Systems and method for an integrated fuel level and pressure sensor of a fuel tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932944-B2
Application number	US-201615181135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for the integration of a fuel level sensor and a fuel pressure sensor in a fuel tank within a fuel system. In one example, an integrated fuel pressure and fuel level sensor for a fuel tank may include a float arm of the fuel sensor coupled to a floating body and a pressure sensor (e.g., a fuel tank pressure transducer) coupled to the floating body, the integrated fuel pressure and fuel level sensor adapted to simultaneously measure fuel level and fuel vapor pressure of the fuel tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for a fuel tank, comprising:
a level sensor positioned inside the fuel tank and including a float arm and a floating body coupled to a first end of the float arm; and
a pressure sensor integrated with the floating body.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel delivery module (FDM) positioned within the fuel tank, wherein a second end the float arm is directly coupled to a pivotable base positioned within the FDM, and wherein the float arm is pivotable about a rotational axis of the pivotable base.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the FDM includes an electronic unit, wherein the pivotable base is electrically coupled to the electronic unit, and wherein the pressure sensor includes an electrical connection routed through an interior of the float arm and electrically coupled to the electronic unit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the pivotable base includes a variable resistor card and wherein the electronic unit is adapted to receive a resistance measurement from the variable resistor card of the pivotable base, where the resistance measurement changes as an angle between the float arm and a longitudinal axis through a pivot point of the pivotable base changes.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the FDM includes a fuel pump electrically coupled to the electronic unit.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the electronic unit is electrically coupled to an electronic controller of an engine in which the fuel system is installed via an electrical port coupled to a top surface of the FDM, where the top surface of the FDM is positioned at an exterior of the fuel tank.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the FDM further comprises a fuel outlet port in the top surface, where the fuel outlet port is fluidly coupled to each of the fuel pump and a fuel passage coupled to a fuel injector of the engine.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor includes a sensing port positioned at a top surface of the floating body and an electrical connection coupled to the sensing port and routed through an interior of the float arm, where the floating body is adapted to float on a surface of fuel disposed within the fuel tank.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pressure sensor is a gauge sensor and wherein the pressure sensor further includes an atmospheric reference port positioned underneath the sensing port of the pressure sensor.

10. A method, comprising:
indicating a fuel tank pressure in a fuel tank based on a filtered pressure output of a fuel tank pressure transducer positioned on a float of a fuel level indicator disposed inside the fuel tank, where the filtered pressure output is filtered based on a fuel level output of the fuel level indicator.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting engine operation based on the indicated fuel tank pressure, wherein adjusting engine operation includes one or more of adjusting refueling of the fuel tank, adjusting a position of one or more valves fluidly coupled to the fuel tank, and adjusting operation of a fuel pump within the fuel tank.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting engine operation based on a previous fuel tank pressure indication and not based on the filtered pressure output in response to a change in vehicle speed being greater than a threshold level.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising filtering the fuel level output of the fuel level indicator based on a pressure output of the fuel tank pressure transducer and indicating an amount of fuel in the fuel tank based on the filtered fuel level output.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adjusting engine operation based on the indicated fuel level output, wherein adjusting engine operation includes one or more of adjusting refueling of the fuel tank and adjusting an output of a fuel level display.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising filtering a received output of the fuel tank pressure transducer to determine the filtered pressure output in response to a rate of change in the fuel level output being greater than a threshold level.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein filtering the output of the fuel tank pressure transducer includes using a previously stored output of the fuel tank pressure transducer and not the received output of the fuel tank pressure transducer to determine the filtered pressure output.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising filling the fuel tank in response to a refueling request and in response to an increase in the filtered pressure output above a threshold pressure level, automatically indicating refueling is complete and closing a refueling door.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, following indicating refueling is complete, indicating an updated fuel level based on the fuel level output of the fuel level indicator.

19. A fuel system for an engine, comprising:
a fuel tank;
a fuel delivery module (FDM) positioned within the fuel tank, the FDM including:
a level sensor including a float arm, the float arm including a first end directly coupled to a floating body positioned external to the FDM within the fuel tank and a second end directly coupled to a pivotable base coupled within the FDM;
a pressure sensor integrated within the floating body;
a fuel pump; and
an electronic unit electrically coupled to and adapted to receive electrical signals from each of the pressure sensor and the pivotable base; and
an engine controller in electronic communication with the electronic unit of the FDM and including non-transitory memory with computer readable instructions for: indicating a fuel level in the fuel tank based on an output of the level sensor and indicating a pressure in the fuel tank based on an output of the pressure sensor.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the pressure sensor is electrically coupled to the electronic unit via one or more electrical wires routed through an interior cavity of the float arm and wherein the pivotable base includes a variable resistor in electronic communication with the electronic unit.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yang Dennis Seung-Man
• Dudar Aed M
• Aghili Mohammad R
• Gesell Ralph

Classifications

• F02M37/0047 Primary

  Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel (fuel injection apparatus characterised by their conduits and venting means F02M55/00; fuel injection apparatus having a common rail F02M63/0225; arrangement of fuel conduits of low pressure fuel injection apparatus F02M69/462) · CPC title

• F02M37/0076

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

• G01F23/30

  by floats · CPC title

• F02D41/26

  using computer, e.g. microprocessor · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title