Fuel data collection unit with temperature compensation and over-fill prevention

• US 10,173,884 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QT Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: QT Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Portocalis, Gerasimos A., Conley, David A., Jackson, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US14/734,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20160002024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/222 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/303 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/32 Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/40 Suspending, reeling or storing devices supports for storing lengths of hoses, in general B65H75/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/02 Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A fueling data collection unit associated with a fuel transfer apparatus and for use with a system for managing fueling transactions of a fleet operator using fuel transfer apparatuses at one or more locations includes a fueling data interface module and a temperature compensation module. The temperature compensation module compensates for a volume variance of the fuel as a result of temperature variance from the standard temperature data to determine a volume correction factor at the measured fuel temperature, while the temperature compensation module uses the measured fuel temperature to determine a compensated, more accurate volume and/or mass of fuel dispensed through the fuel meter. In this way, the fuel data collection unit can accurately measure the volume and/or mass of fuel being delivered. This allows the provider and the recipient to more accurately sell/buy what was actually delivered and can avoid over-filling a fueling order.

Claims

1. A fueling data collection unit for use with a fuel meter and a register of the type having a pulser and associated with a fuel transfer apparatus and for use with a system for managing fueling transactions of a fleet operator using fuel transfer apparatuses at a single or multiple locations, the fueling data collection unit comprising:

a fueling data interface module for receiving fueling information from the meter register and/or pulser; and

a temperature compensation module for using the density of the fuel at a standard temperature and measured fuel temperature data to compensate for a volume variance of the fuel as a result of temperature variance from the standard temperature data to determine a volume correction factor at the measured fuel temperature, the temperature compensation module using the measured fuel temperature to determine a compensated, more accurate volume and/or mass of fuel dispensed through the fuel meter.

2. The fueling data collection unit of claim 1 wherein a fuel order quantity is converted into a maximum pulse count set point and when that maximum pulse count set point is reached, the fueling data unit transmits a signal to discontinue the flow of fuel.

3. The fueling data collection unit of claim 1 wherein the compensated, more accurate volume and/or mass of fuel dispensed through the fuel meter is used in conjunction with a pre-ordered refueling quantity to prevent the fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than a pre-ordered refueling quantity.

4. The fueling data collection unit of claim 1 wherein the fuel transfer apparatus is used to refuel aircraft and wherein the aircraft is scheduled to receive a specific, pre-determined quantity of fuel by mass and/or volume, and wherein the compensated, more accurate volume and/or mass of fuel dispensed through the fuel meter is used to prevent the fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than the pre-determined volume and/or mass of fuel to the aircraft.

5. The fueling data collection unit of claim 1 wherein unit is battery powered.

6. A fueling data collection unit for use to dispense fuel according to a fueling order and avoid over-filling the fueling order, the fueling data collection unit comprising:

a fueling data interface module for receiving measured fuel temperature data; and

a temperature compensation module for using fuel density information at standard temperature and the measured fuel temperature data to compensate for a fuel volume variance of the dispensed fuel as a result of a fuel temperature variance from the standard temperature fuel density data to determine a volume correction factor based on the measured fuel temperature data and the standard temperature fuel density data, the temperature compensation module using the volume correction factor to determine a temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of the dispensed fuel to avoid over-filling the fueling order.

7. The fueling data collection unit of claim 6 wherein the fueling data collection unit is for use with a fuel meter and a register having a pulser, and wherein the fueling data interface module receives the measured fuel temperature data for the dispensed fuel from the meter, the pulser, or both.

8. The fueling data collection unit of claim 6 wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is defined by fuel volume, fuel mass, or both.

9. The fueling data collection unit of claim 6 wherein the fueling order defines a pre-ordered fuel quantity that is converted into a maximum pulse-count set point, and wherein in response to the maximum pulse-count set point being reached, the fueling data collection unit transmits a signal to discontinue the flow of the dispensed fuel.

10. The fueling data collection unit of claim 6 wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is compared to the pre-ordered refueling quantity to prevent a fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than the pre-ordered refueling quantity.

11. The fueling data collection unit of claim 6 wherein a fuel transfer apparatus is used to refuel an aircraft and wherein the aircraft is scheduled to receive the pre-ordered quantity of fuel by mass, volume, or both, and wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is used to prevent the fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than the pre-ordered quantity of fuel to the aircraft.

12. A fueling data collection unit for use to dispense fuel according to a fueling order and avoid over-filling the fueling order, the fueling data collection unit comprising:

a fueling data interface module for receiving measured fuel temperature data; and

a temperature compensation module for determining a volume correction factor based on fuel density information at standard temperature and the measured fuel temperature data, and using the volume correction factor to compensate for a fuel volume variance of the dispensed fuel as a result of a fuel temperature variance from the standard temperature fuel density data by using the volume correction factor to determine a temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of the dispensed fuel to avoid over-filling the fueling order.

13. The fueling data collection unit of claim 12 wherein the fueling data collection unit is for use with a fuel meter and a register having a pulser, and wherein the fueling data interface module receives the measured fuel temperature data for the dispensed fuel from the meter, the pulser, or both.

14. The fueling data collection unit of claim 12 wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is defined by fuel volume, fuel mass, or both.

15. The fueling data collection unit of claim 12 wherein the fueling order defines a pre-ordered fuel quantity that is converted into a maximum pulse-count set point, and wherein in response to the maximum pulse-count set point being reached, the fueling data collection unit transmits a signal to discontinue the flow of the dispensed fuel.

16. The fueling data collection unit of claim 12 wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is compared to the pre-ordered refueling quantity to prevent a fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than the pre-ordered refueling quantity.

17. The fueling data collection unit of claim 12 wherein a fuel transfer apparatus is used to refuel an aircraft and wherein the aircraft is scheduled to receive the pre-ordered quantity of fuel by mass, volume, or both, and wherein the temperature-compensated more-accurate quantity of dispensed fuel is used to prevent the fuel transfer apparatus from transferring more than the pre-ordered quantity of fuel to the aircraft.