Fuel efficiency monitor

• US 4,475,380 A
• Filed: 08/19/1982
• Issued: 10/09/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Rutkowski, David J., Ver Ploeg, Wendell J., Colovas, Denny D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MYRACLE, JERRY
• Application Number:
  US06/432,891
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 73/113, 73/114, 73/112, 364/518
• US Class Current: 73/114.53
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A fuel efficiency monitor (10) for a tractor for agricultural use includes sensors (22, 24) for detecting engine operating conditions, an engine map means (38, 42) for correlating efficiency to the engine operating parameters, and a display (14) to display an indication of efficiency to the tractor operator.

Claims

1. A fuel efficiency monitor for a vehicle, especially a draft vehicle for agricultural use and having a driving engine, said monitor including:

a first sensor means for measuring an rpm related parameter of the driving engine;

a second sensor means for measuring a fuel usage related parameter of the driving engine;

an engine map means coupled to said first and second sensor means for correlating the rpm parameter and the fuel usage parameter to a fuel efficiency related parameter;

a display means coupled to said engine map means for giving an indication of the efficiency of operation of the vehicle engine;

said first sensor means including an engine rpm detector means to produce a train of pulses with a repetition rate related to the revolutions per minute of the engine and a converter means having an output voltage level related to the input pulse repetition rate;

said second sensor means including a rack position means to detect the position of a rack controlling the operation of a fuel injector thereby determining the amount of fuel injected into the vehicle engine per stroke;

said engine map means including a stored correlation for the vehicle engine relating rack position, the engine speed and the brake specific fuel consumption of the engine; and

said display means including a conversion means for relating brake specific fuel consumption to vehicle engine efficiency so that the efficiency is related to the brake specific fuel consumption by at least two different multiplication factors in different regions of vehicle operation, and said display means includes an indicator to convey vehicle efficiency information to the vehicle operator.

2. a fuel efficiency monitor for a vehicle, especially a draft vehicle for agricultural use and having a driving engine, said monitor including:

a first sensor means for measuring an rpm related parameter of the driving engine;

a second sensor means for measuring a fuel usage related parameter of the driving engine;

an engine map means coupled to said first and second sensor means for correlating the rpm parameter and the fuel usage parameter to a fuel efficiency related parameter;

a display means coupled to said engine map means for giving an indication of the efficiency of operation of the vehicle engine;

said first sensor means including an engine rpm detection means to produce a train of pulses with a repetition rate related to the revolutions per minute of the engine and a converter means having an output voltage level related to the input pulse repetition rate;

said second sensor means including a throttle position means for indicating the position of a driver operated accelerator pedal for the vehicle thereby determining the amount of fuel desired to be injected into the vehicle engine;

said engine map means including a stored correlation for the vehicle engine relating the accelerator pedal position, the engine speed and the brake specific fuel consumption of the engine; and

said display means including a conversion means for relating brake specific fuel consumption to vehicle engine efficiency so that the efficiency is related to the brake specific fuel consumption by at least two different multiplication factors in different regions of vehicle operation, and said display means includes an indicator to convey vehicle efficiency information to the vehicle operator.

3. A fuel efficiency monitor for a vehicle, especially a draft vehicle for agricultural use and having a driving engine, said monitor including:

a first sensor means for measuring an rpm related parameter of the driving engine;

a second sensor means for measuring a fuel usage related parameter of the driving engine;

an engine map means coupled to said first and second sensor means for correlating the rpm parameter and the fuel usage parameter to a fuel efficiency related parameter;

a display means coupled to said engine map means for giving an indication of the efficiency of operation of the vehicle engine;

said first sensor means including a rack position means to detect the position of a rack controlling the operation of a fuel injector thereby determining the amount of fuel injected into the vehicle per stroke, the amount of fuel injected being adjusted as a function of engine speed;

said second sensor means including a throttle position means for indicating the position of a driver operated accelerator pedal for the vehicle thereby determining the amount of fuel desired to be injected into the vehicle engine;

said engine map means including a stored correlation for the vehicle engine relating the accelerator pedal position, the rack position and the brake specific fuel consumption of the engine; and

said display means including a conversion means for relating brake specific fuel consumption to vehicle efficiency so that the efficiency is related to the brake specific fuel consumption in the region of vehicle operation, and said display means includes an indicator to convey vehicle efficiency information to the vehicle operator.

4. A fuel efficiency monitor for a vehicle, especially a draft vehicle for agricultural use and having a driving engine, said monitor including:

a first sensor means for measuring an rpm related parameter of the driving engine;

a second sensor means for measuring a fuel usage related parameter of the driving engine;

an engine map means coupled to said first and second sensor means for correlating the rpm parameter and the fuel usage parameter to a fuel efficiency related parameter;

a display means coupled to said engine map means for giving an indication of the efficiency of operation of the vehicle engine;

said first sensor means including an engine rpm detection means to produce a train of pulses with a repetition rate related to the revolutions per minute of the engine and a converter means having an output voltage level related to the input pulse repetition rate;

said second sensor means including a rack position means to detect the position of a rack controlling the operation of a fuel injector thereby determining the amount of fuel injected into the vehicle engine per stroke;

said engine map means including a first computation means for combining the outputs of said first and second sensors to obtain fuel usage per unit time, and a first conversion means for adjusting the units of the fuel usage per unit time to be gallons per hour; and

said display means indicating fuel consumption in gallons per hour to the vehicle operator.

5. A fuel efficiency monitor as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

a third sensor means for indicating ground speed of the vehicle;

a fourth sensor means for indicating the effective work width of the vehicle,

a second computation means coupled to said third and fourth sensors for computing acres per hour of vehicle coverage; and

a third computation means having an input coupled to said second computation means and said engine map means for generating an indication of fuel use rate in acres per hour.