Method and system for determining the type of fuel used to power a vehicle

• US 6,745,613 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GSLE Subco, LLC (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Foley, Theresa A., Rendahl, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrison, Monica D.
• Application Number:
  US09/928,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233.1, 73/280.1, 73/280.4, 73/310.3, 73/617.5, 737/86, 738/610.4, 738/612.1, 73/350.2, 123/436, 123/443, 123/488, 123/492, 123/527, 123/435, 123/491
• US Class Current: 73/35.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2829 Mixtures of fuels

Abstract

A method for determining the type of fuel used by a vehicle includes receiving hydrocarbon speciation and nitrogen-oxygen compound data from an emissions sensor. The hydrocarbon speciation data is compared to one or more hydrocarbon threshold levels, and each threshold level corresponds to an anticipated fuel type. The nitrogen-oxygen compound data is compared to one or more nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels, and each threshold level corresponds to an anticipated fuel type. Based on the comparison of the hydrocarbon speciation and nitrogen-oxygen compound data to threshold levels, an anticipated fuel type is determined.

Claims

1. A method of determining the type of fuel used by a vehicle, comprising:

receiving first data collected by an emissions sensor, wherein the first data corresponds to a plurality of measured hydrocarbon concentrations in a vehicle exhaust stream;

receiving second data collected by the emissions sensor, wherein the second data corresponds to measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations in the vehicle exhaust stream;

identifying at least one hydrocarbon threshold level corresponding to a first fuel type;

comparing the first data to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels; and

determining whether the measured hydrocarbon concentrations correspond to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels;

identifying at least one nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold level corresponding to the first fuel type;

comparing the second data to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels; and

determining whether the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first determining step determines that the measured hydrocarbon concentrations do not correspond to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels, and the method comprises the additional steps of:

identifying at least one hydrocarbon threshold level corresponding to a second fuel type;

comparing the data to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type; and

determining whether the measured hydrocarbon concentrations correspond to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second determining step determines that the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations do not correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels, and the method comprises the additional steps of:

identifying at least one nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold level corresponding to a second fuel type;

comparing the second data to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type; and

determining whether the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first fuel type is selected from the group comprising diesel fuel, gasoline, compressed natural gas, methanol, reformulated gasoline, and liquified petroleum gas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each identifying step comprises retrieving the at least one threshold level corresponding to a first fuel type from a computer memory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the threshold levels comprises a percentage, and correspondence in at least one of the determining steps comprises a determination that the measured concentration is equal to or greater than the percentage.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the threshold levels comprises a range, and correspondence in the at least one of the determining steps comprises a determination that the measured concentration falls within the range.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first fuel type comprises diesel fuel, and the first comparing step comprises comparing measured concentrations to threshold levels of methane and carbonyl species and the second comparing step comprises comparing measured concentrations to threshold concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first fuel type comprises compressed natural gas, and the first comparing step comprises:

summing measured concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and methane; and

comparing the measured concentration of methane to the total sum of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and methane.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first fuel type comprises liquified petroleum gas, and the first comparing step comprises:

determining a total hydrocarbon measurement comprising a sum of measured concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and methane;

determining a percentage of propane relative to the total hydrocarbon measurement; and

determining whether the percentage of propane exceeds a predetermined propane threshold.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of:

identifying relative concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are typical for a reference fuel;

determining whether the relative concentration of oxygen is greater than zero;

selecting, from the plurality of measured hydrocarbon concentrations, a first concentration corresponding to alkanes and a second concentration corresponding to methanol and reformulated gasoline species;

scaling the first concentration and the second concentration to adjust for at least one interference; and

comparing the first concentration and the second concentration.

