BIO-FUELS VEHICLE FUELING SYSTEM

• US 20110000579A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chevron USA Incorporated (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chevron USA Incorporated (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Munson, Curtis Lee, Allinson, Paul Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/9
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0498 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring biofuels, e.g. ethanol-gasoline mixture
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/74 Devices for mixing two or more different liquids to be transferred coin-freed apparatus G07F13/06
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/743 electrically or electro-mechanically operated

Abstract

A system for custom fueling a motor vehicle including: a fuel dispenser configured and adapted to blend fuels from two or more tanks while dispensing; a processor in communication with the fuel dispenser and configured and adapted to receive a set of fuel blend information for a motor vehicle, wherein the set of fuel blend information includes in-warranty bio-diesel blend ranges and customer fuel blend preferences; a fuel blend selection module operably connected to the processor for receiving the set of fuel blend information, processing the set of fuel blend information, and returning fuel blend instructions which are then provided to the fuel dispenser for dispensing fuel per the fuel blend instructions.

Claims

1. A system for custom fueling, a motor vehicle comprising:

a. a fuel dispenser configured and adapted to blend fuels from two or more tanks while dispensing;

b. a processor in communication with the fuel dispenser and configured and adapted to receive a set of fuel blend information for a motor vehicle, wherein the set of fuel blend information is sufficient to determine in-warranty bio-diesel blend ranges and customer fuel blend preferences;

c. a fuel blend selection module operably connected to the processor for receiving the set of fuel blend information, processing the set of fuel blend information, and returning fuel blend instructions which are then provided to the fuel dispenser for dispensing fuel per the fuel blend instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic calendar in communication with the processor, wherein the current date is added to the set of fuel blend information for use by the fuel blend selection module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of fuel blend information further comprises whether the vehicle engine is a full-time or part-time HCCI engine for use by the fuel blend selection module.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an ambient temperature-reading device in communication with the processor and wherein the ambient temperature is added to the set of fuel blend information.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor for receiving the set of fuel blend information from the motor vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a USB port in communication with the processor for receiving the set of fuel blend information for the motor vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data structure operably connected to the processor and configured and adapted for receiving customer identifying information provided by the customer and returning customer preferences to be added to the set of fuel blend information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fuel blend selection module comprises at least one lookup table having fuel blend instructions associated with each unique set of fuel blend information, wherein upon receipt of the fuel blend information, the processor accesses the at least one lookup table for the associated fuel blend instructions which are then provided to the fuel dispenser for dispensing fuel per the fuel blend instructions.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the fuel blend selection module for measuring the quality and composition of the available fuels for use by the fuel blend selection module.

10. The system of claim 9, where the at least one sensor comprises near infra-red sensors for estimating octane numbers for gasoline, for estimating cetane number for diesel, and for determining the nature of bio-diesel by quantifying the oxygen content.

11. The system of claim 9, where the at least one sensor comprises in-line vibratory cells for measuring density.

12. The system of claim 9, where the at least one sensor comprises micro-electro-mechanical systems-based micro-sensors for measuring density and specific molecule concentration.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel dispenser is configured and adapted to blend fuels and additives from two or more tanks while dispensing.

14. A method for custom fueling a motor vehicle comprising:

a. inputting a set of fuel blend information for a motor vehicle to a processor;

wherein the processor is in communication with a fuel dispenser configured and adapted to blend fuels from two or more tanks while dispensing, wherein the set of fuel blend information is sufficient to determine in-warranty bio-diesel blend ranges, and wherein the processor is communication with a fuel blend selection module operably connected to the processor and configured and adapted for receiving the set of fuel blend information, processing the set of fuel blend information, and returning fuel blend instructions which are then provided to the fuel dispenser for dispensing fuel per the fuel blend instructions;

b. passing the set of fuel blend information to the fuel blend selection module, whereby fuel blend instructions are returned; and

c. passing the fuel blend instructions to the fuel dispenser for dispensing of fuel according to the fuel blend instructions.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising wherein the set of fuel blend information is sufficient to determine customer fuel blend preferences.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising adding the current date to the fuel blend instructions for use by the fuel blend selection module.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising adding whether the vehicle engine is a full-time or part-time HCCI engine to the set of fuel blend information for use by the fuel blend selection module.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising adding the ambient temperature to the set of fuel blend information for use by the fuel blend selection module.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the inputting step is via a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the inputting step is via a USB port in communication with the processor.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising inputting customer identifying information provided by the customer to a data structure operably connected to the processor and configured and adapted for receiving customer identifying information provided by the customer and returning customer preferences to be added to the set of fuel blend information.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the set of fuel blend information to at least one lookup table operably connected to the fuel blend selection module and having fuel blend instructions associated with each unique set of fuel blend information.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing to the fuel blend selection module data from at least one sensor configured and adapted for measuring the quality and composition of the available fuels.

24. The method of claim 22, where the at least one sensor comprises near infra-red sensors for estimating octane numbers for gasoline, for estimating cetane number for diesel, and for determining the nature of bio-diesel by quantifying the oxygen content.

25. The method of claim 22, where the at least one sensor comprises in-line vibratory cells for measuring density.

26. The method of claim 22, where the at least one sensor comprises micro-electro-mechanical systems-based micro-sensors for measuring density and specific molecule concentration.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein the fuel dispenser is configured and adapted to blend fuels and additives from two or more tanks while dispensing and the fuel blend instructions includes at least one additive.