Method and system for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834430-B2
Application number	US-201514824472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A method for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system including a tank equipped with a filler pipe and a shut-off valve, the method including detecting the start of a refilling event; while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of the tank has reached a predetermined fill level; if the predetermined fill level has been reached, performing the following steps: closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle; when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and when a second pressure criterion is met, closing the shut-off valve. The second pressure criterion includes a decrease of pressure inside the tank below a predetermined pressure level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe and a shut-off valve, the method comprising:
detecting the start of a refilling event;
while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;
if said predetermined fill level has been reached, performing the following steps:
closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;
when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and
in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said opening and closing of said shut-off valve are repeated for a plurality of nozzle shutoff instances.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first pressure criterion comprises a stagnation or a decrease of pressure inside said tank.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined pressure level is substantially equal to a hydrostatic pressure induced by a liquid reaching a predetermined level in said filler pipe.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a pressure variation following said closing of the shut-off valve, and generating an estimate of a partial pressure characteristic of said liquid based on a slope of said pressure variation.

6. A computer program product for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe, a shut-off valve, a level gauge, a pressure sensor, and a controller, said computer program product comprising code means configured to cause the controller to carry out a method comprising:
detecting the start of a refilling event;
while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;
if said predetermined fill level has been reached performing the following steps:
closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;
when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and
in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

7. A vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe, a shut-off valve, a level gauge, a pressure sensor, and a controller arranged to obtain fill levels from said level gauge and pressure levels from said pressure sensor and to control said shut-off valve, said controller being configured to carry out a method comprising:
detecting the start of a refilling event;
while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;
if said predetermined fill level has been reached performing the following steps:
closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;
when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and
in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

8. A motor vehicle comprising the vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7 .

9. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7 , wherein said liquid is a fuel.

10. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 9 , wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, gasoline, liquefied petrol gas, and diesel oil.

11. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7 , wherein said liquid is aqueous urea.

12. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7 , wherein said tank comprises multiple compartments.

13. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 12 , wherein said tank is a saddle tank.

14. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 12 , wherein each compartment of said tank comprises a level gauge.

15. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 14 , wherein said observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level is based on a level reading from the compartment with a highest fill level.

16. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7 , further comprising an orifice implemented inside a recirculation line.

17. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 16 , wherein said orifice facilitates tuning of pressure reduction speed.

Assignees

• Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation & Res

Inventors

• Criel Bjorn
• Chaussinand Antoine
• Hill David
• Mccleary Scott
• Dedeurwaerder Jurgen
• Baja Mihai

Classifications

• B60K2015/03576

  Venting during filling the reservoir · CPC title

• B60K15/035 Primary

  characterised by venting means · CPC title

• B67D7/362 Primary

  combined with over-fill preventing means (indicating or measuring liquid level G01F23/00; level control G05D9/00) · CPC title

• G01F23/00

  Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm · CPC title

• B67D7/04

  for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants · CPC title