APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FUEL RECOVERY FOR GAS FUEL VEHICLES

PURPOSE: An apparatus and a method are provided to prevent losses of fuel and atmospheric contamination by recovering the fuel from the fuel tank in a safe way during the maintenance of the fuel tank. CONSTITUTION: An apparatus comprises a recovery unit(30) connected to a fuel tank of a gas fuel vehicle so as to recover the fuel from the fuel tank. The recovery unit includes an outlet pipe(32) having an end connected to a supply pipe of the fuel tank so as to discharge the fuel from the fuel tank; a four-way valve(38) having an end connected with the other end of the outlet pipe, and which selectively opens the adjacent flow channel in accordance with the fuel state discharged from the fuel tank; a recovery pipe(42) having an end connected to the four-way valve in such a manner that the fuel discharged from the fuel tank flow through the recovery pipe; a recovery tank(44) having an end connected with the other end of the recovery pipe in such a manner that the fuel flowing into the recovery pipe is recovered and stored in the recovery tank; an exhaust pipe(46) having an end connected to the recovery tank and the other end connected to the four-way valve so as to exhaust the gas from the recovery tank; a flow pipe(50) having an end connected to the exhaust pipe and the other end connected to the four-way valve; a pump(52) mounted on the flow pipe in such a manner that the pump presses the gas flowing into the flow pipe; and an injection pipe(60) having an end connected to the flow pipe and the other end connected to a return pipe of the fuel tank in such a manner that the injection pipe supplies the gas pressurized by the pump to the fuel tank.