System and method for measuring quality of fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803565-B1
Application number	US-201615162652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	May 24, 2016
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A system for measuring quality of fuel in an engine is disclosed. The system includes a fuel quality measuring unit and a controller in communication with the fuel quality measuring unit. The fuel quality measuring unit includes a first valve, a second valve, and a quality measurement sensor disposed between the first valve and the second valve. The controller is configured to determine whether the engine is running in a steady state condition, and identify a measurement window based on a pressure of the fuel at an inlet, an Intake Manifold Pressure (IMP), and the steady state condition. The controller is configured to control an opening and a closing of the first valve, the second valve, and a fuel metering valve during the measurement window. The controller is configured to determine the quality of the fuel captured between the first valve and the second valve by the quality measurement sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for measuring quality of fuel in an engine, the system comprising:
a fuel quality measuring unit disposed between a fuel admission valve and an intake manifold of the engine,
the fuel quality measuring unit comprising a first valve fluidly coupled to the fuel admission valve, a second valve fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, and a quality measurement sensor disposed between the first valve and the second valve; and

a controller in communication with the fuel quality measuring unit, the controller being configured to:
determine whether the engine is running in a steady state condition based on one or more engine operating parameters;
identify a measurement window based on a pressure of the fuel at an inlet to the fuel quality measuring unit, an Intake Manifold Pressure (IMP), and determining whether the engine is running in the steady state condition,
wherein the measurement window is indicative of a time duration when a value of at least one calibration parameter of the engine is within a predefined range of calibration points for the at least one calibration parameter;

control, during the measurement window, an opening and a closing of the first valve, the second valve, and a fuel metering valve of the engine during the measurement window, based on a predefined control map,
the opening and the closing being controlled to capture the fuel between the first valve and the second valve; and

determine the quality of the fuel captured between the first valve and the second valve based on one or more values detected by the quality measurement sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first valve is configured to allow a passage of the fuel from the fuel admission valve to the intake manifold through the fuel quality measuring unit;
the quality measurement sensor is disposed downstream with respect to the first valve and is configured to detect the one or more values, the one or more values relating to the quality of the fuel; and
the second valve is disposed downstream with respect to the quality measurement sensor and is configured to allow the fuel to reach the intake manifold.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first set of sensors configured to detect the IMP and the pressure of the fuel at the inlet to the fuel quality measuring unit.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second set of sensors configured to detect at least one value of the one or more engine operating parameters,
wherein the one or more engine operating parameters include at least one of an engine speed, an engine load, a coolant temperature, a compressor out-pressure, a waste-gate valve position, a throttle valve position, or a compressor bypass valve position.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the steady state condition of the engine indicates that the at least one value of the one or more engine operating parameters is constant over a predetermined time duration.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one calibration parameter includes at least one of an ignition mode, an ignition timing, or a fuel quantity.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the quality of the fuel based on at least one of a heat transfer within the fuel or a thermal conductivity of the fuel.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the fuel, at the inlet to the fuel quality measuring unit, is greater than the IMP during the measurement window.

9. A method for determining quality of fuel in an engine, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, whether the engine is running in a steady state condition based on one or more engine operating parameters;
identifying, by the controller, a measurement window based on a pressure of the fuel at an inlet to a fuel quality measuring unit disposed between a fuel admission valve and an intake manifold of the engine, an Intake Manifold Pressure (IMP), and determining whether the engine is running in the steady state condition, wherein the measurement window is indicative of a time duration when a value of at least one calibration parameter is within a predefined range of calibration points for the at least one calibration parameter;
controlling, by the controller, an opening and a closing of a first valve, a second valve, and a fuel metering valve of the engine during the measurement window, based on a predefined control map, the opening and the closing being controlled to capture the fuel between the first valve and the second valve, wherein the first valve is fluidly coupled to the fuel admission valve and the second valve is fluidly coupled to the intake manifold; and
determining, by the controller, the quality of fuel captured between the first valve and the second valve based on one or more values detected by a quality measurement sensor of the fuel quality measuring unit disposed between the first valve and the second valve.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, from a first set of sensors, the IMP and the pressure of the fuel at the inlet to the fuel quality measuring unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving, from a second set of sensors, at least one value of the one or more engine operating parameters,
wherein the one or more engine operating parameters include at least one of an engine speed, an engine load, a coolant temperature, a compressor out-pressure, a waste-gate valve position, a throttle valve position, or a compressor bypass valve position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steady state condition of the engine is indicative of the at least one value of the one or more engine operating parameters being constant over a predetermined time duration.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving an input being indicative of an attempt to quick-start the engine;
opening the first valve and the second valve for receiving the fuel from the fuel admission valve based on the input, for quick-starting the engine;
closing the first valve and the second valve, once the engine is quick-started, for capturing the fuel between the first valve and the second valve; and
determining the quality of the fuel captured between the first valve and the second valve based on the one or more values detected by the quality measurement sensor.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling the opening and the closing of the first valve and the second valve to create a stationary flow condition of the fuel for detection of the one or more values by the quality measurement sensor.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the quality of the fuel is determined based on at least one of a heat transfer within the fuel or a thermal conductivity of the fuel.

16. A system for measuring quality of fuel in an engine, the system comprising:
a fuel quality measuring unit disposed between a fuel admission valve and an intake manifold of the engine, the fuel quality measuring unit comprising a first valve fluidly coupled to the fuel admission valve, a second valve fluidly coupled to the intake manifold, and a quality measurement sensor disposed between the first valve and the second valve;
and
a controller in communication with the fuel quality measuring unit, the controller being configured to:
receive an input being indicative of an attempt to quick-start the engine;
open the first valve and the second valve for receiving the fuel from the fuel admission valve based on the input for quick-starting of the engine;
close the first valve and the second valve, once the engine is quick-started, for capturing the fuel

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Ge Xinyu
• Cairns James

Classifications

• F02D2200/0611

  Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality · CPC title

• F02M65/00

  Testing fuel-injection apparatus, e.g. testing injection timing {(testing of ignition F02P17/00; measuring fuel consumption G01F9/00); Cleaning of fuel-injection apparatus} · 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

• F02D19/087 Primary

  with determination of densities, viscosities, composition, concentration or mixture ratios of fuels · CPC title

• G01N33/2829

  Mixtures of fuels · CPC title