Fuel consumption measuring instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9453751-B2
Application number	US-201414282816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

An instrument that directly measures a flow rate and air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas, and from the flow rate and air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas, calculates fuel consumption measures the fuel consumption at high response speed and with high accuracy. The instrument is provided with: an ultrasonic flowmeter 2 that measures a flow rate QEX of exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust gas flow path R; and an arithmetic unit 4 that calculates fuel consumption Fe of an engine with use of the exhaust gas flow rate QEX obtained by the ultrasonic flowmeter 2 and an air-fuel ratio AFR obtained by an air-fuel ratio sensor 3 that measures the air-fuel ratio AFR of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas flow path R.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel consumption measuring instrument that measures fuel consumption of an engine, the fuel consumption measuring instrument comprising:
an ultrasonic flowmeter that is provided in an exhaust gas flow path through which exhaust gas emitted from the engine flows, and measures a flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas flow path; and
an arithmetic unit that is configured to calculate the fuel consumption of the engine with use of the exhaust gas flow rate obtained by the ultrasonic flowmeter, and an air-fuel ratio obtained by an air-fuel ratio sensor that is provided in the exhaust gas flow path and measures the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas flow path.

2. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the air-fuel ratio sensor is provided on a downstream side of the ultrasonic flowmeter in the exhaust gas flow path.

3. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
on an upstream side of the ultrasonic flowmeter in the exhaust gas flow path, a flow conditioner is provided.

4. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the air-fuel ratio sensor is a direct insertion type zirconia sensor that is provided with being inserted into the exhaust gas flow path.

5. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
an upstream side of the ultrasonic flowmeter in the exhaust gas flow path is formed of a straight pipe, and the straight pipe has a length ten times or more a flow path diameter of a flow path part where the ultrasonic flowmeter is provided.

6. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 4 , wherein
the straight pipe is provided with a heater.

7. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , comprising:
a housing that is provided with an exhaust gas introduction port and an exhaust gas lead-out port; and
a measuring flow path that is provided inside the housing and communicatively connected to the respective ports to form the exhaust gas flow path, wherein:
the measuring flow path is provided with the ultrasonic flowmeter; and
the exhaust gas introduction port or the exhaust gas lead-out port is provided with the air-fuel ratio sensor.

8. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 7 , wherein
the housing is provided with an input part for inputting a setting parameter for the air-fuel ratio sensor.

9. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 7 , wherein
the exhaust gas introduction port, the exhaust gas lead-out port, and the measuring flow path are formed of a straight pipe member, and the straight pipe member is fitted into the housing through an antivibration mechanism.

10. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 9 , wherein
a side wall of the straight pipe member is formed with an insertion hole into which an ultrasonic transceiver of the ultrasonic flowmeter is inserted, and the ultrasonic transceiver is fixed in the insertion hole through an insulating member.

11. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 1 , comprising
an exhaust gas analyzer that is configured to analyze a predetermined measuring target component contained in the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas flow path, wherein
an operation part of the exhaust gas analyzer or the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate emission mass of the measuring target component with use of component concentration obtained by the exhaust gas analyzer and the exhaust gas flow rate obtained by the ultrasonic flowmeter.

12. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 11 , wherein
the exhaust gas analyzer is configured to measure the measuring target component contained in the exhaust gas flowing on an upstream side of the ultrasonic flowmeter in the exhaust gas flow path.

13. The fuel consumption measuring instrument according to claim 12 , having
a sampling pipe that is configured to collect part of the exhaust gas flowing on the upstream side of the ultrasonic flowmeter in the exhaust gas flow path and is configured to introduce the part into the exhaust gas analyzer, wherein
a sampling flow rate of the part flowing through the sampling pipe is used to correct the exhaust gas flow rate obtained by the ultrasonic flowmeter.

Assignees

• Horiba Ltd

Inventors

• Akita Masanobu
• Nakamura Hiroshi

Classifications

• F01N2240/20

  a flow director or deflector · CPC title

• F01N2560/07

  the means being an exhaust gas flow rate or velocity meter or sensor, intake flow meters only when exclusively used to determine exhaust gas parameters · CPC title

• F01N2560/025

  for measuring or detecting O2, e.g. lambda sensors · CPC title

• G01F1/667

  Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters · CPC title

• F01N13/008 Primary

  Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus (sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439) · CPC title