Apparatus and method for integrating a fuel supply and a fuel level sensing pressure sensor

• US 20040215407A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Rhonda L., Thielman, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/55
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/02 involving measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/14 by measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically

Abstract

A fuel supply includes a fuel container having an interior chamber for containing fuel, and a pressure sensing unit disposed within the interior chamber of the fuel container. The pressure sensing unit is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in the fuel container.

Claims

1. A fuel supply comprising:

a fuel container having an interior chamber for containing fuel; and

a pressure sensing unit disposed within said interior chamber;

wherein said pressure sensing unit is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container.

2. The fuel supply of claim 1, wherein said fuel container further comprises a system coupling device coupled to said fuel container, wherein said pressure sensing unit is disposed on said system coupling device.

3. The fuel supply of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensing unit further comprises:

a rigid substrate;

a pressure transducer coupled to said rigid substrate;

a flexible circuit communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

a communications path communicatively coupled to said flexible circuit, wherein said communications path is configured to transmit said output signal to a computing device.

4. The fuel supply of claim 1, wherein said rigid substrate comprises a ceramic substrate.

5. The fuel supply of claim 3, wherein said communications path further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel container.

6. The fuel supply of claim 3, wherein said communications path further comprises a radio frequency transmitter.

7. The fuel supply of claim 6, wherein said radio frequency transmitter is substantially disposed within said interior chamber of said fuel container.

8. The fuel supply of claim 3, further comprising:

a fuel bag to contain said fuel disposed within said fuel container, wherein said fuel bag is fluidly coupled to a system coupling device;

a pressurized propellant to provide pressure to said fuel filling an area between said fuel bag and said fuel container; and

a pressure access lumen situated in said system coupling device, wherein said pressure access lumen provides pressure from said fuel to said pressure transducer.

9. The fuel supply of claim 8, wherein said pressure transducer comprises a differential pressure transducer configured to sense a differential pressure between a pressure of said fuel and a pressure of said pressurized propellant.

10. The fuel supply of claim 3, wherein said fuel further comprises self-pressurized hydrocarbon fuel enclosed in said fuel container.

11. The fuel supply of claim 10, wherein said pressures transducer comprises an absolute pressure transducer configured to sense an absolute pressure of said self-pressurized fuel.

12. The fuel supply of claim 3, wherein said fuel further comprises:

a low vapor pressure fuel disposed within said interior chamber of said fuel container; and

an inert propellant also disposed within said interior chamber of said fuel container to pressurize said low vapor pressure fuel.

13. The fuel supply of claim 12, wherein said pressures transducer comprises an absolute pressure transducer configured to sense an absolute pressure of said low vapor pressure fuel.

14. The fuel supply of claim 1, further comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to said pressure sensing unit, wherein said computing device converts said output signal of said pressure sensing unit into a user readable representation of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container based on said output signal.

15. A fuel gauge comprising:

a pressure sensor disposed within a fuel container, wherein said pressure sensor is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to said pressure sensor, wherein said computing device is configured to convert said output signal of said pressure sensor into a user readable representation of the amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container.

16. The fuel gauge of claim 15, wherein said pressure sensor further comprises:

a rigid substrate;

a pressure transducer coupled to said rigid substrate;

a flexible circuit communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

a communications path communicatively coupled to said flexible circuit, wherein said communications path is configured to transmit said output signal to said computing device.

17. The fuel gauge of claim 16, wherein said communications path further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel container.

18. The fuel gauge of claim 16, wherein said communications path further comprises a radio frequency transmitter.

19. The fuel gauge of claim 18, wherein said radio frequency transmitter is completely disposed within an interior chamber of said fuel container.

20. The fuel gauge of claim 18, wherein said computing device further comprises a radio frequency receiver to receive said output signal from said radio frequency transmitter.

21. A pressure sensor capable of continually sensing the pressure in a fuel container comprising:

a ceramic substrate;

a pressure transducer coupled to said ceramic substrate;

a flexible circuit communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

a communications path communicatively coupled to said flexible circuit, wherein said communications path is configured to transmit an output signal to a computing device.

22. The pressure sensor of claim 21, wherein said communications path further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel container.

23. The pressure sensor of claim 21, wherein said communications path further comprises a radio frequency transmitter completely disposed within an interior chamber of said fuel container.

24. The pressure sensor of claim 21, wherein said pressure transducer further comprises a differential pressure transducer configured to sense a differential pressure between a pressure of a fuel and a pressure of a pressurized propellant.

25. The pressure sensor of claim 21, wherein said pressure transducer further comprises an absolute pressure transducer configured to sense an absolute pressure of a fuel contained in said fuel container.

26. A fuel cell system comprising:

a fuel cell;

a fuel source;

a fuel flow path fluidly coupling said fuel cell and said fuel source; and

a fuel level sensing device disposed within said fuel source wherein said fuel level sensing device includes a pressure sensing unit that is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of a fuel remaining in said fuel source.

27. The fuel cell system of claim 26, wherein said fuel level sensing device further comprises:

a rigid substrate;

a pressure transducer coupled to said rigid substrate;

a flexible circuit communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

a communications path communicatively coupled to said flexible circuit, wherein said communications path transmits said output signal to a computing device.

28. The fuel cell system of claim 27, wherein said communications path further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel source.

29. The fuel cell system of claim 27, wherein said communications path further comprises a radio frequency transmitter completely disposed within said fuel source.

