2015
Fuel System
[email protected]
Automotive & Tractors Dept.
November 1, 2015
Fuel System
1- Objective
T
he purpose of the fuel supply system for a petrol engine is to store, transfer
and filter the petrol required either by the float chamber of a carburetor, or
by the pressure regulated circuit of a fuel injection system. It comprises a
suitably vented fuel tank with level indicator, either a mechanically or an
electrically operated fuel pump, fuel filters and the necessary pipelines to connect
these services to their point of delivery.
2- Components
Fuel tank
In a conventional front-engine, car the
fuel tank is located remote from the
engine, and its installation is designed to
protect against damage in the event of a
rear end collision. Fuel tanks are
traditionally fabricated from sheet metal,
this being either corrosion-protected steel
or aluminum alloy. Most fuel tanks are
fitted internally with a number of baffles which serve to minimize any violent
surging of the fuel content during acceleration, braking and cornering
Regardless of size and shape, all fuel tanks incorporate most if not all of the
following features:
Inlet or filler tube through which fuel enters the tank
An outlet to the fuel line leading to the fuel pump or fuel injector
Fuel pump mounted within the tank
Tank vent system
Fuel pickup tube and fuel level sending unit
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Fuel System
Fuel filter
Filtration in the fuel delivery system to the carburetor or injectors serves two
purposes:
It must prevent foreign particles from
becoming lodged in and interfering with the
normal action of the fuel pump valve
mechanism.
Similarly, it must protect not only the float
valve mechanism of the carburetor, but also
its fuel metering devices and internal
passages.
Fuel pumps
1- Mechanical fuel pump
This type of fuel pump comprises a pumping chamber
which contains either separate or combination inlet and
outlet valves and is sealed by a spring-returned
reinforced diaphragm constructed from rubberized
fabric layers The oscillating or pumping motion of the
diaphragm is derived from an eccentric cam, which is
usually embodied on the engine camshaft. This
eccentric motion of the cam is converted into one of
oscillation at the diaphragm, through the medium of a
pull-rod, since the latter is working in opposition to the
diaphragm compression return spring. At its lower end
the pull-rod is attached to a rocker arm follower, which
is always in contact with the eccentric cam. This
permanent contact is obtained by separately spring
loading the rocker arm on to the cam and makes for
quiet operation of the pump.
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Fuel System
2- Electrical fuel pump
As in the case of the mechanical fuel
pump, the electric fuel pump used in
carburetor is also a positive
displacement pump. Most of the electric
pump was placed inside the fuel tank for
the cooling purpose. Electric fuel pump
has less noise operation and requires no
mechanical power for operation. Electric
pump has a stable fuel delivery than the
mechanical pump
Carburetor
The basic carburetor is a venturi tube mounted
with a throttle plate and a capillary tube to input
fuel. It is usually mounted on the upstream end
of the intake manifold, with all air entering the
engine passing first through this venturi tube.
Most of the time, there will be an air filter
mounted directly on the upstream side of the
carburetor. As air enters the engine due to the
pressure differential between the surrounding
atmospheric air and the partial vacuum in the
cylinders during intake strokes, it is accelerated
to high velocity in the throat of the venturi. By
Bernoulli's principle, this causes the pressure in
the throat to be reduced to a value less than the
surrounding pressure, which is about one
atmosphere. The pressure above the fuel in the
fuel reservoir is equal to atmospheric pressure
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Fuel System
as the reservoir is vented to the surroundings,
this forces fuel flow into the venture throat. As
the fuel flows out of the end of the capillary
tube, it breaks into very small droplets which
are carried away by the high-velocity air.
Another type of carburetor uses a secondary
venturi mounted inside the primary larger
venture. The large diameter of the primary
venture avoids a large pressure loss, while the
small diameter of the secondary venturi gives a
higher pressure differential for good fuel flow
control and mixing. Still another type of
carburetor changes the air flow area in the
throat, increasing it at high speed and
decreasing it at low speed.
Fuel pipelines
Fuel and vapor lines supply fuel to the throttle body
or fuel rail, and are made of steel, nylon tubing, or
fuel-resistant rubber hoses. They also return excess
fuel and vapors to the tank. Depending on their
function, fuel and vapor lines may be either rigid or
flexible Fuel lines must remain as cool to prevent
vaporizing the gasoline and causing vapor lock.
When this happens, the fuel pump supplies only
vapor that passes into the injectors. Without liquid
gasoline, the engine stalls and a hot restart problem
develops
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Fuel System
