Fluid System and Method

• US 20170183992A1
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Castrol Limited (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Castrol Limited (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Taylor, Oliver Paul, Brett, Peter Stuart, Barnes, Andrew Philipp, Goodier, Steven Paul, Lake, Timothy Hugh, O'Malley, Mark, Williams, David John
• Granted Patent: US 10,619,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/04 Filling or draining lubricant of or from machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/0095 Supplementary oil tank
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor

Abstract

A method is described of supplying liquid to a liquid delivery system in a vehicle. A a replaceable liquid container including a reservoir containing liquid is releasably coupled in the vehicle to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a liquid delivery system of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle. The method includes the steps of : (i) prior to establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and the liquid delivery system of a selected vehicle, communicating with a data carrier carried by the container and determining data associated with at least one of the container and its contents; and(ii) using the data in an analysis of suitability of the container and/or content of the container for the selected vehicle and generating a suitability output, and(iii) establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and liquid delivery system of the selected vehicle in dependence on the suitability output.

Claims

1. A method of supplying liquid to a liquid delivery system in a vehicle in which a replaceable liquid container including a reservoir containing liquid is releasably coupled in the vehicle to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a liquid delivery system of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle, the method including the steps of :

(i) prior to establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and the liquid delivery system of a selected vehicle, communicating with a data carrier carried by the container and determining data associated with at least one of the container and its contents;

(ii) using the data in an analysis of suitability of the container and/or content of the container for the selected vehicle and generating a suitability output; and

(iii) establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and liquid delivery system of the selected vehicle in dependence on the suitability output.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the liquid is an ancillary liquid of the vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1 in which the liquid is selected from the group consisting of:

a lubricant, a hydraulic fluid, a pneumatic fluid, a washer fluid, and a fuel additive.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which the liquid delivery system comprises a fluid circulation system.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the liquid delivery system is a lubricant system.

6. A method according to claim 1 including one or more of:

providing data to or receiving data from the data carrier of the container, providing data to or receiving data from the vehicle, and providing data to or receiving data from an engine control device of the vehicle.

32. A method according to claim 1 further including the step of controlling at least one parameter of the operation of the vehicle or machine in dependence on the data associated with at least one of the container, and its fluid contents.

33. A method according to claim 1, including using the information from the data to determine a mode or parameter of operation of the machine or vehicle.

34. A method according to claim 1, including the step of communicating data between the container and a remote communications device.

35. A method according to claim 1 including the step of sensing at least one property of a liquid or fluid in the reservoir of the container, wherein the data comprises data based on the sensed property of the fluid.

36. A method according to claim 35 in which the property of the fluid includes at least one property selected from the group consisting of:

the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, and the chemical composition of fluid.

37. A method according to claim 1 in which the data carrier comprises a memory for storing data.

38. A method according to claim 37 in which the stored data comprises at least one property of the fluid selected from the group consisting of:

the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the viscosity index of the fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, the chemical composition of fluid, and the origin of the fluid.

39. A method as claimed in claim 37 in which the stored data comprises data based upon at least one sensed property of the fluid as defined in claim 36.

40. A method as claimed in claim 37 in which the container receives data from a remote device and performs an action selected from the list consisting of:

storing the received data in memory; and

providing data to the vehicle, for example an engine control device, in response to the received data.

41. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the analysis of the data is carried out remote from the container.

42. A container for use in a method according to claim 1.

7. A method of supplying fluid to a fluid delivery system of a machine in which a replaceable fluid container including a reservoir containing fluid is releasably coupled in the machine to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid delivery system of the machine during operation of the machine, the method including the steps of :

(i) prior to establishing fluid communication between the reservoir and the fluid delivery system of a selected machine, communicating with a data carrier carried by the container; and

(ii) determining, on the basis of the communication with the data carrier, data associated with at least one of the container and its fluid contents.

