Nozzle snap flow compensation

• US 7,725,271 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Tate, Vance A., Park, Thomas J., Yang, Zhou, McSpadden, John Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; John H
• Application Number:
  US11/939,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 702/35, 702/45, 702/55, 702/100, 700/241, 700/236, 141/14, 141/59, 141/94, 141/192, 222/1.14, 222/52, 377/2, 73/405.R, 738/61, 738/617.7, 738/617.9, 137/12, 137/14, 137/234.6, 123/381, 427/208.6, 715/771
• US Class Current: 702/45
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/746 by mixing different fuel grades or fuel and oil
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0496 Performance test devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/54 with means for preventing escape of liquid or vapour or for recovering escaped liquid or vapour B67D7/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A fuel dispenser including a fuel delivery path configured to deliver fuel to a vehicle, a display configured to display the total dispensed fuel volume, and a fuel meter configured to measure a fuel delivery rate. A data set having a plurality of fuel volume compensation values corresponding to a plurality of fuel delivery rate values, and a microprocessor configured to calculate a volume of fuel dispensed and retrieve a fuel volume compensation value. The fuel meter measures the fuel delivery rate at the time of the event, the microprocessor determines which fuel delivery rate value corresponds to the fuel delivery rate, retrieves the corresponding fuel volume compensation value, and adds the retrieved fuel volume compensation value to the calculated volume of fuel dispensed to obtain the total dispensed fuel volume.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser configured to compensate a total dispensed fuel volume for an event that occurs during a fueling process, the fuel dispenser comprising:

a fuel delivery path configured to deliver fuel to a vehicle;

a display configured to display the total dispensed fuel volume;

a fuel meter configured to measure a fuel delivery rate at which fuel is being dispensed through the fuel delivery path to the vehicle;

a data set having a plurality of fuel volume compensation values corresponding to a plurality of fuel delivery rate values; and

a microprocessor configured to calculate a volume of fuel dispensed to the vehicle based on the fuel delivery rate and retrieve a fuel volume compensation value from the data set,

wherein the fuel meter measures the fuel delivery rate at the time of the event, the microprocessor determines which fuel delivery rate value corresponds to the fuel delivery rate, retrieves the corresponding fuel volume compensation value, and adds the retrieved fuel volume compensation value to the volume of fuel dispensed as calculated by the microprocessor to obtain the total dispensed fuel volume.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the event that occurs during the fueling process is a termination of the flow of fuel.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is a component of the fuel meter.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a control system that is remote from the fuel meter and the microprocessor is a component of the control system.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the data set is embedded in software of the microprocessor.

6. A method of compensating a volume of fuel measured by a fuel meter to obtain a total dispensed fuel volume for a fuel dispenser including a fuel flow path for dispensing fuel, comprising:

detecting an event that occurs during a fueling operation, the event being detected by a sensor;

measuring a fuel delivery rate of the fuel within the fuel flow path at the time of the event;

retrieving a fuel volume compensation value from a data set including a plurality of fuel volume compensation values that correspond to a plurality of fuel delivery rate values; and

adding the retrieved fuel volume compensation value to the volume of fuel measured by the fuel meter to obtain a total dispensed fuel volume,

wherein the retrieved fuel volume compensation value is selected by comparing the measured fuel delivery rate to the plurality of fuel delivery rate values in the data set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the event further comprises detecting a termination of the flow of the fuel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the event further comprises detecting multiple terminations of the flow of the fuel during the fueling operation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein adding the retrieved fuel volume compensation value occurs when fuel flow is reinitiated subsequent to the termination of the flow of the fuel.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor that detects the termination of the flow of the fuel comprises a flow switch.