Abstract: An evaporative emissions canister includes a housing containing a hydrocarbon adsorbing material, such as carbon. The canister may be configured to such that a portion acts as a buffer canister of such that the entire canister is used to adsorb hydrocarbon emissions. The canister housing is generally cylindrical with a reduced cross-sectional area portion and is configured in a manner to allow flow along a relatively straight line.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the purging of vapor from a carbon canister based on identification of a vacuum loss in the manifold. The system and method of the present invention store target values for the tank pressure and purge duty cycle. A differential pressure between current system levels and target levels is calculated and compared to predetermined critical levels. If the currently calculated level exceeds a calibrated threshold value, a countdown timer is set and reset until the calculated differential drops below the threshold value. If the engine air mass drops below a critical calibrated air mass value before the timer has completed counting down, the purge flow is reset and slowly reintroduced to prevent rich engine air/fuel ratio conditions.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling an evaporative emission control system for a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps of periodically measuring a system pressure within the evaporative emission control system and filtering a signal of the system pressure into two separate signals. The method also includes the steps of calculating a pressure difference between the signals and comparing the pressure difference to a predetermined pressure differential threshold limits. The method further includes the steps of adjusting the flow of purged vapor to engine in the event that the calculated pressure difference is outside the predetermined pressure differential threshold limits.

Abstract: An engine controller tracks purge system pressure within a vapor line extending from a fuel tank to a carbon canister and, in the event that pressure changes at an unduly high rate, operates to restrict the purging of vapor from a carbon canister.