8. A method according to claim 7 further including the step of controlling at least one parameter of the operation of the vehicle or machine in dependence on the data associated with at least one of the container, and its fluid contents.

9. A method according to claim 7, including using the information from the data to determine a mode or parameter of operation of the machine or vehicle.

10. A method according to claim 7 including the step of communicating data between the container and a remote communications device.

11. A method according to claim 7 including the step of sensing at least one property of a liquid or fluid in the reservoir of the container, wherein the data comprises data based on the sensed property of the fluid.

12. A method according to claim 11 in which the property of the fluid includes at least one property selected from the group consisting of:

the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, and the chemical composition of fluid.

13. A method according to claim 7 in which the data carrier comprises a memory for storing data.

14. A method according to claim 13 in which the stored data comprises at least one property of the fluid selected from the group consisting of:

the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the viscosity index of the fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, the chemical composition of fluid, and the origin of the fluid.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 in which the stored data comprises data based upon at least one sensed property of the fluid as defined in claim 12.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, in which the container receives data from a remote device and performs an action selected from the list consisting of:

storing the received data in memory; and

providing data to the vehicle, for example an engine control device, in response to the received data.

17. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the analysis of the data is carried out remote from the container.

18. A container for use in a method according to claim 7.

21. A container as claimed in claim 18, in which the property of the fluid is at least one property selected from the group consisting of:

the amount of fluid, the temperature of fluid, the pressure of fluid, the viscosity of fluid, the density of fluid, the electrical resistance of fluid, the dielectric constant of fluid, the opacity of fluid, and the chemical composition of fluid.

22. A container as claimed in claim 18, in which the container comprises a memory for storing data.

19. A replaceable liquid container for supplying liquid to a liquid delivery system in a vehicle in which the replaceable liquid container includes a reservoir for containing liquid, wherein the container is adapted to be releasably coupled in the vehicle to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a liquid delivery system of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle, the container also including a data carrier including data associated with at least one of the container and its content.

20. A container as claimed in claim 19 comprising a sensor adapted to sense at least one property of a fluid in the reservoir of the container.

23. A replaceable fluid container for an engine comprising:

a reservoir for holding a fluid;

a fluid coupling adapted to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid circulation system of an engine during operation of the engine; and

a data carrier arranged for data communication with a communications device prior to the positioning of the container to permit fluidic communication between the reservoir and the fluid circulation system of the engine.

24. A method of supplying fluid to a fluid delivery system in an apparatus in which a replaceable fluid container including a reservoir containing fluid is releasably coupled in the apparatus to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid delivery system of the apparatus during operation of the apparatus, the method including the steps of :

(i) communicating with a data carrier carried by the container; and

(ii) determining, on the basis of the data communication with the data carrier, data associated with at least one of the container, and its liquid contents.

25. A method according to 24, wherein the fluid comprises an ancillary fluid of the apparatus.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the fluid is selected from the group consisting of:

a lubricant, a hydraulic fluid, a pneumatic fluid, a washer fluid, and a fuel additive.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus comprises an engine, or an electrical generation apparatus.

28. A computer implemented method of assessing containers containing fluid in a system for installation of containers into vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving, at a container assessment device, a signal indicating that the fluid container is present;

identifying a vehicle into which the container is to be installed;

in response to the received signal performing the following actions;

obtaining data from a memory at the container, the data including information relating to a characteristic of the container or the fluid in the container;

assessing the suitability of the container for installation into the vehicle; and

,

independent of the assessed suitability, generating an installation instruction for the installation of the container into the vehicle.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 28, comprising sensing at least one property of a fluid in a reservoir of the container, wherein the data is based on the sensed property.

30. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions operable to program a processor to perform the method of claim 28.

31. A replaceable fluid container for an engine comprising:

a reservoir for holding a fluid;

a fluid coupling adapted to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a fluid circulation system of an engine; and

a data provider arranged for data communication with a remote communications device prior to positioning the container to permit fluidic communication between the reservoir and the fluid circulation system of the engine.