Fuel flow consumption monitoring system
First Claim
1. A monitoring device for monitoring fuel consumption of an engine having a fuel supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the fuel supply tank and the engine comprising:
- means disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate;
means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank;
an electronic processor responsive to said digital pulse stream and said signal representing an initial amount of fuel for generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine;
first display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; and
second display means for continuously displaying the amount of engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A monitoring system (10) for measuring fuel consumption of an engine having a supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the supply tank and the engine is provided. Structure (12, 14) is disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate. Circuitry (56, 58) is provided for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank. An electronic processor (18) is responsive to the digital pulse stream and the signal representing the initial amount of fuel for generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine. A display (50) is interconnected to the electronic processor (18) for displaying the electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine, fuel status and other measured parameters.
34 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A monitoring device for monitoring fuel consumption of an engine having a fuel supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the fuel supply tank and the engine comprising:
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means disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate; means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; an electronic processor responsive to said digital pulse stream and said signal representing an initial amount of fuel for generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; first display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; and second display means for continuously displaying the amount of engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A monitoring device for measuring fuel consumption of an engine having a fuel supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the supply tank and the engine comprising:
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flow transducer means disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate to the engine; switch means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; an electronic processor responsive to said digitial pulse stream and said signal representing the initial amount of fuel for continuously generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; said electronic processor further generating a time signal representing the amount of engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine; first display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; and second display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said time signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A monitoring device for monitoring fuel consumption of a pressure carbureted engine having a supply tank, a fuel input line and a fuel return line extending between the supply tank and the pressure carbureted engine comprising:
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first flow transducer disposed within the fuel input line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate to the engine; second flow transducer disposed within the fuel return line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel for returning to the supply tank and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate returning to the supply tank; means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; an electronic processor responsive to said digital pulse streams from said first and second flow transducers and said signal representing the initial amount of fuel for continuously generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the pressure carbureted engine; said electronic processor further generating a time signal representing the amount of pressure carbureted engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the pressure carbureted engine; display means interconnected to said electronic processor for simultaneously displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel flow consumption rate of fuel flowing to the pressure carbureted engine and the fuel flow consumption rate of fuel flowing to the supply tank. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of monitoring fuel flow consumption of an engine comprising the steps of:
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measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from a supply tank to the engine; generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate; generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; processing said digital pulse stream and said signal representing an initial amount of fuel; generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; displaying said output signal; displaying the amount of fuel remaining in the supply tank during operation of the engine; and displaying the amount of engine operating time remaining based on the amount of fuel remaining in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of monitoring fuel flow consumption of a pressure carbureted engine comprising the steps of:
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measuring the fuel flow rate of the fuel flowing from a supply tank through a fuel input line to the engine and the fuel flow rate of fuel returning to the supply tank from a fuel return line; generating output digital pulse streams proportional to the fuel flow rate flowing in the fuel input line and fuel return line; generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; processing said digital pulse streams and said signal representing the initial amount of fuel; generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; generating a time signal representing the amount of pressure carbureted engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine; and displaying said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A monitoring device for monitoring fuel consumption of an engine having a fuel supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the fuel supply tank and the engine comprising:
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means disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate; means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; an electronic processor responsive to said digital pulse stream and said signal representing an initial amount of fuel for generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; first display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; and second display means for simultaneously and continuously displaying the fuel consumption rate of the engine and the amount of engine operating time remaining based upon the amount of fuel present in the supply tank and the current fuel consumption rate of the engine.
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25. A monitoring device for monitoring fuel consumption of an engine having a fuel supply tank and an input fuel line extending between the fuel supply tank and the engine comprising:
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means disposed within the input fuel line for measuring the fuel flow rate of fuel flowing from the supply tank to the engine and for generating an output digital pulse stream proportional to the fuel flow rate; means for generating a signal representing an initial amount of fuel stored in the supply tank; an electronic processor responsive to said digital pulse stream and said signal representing an initial amount of fuel for generating an output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; first display means interconnected to said electronic processor for displaying said electronic processor output signal representing the fuel consumption rate of the engine; and second display means for displaying a percentage of the amount of fuel remaining in the supply tank compared to the initial amount of fuel in the supply tank prior to the operation of the engine.
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Specification