Systems and methods for providing fuel to an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482175-B1
Application number	US-201414166338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A system for providing fuel to an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel reservoir for containing fuel for use by the internal combustion engine; a first pump that pumps fuel from a supply tank into the fuel reservoir; and a battery that provides electrical power to the first pump. A control circuit sends signals to selectively run the first pump so as both to minimize a total amount of electrical power consumed by the system and to maintain at least a minimum amount of fuel in the reservoir. Methods for filling a fuel reservoir that contains fuel for use by an internal combustion engine are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing fuel to an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
a fuel reservoir for containing fuel for use by the internal combustion engine;
a first pump that pumps fuel from a supply tank into the fuel reservoir;
a battery that provides electrical power to the first pump; and
a control circuit that sends signals to selectively run the first pump so as both to minimize a total amount of electrical power consumed by the system and to maintain at least a minimum amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir;
wherein the control circuit selectively runs the first pump in response to the internal combustion engine operating at a speed that is below a predetermined threshold speed, and continuously runs the first pump in response to the internal combustion engine operating at a speed that is above the predetermined threshold speed.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second pump that pumps fuel from the fuel reservoir to a fuel rail having a plurality of fuel injectors that inject fuel into the internal combustion engine.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit sends signals to selectively run the first pump based on a running total amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit sends a signal to run the first pump for a predetermined period of time once the running total amount of fuel exceeds a predetermined threshold amount of fuel.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit determines the running total amount of fuel based on the speed of the internal combustion engine.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit determines the running total amount of fuel based on known pulse widths and injection pressures of the plurality of fuel injectors.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first pump fills the fuel reservoir to a known amount, the control circuit continuously subtracts the running total amount of fuel from the known amount to determine a remaining amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir, and the control circuit sends a signal to run the first pump for a predetermined period of time once the remaining amount of fuel falls below the minimum amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pump is a lift pump.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second pump is a high-pressure pump.

10. A method for filling a fuel reservoir that contains fuel for use by an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
(1) sending a control signal to run an electric pump for a first predetermined period of time so as to pump fuel from a supply tank into the fuel reservoir;
(2) sending a control signal to stop the pump once the first predetermined period of time has elapsed;
(3) calculating a running total amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine while the pump is stopped; and
(4) sending a control signal to run the pump for a second predetermined period of time once the running total amount of fuel exceeds a predetermined threshold amount of fuel;

wherein the pump intermittently fills the fuel reservoir so as both to minimize a total amount of electrical power consumed by the pump and to maintain at least a minimum amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sending control signals to selectively run the pump when the internal combustion engine is operating at a speed that is below a predetermined threshold speed, and to continuously run the pump when the internal combustion engine is operating at a speed that is above the predetermined threshold speed.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating the running total amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine by integrating a mass flow rate of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating the running total amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine using known pulse widths and injection pressures of a plurality of fuel injectors that provide fuel to the internal combustion engine.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sending a control signal to fill the fuel reservoir to a known amount, continuously subtracting the running total amount of fuel from the known amount to determine a remaining amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir, and sending a control signal to run the pump for the second predetermined period of time once the remaining amount of fuel falls below the minimum amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
(5) sending a control signal to stop the pump once the second predetermined period of time has elapsed and to re-set the running total amount of fuel.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising repeating steps (3), (4), and (5) for as long as the internal combustion engine is running.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sending a control signal to stop the pump when the internal combustion engine is not running.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the minimum amount of fuel in the fuel reservoir is predetermined based on one or more operating conditions of the internal combustion engine.

19. A method for filling a fuel reservoir that contains fuel for use by an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
(1) sending a control signal to run an electric pump for a first predetermined period of time so as to pump fuel from a supply tank into the fuel reservoir;
(2) sending a control signal to stop the pump once the first predetermined period of time has elapsed;
(3) sending a control signal to start the internal combustion engine;
(4) sending a control signal to run the pump for a second predetermined period of time;
(5) sending a control signal to stop the pump once the second predetermined period of time has elapsed;
(6) calculating a running total amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine while the pump is stopped;
(7) sending a control signal to run the pump for a third predetermined period of time once the running total amount of fuel exceeds a predetermined threshold amount of fuel;
(8) sending a control signal to stop the pump once the third predetermined period of time has elapsed; and
(9) repeating steps (6), (7), and (8) for as long as the internal combustion engine is running.

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Torgerud Michael A
• Arbuckle Jason S
• Gonring Steven J

Classifications

• F02D41/3082 Primary

  Control of electrical fuel pumps · CPC title

• F02M37/0076

  Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank (vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/03) · CPC title

• F02M37/0088

  Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned · CPC title

• F02M37/18

  characterised by provision of main and auxiliary pumps · CPC title

• F02M37/10

  submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir · CPC title