first stage pressure reducer 110 flows to the second stage pressure reducer 116 through the high pressure fuel tube 118. The second stage pressure reducer 116 further reduces the pressure of the gaseous fuel from 5 bar to near atmospheric pressure at about 1 bar. The gaseous fuel from the second stage pressure reducer 116 then flows to the mixer 120. The mixer 120 is disposed near the second stage pressure reducer 116 and is connected to the second stage pressure reducer 116 through a low pressure fuel tube 122. The mixer 120 monitors and meters the required quantity of the gaseous fuel entering into the internal combustion engine 102. The gaseous fuel entering into the internal combustion engine 102 undergoes combustion to generate the required power for the two-wheeler. When the selector switch 100 is turned on to liquid fuel mode, a gas solenoid valve 124 disconnects the gaseous fuel supply system, thereby discontinuing the supply of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder 108 to the internal combustion engine 102. The gas solenoid valve 124 is disposed in line between the first stage pressure reducer 110 and the second stage pressure reducer 116. In the liquid fuel mode, the internal combustion engine 102 receives the liquid fuel from a liquid fuel tank 126 through the liquid fuel supply system. According to one implementation of the present subject matter, the liquid fuel used to power the two-wheeler is petrol. The petrol from the liquid fuel tank 126 is mixed with a required quantity of air in a carburetor 128 to form an air-fuel mixture. Air entering the carburetor 128 is filtered by an air filter 130 to ensure clean air is mixed with the petrol for proper combustion. The combustion of air fuel mixture takes place inside the internal combustion engine 102 to generate the required power for the two-wheeler. In another implementation of the present subject matter, the liquid fuel can be diesel and the corresponding liquid fuel supply system can be similarly integrated with the gaseous fuel supply system. Figure 2 provides a perspective view of the gaseous fuel supply system of Figure 1 implemented in the two wheeler. The gaseous fuel supply system, includes the cylinder 108 for storing gaseous fuel in compressed form. In the present embodiment, the gaseous fuel used in gaseous fuel supply system is compressed natural gas (CNG). The compressed form of the gaseous fuel occupies less space than the natural form of the gaseous fuel and hence a greater amount of gaseous fuel can be stored in the cylinder 108. The cylinder 108 is mounted on a two-wheeler frame structure 200 such that the cylinder 108 is disposed longitudinally on the two-wheeler frame structure 200. The gaseous fuel supply system further includes a gas filler valve 202 for filling and refilling the gaseous fuel into the cylinder 108. The gas filler valve 202 is integrated with the pressure gauge 114. The integration of the gas filler valve 202 with the pressure gauge 114 forms a remote filling assembly, thereby making a compact arrangement on the two wheeler frame structure 200. The remote filling assembly is mounted on the cylinder 108 by means of a bracket 204 for holding the remote filling assembly safely and securely. The mounting of the remote filling assembly on the top of the cylinder 108 ensures that the remote filling assembly is accessible from the top of the two-wheeler. The accessibility of the remote filling assembly from the top of the two-wheeler ensures easy refueling of the gaseous fuel in the cylinder 108. In addition, a good visibility of the pressure gauge 114 from the top also ensures the safety of the two-wheeler rider as the rider is able to observe the pressure of the gaseous fuel maintained in the cylinder. Further, the assembling cost of the remote filling assembly is less and thus the cost of the assembling and overall cost of the two-wheeler is reduced. The gaseous fuel from the cylinder 108 travels through a high pressure fuel tube to the first stage pressure reducer 110. The high pressure fuel tube can be, for example, a PVC coated steel tube. The first stage pressure reducer 110 is disposed at the front end of the cylinder 108 and is located below the cylinder 108, thereby maintaining the shape and aesthetics of the two-wheeler. The first stage pressure reducer 110 reduces the pressure of the gaseous fuel to a predetermined level, for example, from 200 bar to 5 bar. The first stage pressure reducer 110 is further connected to the second stage pressure reducer 116 through another high pressure fuel tube 118. The high pressure fuel tube 118 can be, for example, a PVC coated copper tube. The second stage pressure reducer 116 is disposed at the rear end of the cylinder 100 and is located below the cylinder 108. The location of the second stage pressure reducer 116 is also designed for making the gaseous fuel supply system more compact and for maintaining