System for measuring quantity of liquid fuel and method for measuring quantity of liquid fuel

• US 20050217368A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Sarl (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sakai, Makoto, Akahane, Eiji, Takami, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/302
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/003 Controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus control of electrical fuel pumps F02D41/3082, controlling fuel flow to a common rail F02D41/3845; Failure or leakage prevention; Diagnosis or detection of failure; Arrangement of sensors in the fuel system; Electric wiring; Electrostatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/007 characterised by its use in vehicles, in stationary plants or in small engines, e.g. hand held tools
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0088 Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned
• 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 23/32 using rotatable arms or other pivotable transmission elements

Abstract

A measurement system and a measurement method that are capable of accurately measuring liquid fuel stored in a container. When the air pressure within a first container (3) is less than a predetermined pressure, air is supplied into the first container (3) through a first pipeline (13) by a pressure application means (6). Also, both the volume of the supplied air and a quantity of change in the air pressure within the first container (3) due to the air supply are detected or calculated, and the volume of the liquid fuel within the first container (3) is calculated from both the volume of the supplied air and the quantity of change in the air pressure. When the liquid fuel within a second container (4) is less than a predetermined quantity, a predetermined quantity of liquid fuel is fed from the first container (3) into said second container (4) through the second pipeline (12) by a feed means (8), and the volume of the liquid fuel within the first container (3) is calculated based on the number of times that the liquid fuel was fed. Therefore, a liquid fuel quantity supplied from the first container (3) into the second container (4) can be accurately grasped regardless of shape and tilt of the first container (3).

Claims

1. A liquid fuel quantity measurement system comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

pressure application means (6) for raising air pressure within said first container (3) by supplying air into said first container (3);

air-pressure measurement means (5) for measuring the air pressure within said first container (3);

a first pipeline (13) through which said first container (3) and said pressure application means (6) communicate with each other;

a second container (4) connected with said first container (3);

a second pipeline (12) through which said first container (3) and said second container (4) communicate with each other;

feed means (14, 8) for feeding the liquid fuel within said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12);

detection means (9) for detecting a reduction in the liquid fuel within said second container (4);

control means (11) for controlling said feed means (14, 8) and said pressure application means (6) by selecting either a pressure mode or a supply mode, based on information from both said air-pressure measurement means (5) and said detection means (9);

air-volume measurement means for measuring the volume of air supplied into said first container (3) through said first pipeline (13) by said pressure application means (6); and

arithmetic means (7) for calculating, during said pressure mode, the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) from both the volume of air measured by said air-volume measurement means and a quantity of change in air pressure calculated from the air pressure within said first container (3) measured by said air-pressure measurement means (5), and for calculating, during said supply mode, the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) from the number of times that the liquid fuel was fed from said first container (3) into said second container (4).

4. The liquid fuel quantity measurement system as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein said air-volume measurement means comprises raised-pressure measurement means (5) for measuring the raised pressure, and storage means for storing a corresponding relationship between the raised air pressure and the volume of air supplied into said first container (3).

5. The liquid fuel quantity measurement system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said air-volume measuring means (5) is also used as said raised-pressure measurement means (5).

6. The liquid fuel quantity measurement system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a first pipeline valve (15) for regulating flow within said first pipeline (13); and

a second pipeline valve (14) for regulating flow within said second pipeline (12);

wherein a portion of said first pipeline (13) extending from said first pipeline valve (15) toward said first container (3) and a portion of said second pipeline (12) extending from said second pipeline valve (14) toward said first container (3) are merged into one.

7. The liquid fuel quantity measurement system as set forth in claim 6, provided in a construction machine (1) equipped with a traveling substructure (30) and a revolving superstructure (20) revolvably mounted on said traveling substructure (30) through a swivel joint (10),

wherein said first container (3) is provided as a main fuel tank in said traveling substructure (30), and said second container (4) is provided as an auxiliary fuel tank in said revolving superstructure (20).

2. A liquid fuel quantity measurement system comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

pressure application means (6) for raising air pressure within said first container (3) by supplying air into said first container (3);

air-pressure measurement means (5) for measuring the air pressure within said first container (3);

a first pipeline (13) through which said first container (3) and said pressure application means (6) communicate with each other;

air-volume measurement means for measuring the volume of air supplied into said first container (3) through said first pipeline (13) by said pressure application means (6); and

arithmetic means (7) for calculating the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) from both the volume of air measured by said air-volume measurement means and a quantity of change in air pressure calculated from the air pressure within said first container (3) measured by said air-pressure measurement means (5).

3. A liquid fuel quantity measurement system comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

a second container (4) connected with said first container (3);

a second pipeline (12) through which said first container (3) and said second container (4) communicate with each other;

feed means (14, 8) for feeding the liquid fuel within said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12);

detection means (9) for detecting the remaining quantity of the liquid fuel within said second container (4);

control means (11) for controlling said feed means (14, 8), based on information from said detection means (9); and

arithmetic means (7) for calculating the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) from the number of times that the liquid fuel was fed from said first container (3) into said second container (4).

8. A liquid fuel quantity measurement method comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

pressure application means (6) for raising air pressure within said first container (3) by supplying air into said first container (3);

a first pipeline (13) through which said first container (3) and said pressure application means (6) communicate with each other;

a second container (4) connected with said first container (3);

a second pipeline (12) through which said first container (3) and said second container (4) communicate with each other; and

feed means (14, 8) for feeding the liquid fuel within said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12);

wherein, when the air pressure within said first container (3) is less than a predetermined pressure, air is supplied into said first container (3) through said first pipeline (13) by said pressure application means (6), both the volume of the supplied air and a quantity of change in the air pressure within said first container (3) due to the air supply are detected or calculated, and the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) is calculated from both the volume of the supplied air and the quantity of change in the air pressure;

and wherein, when the liquid fuel within said second container (4) is less than a predetermined quantity, a predetermined quantity of liquid fuel is fed from said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12) by said feed means (14, 8), and the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) is calculated based on the number of times that the liquid fuel was fed.

9. A liquid fuel quantity measurement method comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

pressure application means (6) for raising air pressure within said first container (3) by supplying air into said first container (3); and

a first pipeline (13) through which said first container (3) and said pressure application means (6) communicate with each other;

wherein air is supplied into said first container (3) through said first pipeline (13) by said pressure application means (6), both the volume of the supplied air and a quantity of change in the air pressure within said first container (3) due to the air supply are detected or calculated, and the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) is calculated from both the volume of the supplied air and the quantity of change in the air pressure.

10. A liquid fuel quantity measurement method comprising:

a first container (3) for interiorly storing liquid fuel;

a second container (4) connected with said first container (3);

a second pipeline (12) through which said first container (3) and said second container (4) communicate with each other; and

feed means (14, 8) for feeding the liquid fuel within said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12);

wherein a predetermined quantity of liquid fuel is fed from said first container (3) into said second container (4) through said second pipeline (12) by said feed means (14, 8), and the volume of the liquid fuel within said first container (3) is calculated based on the number of times that the liquid fuel was fed.