Fuel vapor treatment system

摘要

A fuel vapor treatment or recovery system for an automotive internal combustion engine. The system comprises a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material. A membrane separation module is provided to be connected to the canister and including a separation membrane for separating a mixture gas into an air-rich component and a fuel vapor-rich component. The separation membrane has an air-selective permeability so that the air-rich component is be able to pass through the separation membrane, the mixture gas containing air and fuel vapor. Additionally, a gas transporting device is provided to be connected to the canister, for causing purge gas to be introduced into the canister to purge fuel vapor from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and causing fuel vapor purged from the canister to be fed to the membrane separation module. Here, the fuel vapor-rich component is fed to an intake air passageway of an engine so that vacuum generated by the engine acts on the separation membrane so as to serve as a driving force for membrane separation. Further, the air-rich component from the membrane separation module is returned to the fuel tank so that fuel vapor component contained in the fuel vapor-rich component is recovered to the fuel tank upon being subjected to at least one of liquefaction and absorption to liquid fuel in the fuel tank.