the shape and aesthetics of the two-wheeler. The second stage pressure reducer 116 further reduces the pressure of the gaseous fuel to near atmospheric level from, i.e. 5 bar to about 1 bar. The pressure reduction of the gaseous fuel is performed as the internal combusfion engine 102 cannot operate at such high pressure. Also, the combustion of the gaseous fuel at such high pressure can lead to explosion of the two-wheeler. The gaseous fuel supply system further includes the gas solenoid valve 124 for controlling the supply of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder 100 to the internal combustion engine 102 (not shown in the figure) during idling mode of the two-wheeler. The gas solenoid valve 124 also disconnects the supply of the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine 102 when the two-wheeler runs on the liquid fuel mode. The gas solenoid valve 124 is located below the cylinder 108 and is disposed between the first stage pressure reducer 110 and the second stage pressure reducer 116, thereby making the gaseous fuel system more compact. According to another embodiment of the subject matter, the two-wheeler may also accommodate a liquid fuel tank (not shown in the figure) for storing liquid fuel, such as petrol or diesel along with the cylinder 100. In such an implementation, the liquid fuel solenoid valve 104 is utilized to control the supply of the liquid fuel to an internal combustion engine. Figure 3 provides a magnified view of the gaseous fuel supply system of Figure 1. As discussed in the Figure 1, the gaseous fuel supply system comprises the quarter valve 106 for regulating the flow of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder 108 to the first stage pressure reducer 110. The quarter valve 106 is a high capacity valve used for directional flow control of gas or liquid. The quarter valve 106 can be manually set to a predetermined level of flow for regulating the flow of the pressurized gaseous fuel or can be operated electronically. The quarter valve can be of various types such as a butterfly valve, a ball valve and a plug valve. The quarter valve 106 is generally of a shorter length than the conventional hand wheel operated cylinder valve for easy access and operation. In one implementation of the present embodiment, the length of the quarter valve 106 can be 60 millimeter. The quarter valve 106 is a one way valve having either a fully open position or a fully closed position. Thus, the quarter valve 106 provides for quick opening and tight shut off. The tight shut off feature of the quarter valve 106 eliminates the danger of leakage of the gaseous fuel from the cylinder 108, thereby ensuring safe operation of the two-wheeler. The quarter valve 106 can be turned to 90 degree to move from the fully closed position to the fully open position and vice-a-versa. Also, as mentioned earlier, the quarter valve 106 is attached to the first stage pressure reducer 110 by means of the connector 112. The connector 112 is a two way connector and has threading on both sides. Upon rotating the connector 112, both the quarter valve 106 and the first stage pressure reducer 110 are simultaneously tightened forming a single assembly. Such assembly ensures that the quarter valve 106 and the first stage pressure reducer 110 are perfectly packed within the two-wheeler frame structure 200, thereby ensuring that the gaseous fuel system remains compact and provides ease of riding for the two-wheeler rider. Figure 4 provides a top view of the two-wheeler depicting the remote filling assembly of the gaseous fuel supply system of Figure 2. As described in the Figure 2, the remote filling assembly, comprising the gas filler valve 202 and the pressure gauge 114, is mounted on top of the cylinder 108 by means of the bracket 204. The bracket 204 holds the remote filling assembly safely and securely on top of the cylinder 108. The bracket 204 may include clamps, straps, screws, nuts and bolts, and so on. Further, Figure 4 also shows the location of the quarter valve 106 disposed at the front end of the cylinder 108. The gas filler valve 202, the pressure gauge 114 and the quarter valve 106 are disposed in proximity of the cylinder 108, thereby making the gaseous fuel supply system more compact and easily accessible. The mounting of the above mentioned components of the gaseous fuel supply system on the cylinder 108 ensures ease of accessibility and safe operation of the two-wheeler. Further, the above mentioned components are distinct from each other, thereby making the gaseous fuel supply system easy to assemble and install. Furthermore, such compact gaseous fuel supply system offers more reliability and is easy to maintain. Figure 5 provides a componential side view of the two-wheeler, wherein the two-wheeler accommodates a battery 500 for providing power supply to the two-wheeler. The battery 500 is disposed on top of the cylinder 108 