12. A method of determining the type of fuel used by a vehicle, comprising:

receiving data collected by an emissions sensor, wherein the data corresponds to a plurality of measured hydrocarbon and nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations in a vehicle exhaust stream;

calculating, for each of a plurality of possible fuel types, an associated probability, the associated probability corresponding to the plurality of measured hydrocarbon and nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations;

selecting, from the associated probabilities calculated in the calculating step, a highest probability; and

reporting the possible fuel type having the associated probability that is the highest probability.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

one of the possible fuel types comprises diesel fuel;

the first calculating step, when performed for diesel fuel, comprises comparing measured concentrations to threshold levels of methane and carbonyl species; and

the second calculating step, when performed for diesel fuel, comprises comparing measured concentrations to threshold concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the possible fuel types comprises compressed natural gas, and the first calculating step, when performed for compressed natural gas, comprises:

determining a total hydrocarbon measurement comprising a sum of measured concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and methane;

determining a percentage of methane in the total hydrocarbon measurement; and

determining whether the percentage of methane exceeds a predetermined methane threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the possible fuel types comprises liquified propane gas, and the calculating step, when performed for liquified petroluem gas, comprises:

determining a total hydrocarbon measurement comprising a sum of measured concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and methane;

determining a percentage of propane in the total hydrocarbon measurement; and

determining whether the percentage of propane exceeds a predetermined propane threshold.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the possible fuel types comprise at least one of methanol and reformulated gasoline, and wherein the first calculating step, when performed for methanol or reformulated gasoline, comprises:

identifying relative concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are typical for a reference fuel;

determining whether the relative concentration of oxygen is greater than zero;

selecting, from the plurality of measured hydrocarbon concentrations, a first concentration corresponding to alkanes and a second concentration corresponding to methanol and reformulated gasoline species;

scaling the first concentration and the second concentration to adjust for at least one interference; and

comparing the first concentration and the second concentration.

17. A system for determining the type of fuel used by a vehicle, comprising of:

an open path emissions sensor capable of measuring a plurality of measured hydrocarbon and nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations in a vehicle exhaust stream;

a processor in communication with the emissions sensor; and

a memory in communication with the processor;

wherein the memory contains computer program instructions that are capable of instructing the processor to;

retrieve, from a database, at least one hydrocarbon threshold level corresponding to a first fuel type;

compare the measured hydrocarbon concentrations to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels; and

determine whether the measured hydrocarbon concentrations correspond to the at least one hydrocarbon threshold level;

retrieve, from a database, at least one nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold level corresponding to the first fuel type;

compare the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels; and

determine whether the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory contains additional program instructions so that, if the processor determines that the measured hydrocarbon concentrations do not correspond to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels, the processor may be further instructed to:

identify at least one hydrocarbon threshold level corresponding to a second fuel type;

compare the measured hydrocarbon concentrations to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type; and

determine whether the measured hydrocarbon concentrations correspond to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory contains additional program instructions so that, if the processor determines that measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations do not correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels, the processor may be further instructed to:

identify at least one nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold level corresponding to a second fuel type;

compare the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type; and

determine whether the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations correspond to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels corresponding to the second fuel type.

20. A system for determining the type of fuel used by a vehicle, comprising:

an emissions sensor capable of measuring a plurality of measured hydrocarbon and nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations in a vehicle exhaust stream;

a processor in communication with the emissions sensor; and

a carrier in communication with the processor;

wherein the carrier contains computer program instructions that instruct the processor to;

calculate, for each of a plurality of possible fuel types, a first set of associated probabilities, the first set of associated probabilities corresponding to the plurality of measured hydrocarbon concentrations and the plurality of measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations; and

select, from the associated probabilities calculated by the processor, a highest probability.

21. A system for identifying the type of fuel used by a vehicle, comprising:

a means for detecting a plurality of measured hydrocarbon and nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations in the emissions of a vehicle,

a means for identifying at least one hydrocarbon threshold level corresponding to at least one fuel type;

a means for comparing the measured hydrocarbon concentrations to at least one of the hydrocarbon threshold levels to determine whether the measured hydrocarbon concentrations correspond to a corresponding fuel type;

a means for identifying at least one nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold level corresponding to at least one of the fuel types; and

a means for comparing the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations to at least one of the nitrogen-oxygen compound threshold levels to determine whether the measured nitrogen-oxygen compound concentrations correspond to a corresponding fuel type.