초록 ▼

The present invention is directed to a fuel filter dehydrator apparatus for a fuel system which coalesces and retains residual water within the fuel filter. The device comprises a plurality of fuel filter dehydrator elements and a container for housing the filter elements. The container defines a fu

The present invention is directed to a fuel filter dehydrator apparatus for a fuel system which coalesces and retains residual water within the fuel filter. The device comprises a plurality of fuel filter dehydrator elements and a container for housing the filter elements. The container defines a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet for directing fuel through the filter dehydrator elements. Each of the filter dehydrator elements comprises a rigid, porous tube having a water retaining cellulose fiber sheet and water coalescing fiberglass layer wrapped therearound. The fiberglass coalesces water droplets in the fuel passing through the element and then releases the coalesced water to the cellulose fiber sheet. As the cellulose sheet becomes water saturated, its fluid permeability sharply decreases, automatically shutting off fuel flow therethrough. Residence of water in the fiberglass layer substantially adds to the water retaining capacity of each fuel filter dehydrator element. Additional layers of water retaining cellulose and water coalescing fiberglass are provided so that with rising pressure drop on the outer sheet of cellulose, an increase of the compressive loading on underlying layers of fiberglass and cellulose is provided. The compression of subsequent layers of fiberglass provides for the rapid release of water to the underlying layers of cellulose, thus amplifying the fuel shut off feature.

대표청구항 ▼

A fuel filter dehydrator apparatus comprising: a container having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; a support plate having a plurality of openings therethrough and being positioned within said container and forming therebetween an outlet manifold in communication with said container outlet; a cover pl

A fuel filter dehydrator apparatus comprising: a container having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet; a support plate having a plurality of openings therethrough and being positioned within said container and forming therebetween an outlet manifold in communication with said container outlet; a cover plate being removably fixed to said container to form a fuel inlet chamber within said container; a plurality of hollow filter elements disposed within the inlet chamber and extending between said support plate and said cover plate, and communicating with said outlet manifold through respective ones of said support plate openings, each of said filter elements having a rigid, porous tube having a top end and a bottom end, a plurality of thin, tough, diaphragm-like water retaining cellulose fiber sheets placed about said tube and a plurality of water coalescing fiberglass layers placed about said tube, said water retaining cellulose fiber sheets having a decrease in fluid permeability upon saturation which automatically shuts off fluid flow therethrough; said water retaining cellulose fiber sheets being interleaved with said water coalescing fiberglass layers, one of said fiberglass layers being disposed upstream of one of said cellulose sheets, whereby diaphrarm-like sheets of saturated cellulose have a compressive effect on downstream layers of fiberglass further decreasing the fluid permeability of said downstream sheets of cellulose by releasing water coalesced in said fiberglass thereto and thus amplifying the fuel shut off effect; means for securing said fiberglass sheet and said cellulose fiber layer to said tube; and means for connecting said ends of said filter elements to said support plate and said cover plate, whereby a fuel to be filtered enters said container inlet, passes through said filtering elements wherein coalescence and water retention occurs, and thereafter flows into said outlet manifold for passage through said container outlet, until at least one of said water retaining cellulose fiber sheets becomes saturated with water, decreasing the fluid permeability of said cellulose fiber and automatically shutting off fuel flow therethrough.