such that the battery 500 is easily accessible from the top of the two-wheeler. The cylinder 108 and the battery 500 are covered by an outer cover 502 to maintain the aesthetics of the two-wheeler and to provide protection to the covered components. The outer cover 502 can be a single detachable component or a module comprising multiple detachable components. The outer cover 502 also covers the remote filling assembly mounted on top of the cylinder 108. Thus, the outer cover 502 safely encloses all the above mentioned components and prevents damage of the components from harmful environmental conditions such as direct heat, wind and rain. Moreover, the outer cover 502 retains the aesthetic value of the two-wheeler by hiding the mechanical assemblies of the above mentioned components. The gaseous fuel supply system, as described in the above embodiment provides various advantages. The various components of the gaseous fuel supply system such as the quarter valve, the filler valve and the pressure gauge are easily removable form the gaseous fuel supply system. Thus, the assembling and replacement of the components is easier as all the components are distinct from each other and are held securely by means of brackets. Additionally, the assembling cost of the components is reduced, thereby reducing the overall cost of the two-wheeler. Further, the servicing cost of the components is also considerably reduced as each individual component can be removed easily from the gaseous fuel supply system in case of wear and tear of the components. Although the subject matter has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are also possible. As such, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment contained therein. We claim: 1. A two wheeler comprising: an internal combustion engine (102); a gaseous fuel supply system for supplying gaseous fuel to said internal combustion engine (102), wherein said gaseous fuel supply system comprises: a gaseous fuel tank (108) for storing gaseous fuel at high pressure; a remote filling assembly for filling said gaseous fuel in said gaseous fuel tank (108); at least one pressure reducer (110,116) provided in line between said gaseous fuel tank (108) and said internal combustion engine (102) to reduce the pressure of said gaseous fuel to a predetermined level before supplying said gaseous fuel to said internal combustion engine (102); and a valve (106) for regulating the flow of said gaseous fuel from said gaseous fuel tank (108) to said at least one pressure reducer (110,116). 2. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gaseous fuel tank (108) is cylindrical and is disposed in the longitudinal direction of said two wheeler. 3. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said remote filling assembly comprises a gas filler valve (202) integrated with a pressure gauge (114), and wherein said remote filling assembly is mounted on said gaseous fuel tank (108). 4. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve (106) is a quarter valve and is disposed in the proximity of said gaseous fuel tank (108). 5. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gaseous fuel supply system comprises a mixer (120) for supplying metered quantity of said gaseous fuel from said at least one pressure reducer (116) to said internal combustion engine (102). 6. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two-wheeler comprises a battery (500) located on top of said gaseous fuel tank (108). 7. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two-wheeler comprises a liquid fuel tank (126) for storing liquid fuel. 8. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 7, wherein said two-wheeler comprises a liquid fuel supply system for supplying liquid fuel from said liquid fuel tank (126) to said internal combustion engine (102). 9. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 7, wherein said liquid fuel is petrol or diesel. 10. The two-wheeler as claimed in claim 7, wherein said two-wheeler has a selector switch (100) for choosing a mode of operation as a gaseous fuel mode or a liquid fuel mode. |
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| Patent Number | 271074 | |||||||||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 2820/CHE/2007 | |||||||||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 06/2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 05-Feb-2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Grant Date | 01-Feb-2016 | |||||||||||||||
| Date of Filing | 30-Nov-2007 | |||||||||||||||
| Name of Patentee | TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED | |||||||||||||||
| Applicant Address | JAYALAKSHMI ESTATE, 24 (OLD # 8), HADDOWS ROAD, CHENNAI - 600 006. | |||||||||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | F02M 21/00 | |||||||||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||||||||
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