AUTOMATED TEST OF FUEL COMBUSTION QUALITY

• US 3,575,039 A
• Filed: 07/31/1969
• Issued: 04/13/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William E. Beal
• Original Assignee: William E. Beal
• Inventors: Beal, William E.
• Application Number:
  US04/848,409
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• US Class Current: 73/35.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2817 using a test engine testing of engines G01M15/00

Abstract

A system for determining a combustion quality of a fuel, e.g., octane or cetane value, wherein the detonation intensity or time lag of a test fuel powering a standard test engine is compared to a reference value to generate an error signal. The compression ratio of the engine is adjusted in response to a function of the error signal to maintain a predetermined condition of detonation intensity or time lag, and the amount of adjustment of the compression ratio provides a representation of the combustion quality of the fuel. The system may also include means for controlling a process of blending the test fuel to a predetermined specification in response to a signal which is a function of the amount of adjustment of the compression ratio.

Claims

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including regulating means responsive to absence of combustion of the motor fuel during an engine cycle for causing said error signal generating means to indicate zero deviation of said detonation intensity signal from said reference signal.

3. Apparatus as cited in claim 1, further including means for generating a timing signal during an engine cycle, means responsive to the timing signal for initiating the generating of a first signal, means responsive to said detonation intensity signal for discontinuing the generating of the first signal, and means responsive to the generating of the first signal for at least a predetermined length of time for causing said error signal to indicate zero deviation of said detonation intensity signal from said reference signal so that no adjustment of said compression ratio adjusting means takes place.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including means for sequentially applying a reference and a test fuel to said combustible mixture providing means.

5. A method of determining the combustion quality of a motor fuel comprising the steps of:

supplying a motor fuel in a combustible mixture to an engine having a repetitive operating cycle and an adjustable compression ratio means, generating a signal representative of detonation intensity in said engine, generating an error signal representative of a predetermined detonation intensity, generating an error signal representative of a function of the deviation of said detonation intensity signal from said reference signal, continuously controlling the adjustable compression ratio means in response to a function of said detonation intensity error signal to provide a predetermined detonation intensity throughout operation of said engine by the motor fuel, and detecting the adjustment of the adjustable compression ratio means to provide a representation of the combustion quality of the motor fuel.

6. Method or claim 5 further including the step of adjusting the proportion of fuel in the combustible mixture concurrently with the adjustment of the adjustable compression ratio means through a proportion of fuel in the combustible mixture which produces maximum intensity detonation of the combustible mixture in the engine.

7. In a single-cylinder test engine for conducting a test of the combustion quality of a sample motor fuel by comparison with a reference motor fuel of known combustion quality, the engine performing no useful work, operating under detonation conditions throughout a significant portion of the duration of a test, and having a repetitive operating cycle and engine compression ratio adjusting means for controlling the combustion process of the fuel in the engine, the combination of reversible motive means for actuating said compression ratio means to vary compression ratio, means for generating a signal representative of detonation in said engine, null-seeking means continuously responsive to a function of said signal for controlling said motive means to effect adjustment of the compression ratio adjusting means to maintain substantially a predetermined condition of detonation intensity for both said sample motor fuel and said reference motor fuel, throughout operation of said engine by said sample motor fuel and said reference motor fuel, whereby the position of said compression ratio adjusting means for said sample motor fuel is a function of the detonation propensity of said motor fuel, and means responsive to adjustment of the compression ratio adjusting means to provide a signal which is a function of said adjustment.

8. In a single-cylinder test engine for conducting a test of the combustion quality of a sample motor fuel by comparison with a reference fuel of known combustion quality, the engine performing no useful work, operating under detonation conditions throughout a significant portion of the duration of the test, and having a repetitive operating cycle and engine compression ratio adjusting means for controlling the combustion process of the fuel in the engine, the combination of reversible motive means for actuating said compression ratio means to vary compression ratio, means for generating a detonation signal representative of detonation in said engine, reference signal generating means for generating a reference signal representative of standard detonation intensity, means for comparing said reference signal to said detonation signal to produce an error signal representative of the difference between corresponding characteristics of said reference signal and said detonation signal, and null-seeking means continuously responsive to said error signal for controlling said motive means to effect adjustment of the compression ratio adjusting means to maintain substantially a predetermined condition of detonation intensity for both said sample motor fuel and said reference motor fuel, throughout operation of said engine by said sample motor fuel and said reference motor fuel, whereby the position of said engine compression ratio adjusting means for said sample motor fuel is a function of the detonation propensity of said motor fuel, and means responsive to adjustment of the compression ratio adjusting means to provide a signal which is a function of said adjustment.