Automotive fuel additive dispensing and blending system

• US 5,163,586 A
• Filed: 05/20/1991
• Issued: 11/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Additech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Additech, Inc.
• Inventors: Zinsmeyer, Herbert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow; Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US07/702,170
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 222/14,16,26,28,71,132,144.5,145
• US Class Current: 222/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/02 Supplying fuel to vehicles; General disposition of plant in filling stations apparatus for transferring measured quantities of petrol, oil, or the like from storage space to vehicles B67D
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/748 by mixing fuel with additives, e.g. anti-knocking agents
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/425 including components powered by electricity or light
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/744 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence

Abstract

An automotive fuel additive dispensing and blending system is described wherein both proprietary and mandated fuel additives heretofore normally added at the refinery or a bulk storage plant may be added at a service station and blended into the fuel as fuel is dispensed thereby allowing most effective and reliable addition of additives that may be volatile and that may degrade in storage after mixed with fuel as well as providing a cost effective method for supplying differing gasoline blends to the customer.

Claims

1. An automotive fuel additive dispensing and blending system for a Service Station in stations comprising:

(a) a minimum of one fuel additive storage tank and a minimum of one fuel storage tank;

(b) an additive pumping and measuring means, a distribution system for each different fuel additive, a fuel dispenser computer in said dispensing unit, and a fuel measuring means; and

(c) a controller;

said controller being activated by activation of said fuel dispenser computer of said dispensing unit and acting to activate said additive pumping and measuring means to pump form said additive storage tank through said distribution system into fuel flowing to a chosen outlet nozzle of said fuel dispensing unit, said fuel additive entering into said fuel upstream of said fuel measuring means;

said controller receiving input from said fuel additive pumping and measuring means and said fuel measuring means and activating said pumping and measuring means to control additive flow to said fuel flow according to a preset ratio of said additive to said fuel entered into said controller.

2. An automotive fuel additive dispensing and blending system for a Service Station in stations comprising:

a plurality of fuel additive storage tanks supplying a pressuring and measuring means for each of said tanks and a controller and distribution system to feed additives form said plurality of fuel additive storage tanks in preselected ratios to premium fuel and in a preselected ratio to a lower grade fuel before mixing a preselected ratio of said premium fuel and said lower grade fuel to form a minimum of one intermediate grade of fuel.

3. A method for fuel additive dispensing and blending for a service station comprising:

(a) starting a flow of chosen grade of fuel into a tank thereby activating equipment comprising;

(1) a controller and a fuel dispenser computer;

(2) a minimum of one fuel pump to pump from a minimum of one fuel storage tank;

(3) a minimum of one fuel flowmeter;

(4) a minimum of one additive pressuring and measuring means; and

(5) a distribution system;

said controller taking input form said minimum of one fuel flowmeter and said additive pressuring and measuring means and reacting through said distribution system and said additive pressuring and measuring means to feed a preset ratio of said additive upstream of said fuel flowmeter while said fuel is being dispensed;

(b) closing a delivery valve to stop said flow of fuel thereby activating said fuel dispenser computer to display a total measure of amount of said fuel delivered along with total cost thereof.

4. A method for fuel additive dispensing and blending for a service stations as in claim 3 wherein functions of said controller and of said fuel dispenser computer are combined in one unit.

5. A method for fuel blending and additive addition at a service station comprising:

(a) starting a flow of a chosen grade of fuel into a tank thereby activating equipment comprising;

(1) a dispenser computer;

said computer acting to activate fuel pumps and a controller;

said controller acting to activate pressuring and measuring means and a distribution system to add additives in a preselected ratio to a premium grade of fuel and to add additives in a preselected ratio to a lower grade of fuel, and said dispenser computer acts to adjust a blend control valve downstream of said additive addition in order that a minimum of one grade of fuel between said premium grade and said lower grade of fuel in addition to said premium grade and said lower grade of fuels may be dispensed with additives;

(b) closing a delivery valve to stop said flow of fuel thereby activating said fuel dispenser computer to display a total measure of amount of said fuel delivered along with total cost thereof.

6. An automotive fuel additive dispensing and blending system for a Service Station in stations comprising:

a minimum of one fuel additive storage tank supplying a pressuring and measuring means for said tank and a controller and distribution system to feed additive from said minimum of one fuel additive storage tank in a preselected ratio to premium fuel and in a preselected ratio to a lower grade fuel before mixing a preselected ratio of said premium fuel and said lower grade fuel to form a minimum of one intermediate grade of fuel.