Method for simulating the gauging of a liquid tank

• US 20100070061A1
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inergy Automotive Systems Research (Societe Anonyme) (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Inergy Automotive Systems Research (Societe Anonyme) (Solvac SA)
• Inventors: FRANCINI, Francois, REUTHER, Paul Daniel, ROHAUT, Antoine, VOLTO, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/32 using rotatable arms or other pivotable transmission elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level

Abstract

Method for simulating the gauging of a hollow body intended to contain a liquid and that comprises the following steps:

• • for several different partial filling volumes of said hollow body, calculating the centre of mass of the corresponding free liquid surface; and
  • generating a gauging curve that passes substantially through each of said centres of mass.

Claims

1. - A method for generating a gauging curve for a hollow body intended to contain a liquid, i.e. a set of measurement points for the liquid level inside the hollow body, said curve approaching the optimum gauging curve, said method comprising the following steps:

for several different partial filling volumes of said hollow body, calculating the average centre of mass of the corresponding free liquid surface for various inclinations of the tank, in terms of both amplitude and direction; and

generating a gauging curve that passes substantially through each of said average centres of mass.

2. - The method according to claim 1, in which the hollow body is a fuel tank comprising a fuel extraction pump comprising an extraction point and in which the gauging curve includes a starting point close to or coincident with this extraction point.

3. - The method according to claim 2, comprising a step of smoothing the

gauging curve over an initial section comprising the starting point and the point of the centres of mass that is closest thereto.

4. - The method according to claim 2, in which the hollow body comprises a gauge that is in the form of a float arm pivotably attached to a pump/gauge module about an axis that passes through said module, said method comprising a step of approximating the real gauging curve by at least one arc centred on this axis.

5. - The method according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

selecting a gauge with given location, shape and orientation;

calculating a calibration curve for the couple gauge/hollow body;

simulating a deformation of the hollow body on a virtual model thereof for at least one ageing period;

calculating the gauging error associated with this ageing period; and

verifying that said calculated gauging error does not exceed a predetermined maximum gauging error.

6. - A method of manufacturing a liquid tank comprising a gauge, in particular a liquid fuel tank for a vehicle, based on a virtual model of the tank, wherein parameters for the location, shape and orientation of the gauge are determined by a simulation method according to claim 1.

7. - The method according to claim 6, using a software for which the input data include the tank geometry and the gauge geometry and location.

8. - A software for use in the method according to claim 7.

9. - An electronic medium incorporating the software according to claim 8.

10. - A data processing device incorporating the software according to claim 8.