Fuel pump, fuel supply device, and fuel supply control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544764-B2
Application number	US-201716069015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A fuel pump has a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel, and a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel pump includes a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function, a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank, and an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank. A gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank, the fuel pump comprising:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank, wherein a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance.

2. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , wherein the housing electrode and the outside electrode are arranged in a double-cylindrical shape in the fuel tank.

3. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a spacer that separates the housing electrode from the outside electrode to secure the gap.

4. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter casing, and a filter element disposed in the filter casing to filter the discharged fuel, wherein:
the pump main body is held by the filter casing; and
the outside electrode is covered by the filter casing.

5. A fuel supply device comprising:
a fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank; and

a fuel filter that includes a filter casing and a filter element in the filter casing and filters the fuel discharged by the fuel pump through the filter element, wherein:
the fuel pump includes:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank;

a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance; and
the filter casing includes:
a holding part that holds the pump main body; and
a covering part that covers the outside electrode.

6. A fuel supply control system comprising:
a fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank; and

a control system that controls the fuel pump, wherein:
the fuel pump includes:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank;

a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance; and
the control system, which is connected to the housing electrode and the outside electrode, includes:
an estimation block that estimates the concentration of alcohol based on the capacitance detected by the detection function; and
a setting block that sets a pressure of the fuel discharged by the pump function based on the concentration of alcohol estimated by the estimation block.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Fukuoka Shingo
• Nagata Kiyoshi
• Sakai Hiromi
• Hidaka Yuuji

Classifications

• F02D2200/0611

  Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality · CPC title

• G01N33/2852

  Alcohol in fuels · CPC title

• F02D41/0025

  Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures · CPC title

• F02D19/084

  Blends of gasoline and alcohols, e.g. E85 · CPC title

• F02M37/14 Primary

  the pumps being combined with other apparatus · CPC title