Acoustic monitoring device for fuel quality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466203-B2
Application number	US-201515532581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Within the scope of the invention, a device for monitoring the quality of a fuel stored in a fuel tank has been developed. The main field of application is diesel-operated vehicles. The fuel is therefore preferably diesel fuel. The device is defined by the fact that means for determining the boiling point of the fuel are provided. Furthermore, a method for monitoring the quality of a fuel stored in a fuel tank has also been developed within the scope of the invention. The main field of application is diesel-operated vehicles. The fuel is therefore preferably diesel fuel. The method is defined by the fact that the boiling point of the fuel or a deviation of this boiling point from a normal value is measured. During the analysis of real injection pumps which have failed it has been detected that an excessively low boiling point of the fuel can cause the fuel to outgas. As a result, bubbles in which the necessary lubrication is no longer provided locally form in the injection pump. Furthermore, the lubricating effect is dependent on the fuel having a certain minimum viscosity. A low boiling point is also correlated with a low viscosity. Therefore, overall, the boiling point (initial boiling point, IBP) is a particularly good indicator especially of those deviations from standard values for the fuel which entail particularly costly damage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for monitoring the quality of a fuel ( 3 ) stored in a fuel tank ( 1 ), the device comprising:
an ultrasonic transmitter ( 2 );
an ultrasonic receiver ( 2 a );
a measuring device ( 5 );
wherein the ultrasonic transmitter ( 2 ) emits a signal into the fuel ( 3 ), the signal causing bubbles to form in the fuel ( 3 ) and collapse, the collapse of the bubbles altering the signal;
wherein the ultrasonic receiver ( 2 a ) receives the altered signal; and
wherein the measuring device ( 5 ) determines a boiling point of the fuel ( 3 ) based on the altered signal and the quality of the fuel ( 3 ) is determined based on the determined boiling point of the fuel ( 3 );
wherein the fuel ( 3 ) is prevented from entering an injection pump ( 11 ) when the determined quality of the fuel ( 3 ) indicates contamination of the fuel ( 3 ).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is for a diesel powered vehicle.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the means comprise a transmitter ( 2 ) and a receiver ( 2 a ) for ultrasound.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the transmitter ( 2 ) is coupled to the fuel ( 3 ).

5. The device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the receiver ( 2 a ) is coupled to the fuel ( 3 ).

6. The device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the transmitter ( 2 ) and the receiver ( 2 a ) are coupled to the fuel ( 3 ).

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , characterized by such an arrangement of the transmitter ( 2 ) relative to the fuel tank ( 1 ) that the transmitter focusses the intensity of the ultrasound on at least one point in the interior of the tank.

8. A method for monitoring the quality of a fuel ( 3 ) stored in a fuel tank ( 1 ), by a device having an ultrasonic transmitter ( 2 ), an ultrasonic receiver ( 2 a ), and a measuring device ( 5 ), the method comprising:
emitting a signal into the fuel ( 3 ), by the ultrasonic transmitter ( 2 ), the signal causing bubbles to form in the fuel ( 3 ) and collapse, the collapse of the bubbles altering the signal;
receiving, by by the ultrasonic receiver ( 2 a ), the altered signal; and
determining a boiling point of the fuel ( 3 ), by the measuring device ( 5 ), based on the altered signal;
determining the quality of the fuel ( 3 ) based on the determined boiling point of the fuel ( 3 );
preventing the fuel ( 3 ) from entering an injection pump ( 11 ) when the determined quality of the fuel ( 3 ) indicates contamination of the fuel ( 3 ).

9. The method according to claim 8 , characterized in that a reduced boiling point of the fuel ( 3 ) is assessed as a signal of contamination with gasoline, water or air.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the method monitors the quality of a fuel stored in a fuel tank of a diesel powered vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , characterized in that ultrasonic waves are passed through the fuel ( 3 ) and the intensity of the ultrasound emitted by the fuel ( 3 ) is measured depending on the stimulation amplitude (U) and frequency-dependently as a measure of the boiling point.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the number of microscopic vapor shocks that arise during the dissolution of vapor cavitation bubbles ( 4 ) are measured.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the intensity of microscopic vapor shocks that arise during the dissolution of vapor cavitation bubbles ( 4 ) is measured.

14. The method according to claim 11 , characterized in that the number of the dissolution events of gas bubbles that have been formed by gases dissolved in the fuel ( 3 ) are measured.

15. The method according to claim 11 , characterized in that the intensity of the dissolution events of gas bubbles that have been formed by gases dissolved in the fuel ( 3 ) is measured.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the number and intensity of microscopic vapor shocks that arise during the dissolution of vapor cavitation bubbles ( 4 ) is/are measured.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , characterized in that frequency components of the ultrasound emitted by the fuel ( 3 ) above a cutoff frequency are assessed as being caused by microscopic vapor shocks.

18. The method according to claim 11 , characterized in that the number and intensity of the dissolution events of gas bubbles that have been formed by gases dissolved in the fuel ( 3 ) is/are measured.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , characterized in that frequency components of the ultrasound emitted by the fuel ( 3 ) below a cutoff frequency are assessed as being caused by dissolution events of gas bubbles.

20. A fuel supply system comprising a fuel tank ( 1 ) for storing fuel ( 3 ), an injection pump ( 11 ) and a fuel line ( 10 ) leading from the fuel tank ( 1 ) to the injection pump and that can be shut off by a valve ( 9 ), characterized in that the valve ( 9 ) is connected by a control line ( 8 ) to a device for carrying out a method according to claim 11 , so that the valve ( 9 ) is shut off if the quality of the fuel ( 3 ) does not meet a predetermined condition.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Ramsteiner Ingo
• Bendel Karl
• Leifert Volker

Classifications

• G01N29/221

  Arrangements for directing or focusing the acoustical waves (electronic orientation or focusing G01N29/262; sound directing or focusing G10K11/26; mechanical steering of sound transducers or their beams G10K11/35) · CPC title

• F02D2200/0611

  Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality · CPC title

• G01N2291/022

  Liquids · CPC title

• G01N29/4427

  with stored values, e.g. threshold values · CPC title

• G01N2291/02881

  Temperature · CPC title