FUEL CONSUMPTION INDICATOR

• US 3,673,863 A
• Filed: 02/24/1970
• Issued: 07/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Ctirad Spacek
• Original Assignee: George Ctirad Spacek
• Inventors: Spacek, George Ctirad
• Primary Examiner(s): Myracle, Jerry W.
• Application Number:
  US05/888,561
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 73/114,401,209,210 250/218,237
• US Class Current: 73/114.53
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/24 with magnetic or electric coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/28 by drag-force, e.g. vane type or impact flowmeter
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/372 with electrical or electro-mechanical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means

Abstract

This invention relates to methods and means of measuring fuel consumption of vehicles propelled by combustion engines, and of stationery combustion engines. This invention relates also to methods and means of generating electrical signal in proportion to the speed of the vehicle, particularly sailboats and sailplanes, whether propelled by an engine or not. In the case of stationery combustion engines, the invention relates to methods and means of generating electrical signal in proportion to the flow of the fuel, and utilizing these electrical signals to give the operator instantaneously information about fuel consumption, preferably in gallons per hour, of the engine. In the case of vehicles propelled by combustion engines, the invention relates to methods and means of generating electrical signals in proportion to the speed of the vehicle, and of utilizing these electrical signals to give the operator of the vehicle information about fuel consumption per unit time, preferably in gallons per hour, to give the operator information about fuel consumption per distance travelled, preferably in miles per gallon, and to give the operator information about speed of the vehicle, preferably in miles per hour.

Claims

1. An indicating instrument for automatically indicating the distance travelled by a self-propelled vehicle per unit of fuel consumed thereby, comprising in combination, means for generating a variable electrical energy in proportion to the speed of the self-propelled vehicle, an electro-optical flow transducer for modifying the magnitude of the generated electrical energy in essentially linear proportion to the flow of fuel to the engine, and means for indicating the resultant modified value of electrical energy in units of distance travelled per unit of fuel consumed, said electro-optical flow transducer comprising in combination, an opaque exterior body, a tapered flow tube within the opaque body and essentially vertically oriented, a source of light, an electrical element the resistance of which is responsive to light level, said tapered flow tube being located between said electrical element and said light source and transparent to the light emerging from the light source, the longitudinal axis of the said tapered flow tube being oriented crosswise with respect to an imaginary line connecting the source of light and the said electrical element, an opaque float of higher density than the fuel density and located within the tapered flow tube and freely movable within it, said tapered flow tube being so positioned with respect to the said electrical element that at maximum rated flow the said float intercepts light emerging from the light source thus essentially preventing the light from illuminating the said electrical element, an optical mask inserted between the said source of light and between the said electrical element, said optical mask being shaped to provide an essentially linear relationship between the flow through the said tapered flow tube and the resistance of the said electrical element.

2. An indicating instrument for automatically indicating the distance travelled by a self-propelled vehicle per unit of fuel consumed thereby, comprising in combination, means for generating a variable electrical energy in proportion to the speed of the self-propelled vehicle, an electro-optical flow transducer for modifying the magnitude of the generated electrical energy in essentially linear proportion to the flow of fuel to the engine, and means for indicating the resultant modified value of electrical energy in units of distance travelled per unit of fuel consumed, said electro-optical flow transducer comprising in combination an opaque exterior body, a tapered flow tube within the opaque body and essentially vertically oriented, a source of light, an electrical element, the resistance of which is responsive to light level, said tapered flow tube being located between said electrical element and said light source and transparent to the light emerging from the light source, the longitudinal axis of the said tapered flow tube being oriented crosswise with respect to an imaginary line connecting the source of light and the electrical element, an opaque float of higher density than the fuel density and located within the tapered flow tube and freely movable within it, said tapered flow tube being so positioned with respect to the said electrical element that at minimum rated flow the said float intercepts light emerging from the light source thus essentially preventing the light from illuminating the said electrical element, an optical mask inserted betweEn the said source of light and between the said electrical element, said optical mask being shaped to provide an essentially linear relationship between the flow through the said tapered flow tube and the conductance of the said electrical element.

3. An instrument for automatic speed indication of a vehicle, comprising in combination, an electro-optical flow transducer for measuring the flow of surrounding water or air relative to the vehicle, a source of electrical energy of substantially constant voltage, said electro-optical flow transducer modifying the current generated by the source of electric energy in proportion to the flow of surrounding water or air relative to the vehicle, said electro-optical flow transducer comprising in combination, an opaque exterior body, a tapered flow tube within the opaque body and essentially vertically oriented, a source of light, an electrical element, the resistance of which is responsive to light level, said tapered flow tube being located between said electrical element and said light source and transparent to the light emerging from the light source, the longitudinal axis of the said tapered flow tube being oriented crosswise with respect to an imaginary line connecting the source of light and the electrical element, an opaque float of higher density than the fuel density and located within the tapered flow tube and freely movable within it, said tapered flow tube being so positioned with respect to the said electrical element that at minimum rated speed the said float intercepts light emerging from the light source thus essentially preventing the light from illuminating the said electrical element, an optical mask inserted between the said source of light and between the said electrical element, said optical mask being shaped to provide an essentially linear relationship between the speed of the vehicle and the conductance of the said electrical element, and means responsive to the value of the modified current for indication of the speed of the vehicle.

4. A flow transducer for measuring the flow of liquids and gases, comprising in combination, a source of electric energy, means for modifying the value of the electric energy in proportion to the flow, means for indicating the value of the modified electric energy, said means for modifying the value of the electric energy in proportion to the flow comprising in combination, a flow tube, an opaque body, means for changing the position of the said opaque body in proportion to the flow, a source of light, an electrical element the conductance of which is responsive to light level and an optical mask, said opaque body being located between the said source of light and the said electrical element such that position changes of the opaque body, caused by the flow, intercept light emerging from the said light source, said optical mask being inserted between the said source of light and between the said electrical element and shaped to provide an essentially linear relationship between the flow through the said flow tube and the conductance of the said electrical element.

5. A flow transducer for measuring the flow of fluids, comprising in combination, a source of substantially constant electrical energy, means for modifying the value of the electric energy in proportion to the flow, means for indicating the value of the modified electric energy, said means for modifying the value of the electric energy in proportion to the flow, comprising in combination, an opaque exterior body, a tapered flow tube within the opaque body and essentially vertically oriented, an opaque float of higher density than the fluid density and located within the tapered flow tube and freely movable within it, a light source, an optical mask, an electrical element the conductance of which is responsive to light level, said tapered flow tube being located between said electrical element and said light source and transparent to the light emerging from the light source, the longitudinal axis of the said tapered flow tube being oriented crosswise with respect to an imaginary line connecting the source of light and the electrical element, said tapered flow tube being so positioned with respect to the said electrical element that the float, propelled by differential pressure generated by the flow, intercepts light emerging from the said light source, the said optical mask being inserted between the light source and the electrical element and shaped to provide an essentially linear relationship between the flow and the conductance of the electrical element.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein elastic means are employed in place of gravity to counteract forces generated by the flow on the float, thus eliminating the necessity to orient the flow tube vertically.