30. The fuel cell system of claim 27, wherein said fuel source further comprises:

a fuel bag to contain a fuel disposed within said fuel source, wherein said fuel bag is fluidly coupled to said fuel flow path;

a pressurized propellant to provide pressure to said fuel, wherein said pressurized propellant occupies an area between said fuel bag and an interior wall of said fuel source; and

a pressure access lumen situated in said fuel flow path, wherein said pressure access lumen provides pressure from said fuel to said pressure transducer.

31. The fuel cell system of claim 30, wherein said pressure transducer comprises a differential pressure transducer configured to sense a differential pressure between a pressure of said fuel and a pressure of said pressurized propellant.

32. The fuel cell system of claim 27, wherein said fuel further comprises a self-pressurized hydrocarbon fuel contained in said fuel source.

33. The fuel cell system of claim 32, wherein said pressures transducer comprises an absolute pressure transducer configured to continually sense an absolute pressure of said self-pressurized fuel.

34. The fuel cell system of claim 27, wherein said fuel further comprises:

a low vapor pressure fuel disposed within said fuel source; and

an inert propellant also disposed within fuel source to pressurize said low vapor pressure fuel.

35. The fuel cell system of claim 34, wherein said pressures transducer comprises an absolute pressure transducer configured to sense an absolute pressure of said low vapor pressure fuel.

36. The fuel cell system of claim 26, further comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to said pressure sensing unit, wherein said computing device converts said output signal of said pressure sensing unit into a user readable representation of said amount of fuel remaining in said fuel source.

37. A fuel supply comprising:

fuel containing means defining an interior chamber configured for containing fuel; and

pressure sensing means disposed within said interior chamber of said fuel containing means;

wherein said pressure sensing means is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel containing means.

38. The fuels supply of claim 37, wherein said fuel containing means further comprises a system coupling means four coupling said fuel containing means to a fuel-consuming system, wherein said pressure sensing means are disposed on said system coupling means.

39. The fuel supply of claim 37, wherein said pressure sensing means further comprise:

a stiffening means;

a pressure transducer coupled to said stiffening means;

signal transmission means communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

communications means communicatively coupled to said signal transmission means, wherein said communications means is configured to transmit said output signal to a computing device.

40. The fuel supply of claim 39, wherein said communications means further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel containing means.

41. The fuel supply of claim 39, wherein said communications means further comprises a radio frequency transmitter completely disposed within said interior chamber of said fuel containing means.

42. The fuel supply of claim 39, further comprising:

a fuel bag to contain said fuel disposed within said fuel containing means, wherein said fuel bag is fluidly coupled to said system coupling means;

a pressurized propellant to provide pressure to said fuel, said propellant filling an area between said fuel bag and an interior wall of said fuel containing means; and

a pressure access lumen situated in said system coupling means, wherein said pressure access lumen provides pressure from said fuel to said pressure transducer.

43. An electronic device comprising:

a fuel cell providing power to an electrical load;

a fuel source;

a fuel flow path fluidly coupling said fuel cell and said fuel source; and

a fuel level sensing device coupled to said fuel source wherein said fuel level sensing device is configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel source.

44. The electronic device of claim 43, wherein said fuel level sensing device comprises:

a ceramic substrate;

a pressure transducer coupled to said ceramic substrate;

a flexible circuit communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

a communications path communicatively coupled to said flexible circuit, wherein said communications path is configured to transmit said output signal to a display device.

45. The electronic device of claim 44, wherein said communications path further comprises:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said fuel source.

46. The electronic device of claim 44, wherein said communications path further comprises a radio frequency transmitter completely disposed within said fuel source.

47. A method for making a fuel cartridge comprising:

forming a fuel container;

coupling a pressure transducer to a ceramic substrate;

coupling a flexible circuit on said substrate and communicatively coupling said pressure transducer to said flexible circuit;

coupling said ceramic substrate to a fuel system coupler; and

coupling said fuel system coupler and said fuel container such that said pressure transducer is disposed within said fuel container.

48. The method for making a fuel cartridge of claim 47, wherein said flexible circuit further comprises a radio frequency antenna configured to transmit an output signal from said pressure transducer indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container.

49. A method of sensing the fuel level in a pressurized fuel container comprising:

measuring the pressure directly inside a fuel container; and

comparing said internal pressure to a known pressure/volume characteristic to determine a volume of fuel contained in said fuel container.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein measuring the pressure directly inside a fuel container further comprises:

disposing a pressure sensing device within said fuel container, wherein said pressure sensing device is configured to transmit an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said fuel container; and

transmitting said output signal from said pressure sensing device to a computing device.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein transmitting said output signal from said pressure sensing device comprises transmitting said output signal using a radio frequency antenna that forms an integral part of said pressure sensing device.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein transmitting said output signal from said pressure sensing device comprises transmitting said output signal along conductive leads to conductive pads disposed outside of said fuel container.

53. A fuel cell system comprising:

generating means for generating electricity from an electrochemical reaction;

storage means for storing pressurized fuel for said fuel cell system;

sensing means fluidly coupled to said storage means for sensing a quantity of said pressurized fuel; and

coupling means for coupling said sensing means to said generating means;

wherein said sensing means are configured to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of fuel remaining in said storage means.

54. The fuel cell of claim 53, wherein said sensing means further comprises:

a stiffening means;

a pressure transducer coupled to said stiffening means;

signal transmission means communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

communication means communicatively coupled to said signal transmission means, wherein said communications means is configured to transmit said output signal to a computing device.

55. The fuel cell of claim 54, wherein said communication means further comprise:

conductive leads communicatively coupled to said pressure transducer; and

conductive contacts communicatively coupled to said conductive leads, wherein said conductive contacts are located outside of said storage means.

56. The fuel cell of claim 54, wherein said communications means further comprises a radio frequency transmitter completely disposed within said storage means.