Fuel dispenser calibration

• US 7,941,289 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Harrell, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US11/963,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 702/100
• US Class Current: 702/100
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/085 Testing or calibrating apparatus therefore testing or calibrating apparatus for measuring volume flow in general G01F25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/17 using calibrated reservoirs

Abstract

Systems and processes may provide calibration of a fuel dispenser. In particular implementations, fuel dispenser systems and processes may include the ability to determine whether a fuel delivery measurement of a fuel dispenser should be calibrated and adjust the fuel dispenser in response to the calibration.

Claims

1. A self-calibrating fuel dispenser comprising:

a fuel controller comprising;

one or more pumps configured to deliver fuel from one or more fuel reservoirs to a fuel delivery line; and

one or more meters configured to measure an amount of fuel delivered to the fuel delivery line;

a fuel calibration reservoir separate from the one or more fuel reservoirs and fluidly coupled to the fuel delivery line and at least one of the one or more fuel reservoirs through at least one of the one or more meters, the fuel calibration reservoir sized to contain only a fraction of a fuel volume containable in one of the one or more fuel reservoirs, at least a portion of the fuel calibration reservoir in or adjacent a housing of the self-calibrating fuel dispenser; and

a dispenser manager configured to control fuel delivery by the fuel controller, wherein the dispenser manager is further configured to determine whether the fuel delivery measurement should be calibrated based at least in part on a deviation between a measured amount of fuel contained within the calibration reservoir and the amount of fuel delivered to the fuel delivery line measured by the one or more meters.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is configured to adjust the measurement of the amount of fuel delivered by the fuel controller to adjust the fuel dispenser.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is configured to determine whether a triggering event has occurred to determine whether the fuel dispenser should be calibrated.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 3, wherein the triggering event comprises the fuel controller delivering a predetermined amount of fuel.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 3, wherein the triggering event comprises passage of a predetermined amount of time from a previous calibration.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the calibration reservoir is completely enclosed within the housing of the fuel dispenser containing at least one of the one or more pumps or a portion of the fuel delivery line.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is further configured to determine an adjustment to the fuel controller based on the deviation.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is further configured to obtain a program update configured to decrease the deviation between the amount of fuel measured by one or more of the meters and the delivered amount of fuel.

9. The fuel dispenser of claim 8, wherein the dispenser manager adjusts the fuel controller in response to the program update to adjust the fuel dispenser.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 8, wherein the dispenser manager is configured to obtain the program update from a remote system.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is further configured to determine whether adjustment of the fuel dispenser is required in response to the calibration, and to adjust the fuel dispenser if adjustment is required.

12. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispenser manager is further configured to receive a calibration adjustment from a facility controller.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the fuel calibration reservoir is sized to contain no more than approximately one gallon of fuel.

14. A method performed by a fuel dispenser comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

delivering an amount of fuel to a calibration reservoir of the fuel dispenser through a fuel delivery line fluidly coupled to one or more fuel reservoirs, the calibration reservoir in or adjacent the fuel dispenser and sized to contain only a fraction of a fuel volume containable in one of the one or more fuel reservoirs;

measuring the amount of fuel delivered through the fuel delivery line to the calibration reservoir using one or more meters in fluid communication with the fuel delivery line;

measuring an amount of fuel contained in the calibration reservoir subsequent to the delivery of the fuel to the calibration reservoir;

determining, by the processor, whether a fuel delivery measurement of the fuel dispenser should be calibrated based at least in part on a deviation between the amount of fuel delivered to the calibration reservoir by the fuel dispenser measured by the one or more meters and the measured amount of fuel contained in the calibration reservoir; and

adjusting, by the processor, the fuel dispenser in response to the calibration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining, by the processor, whether a fuel delivery measurement of a fuel dispenser should be calibrated comprises determining, by the processor, whether a triggering event has occurred.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein adjusting, by the processor, the fuel dispenser comprises adjusting, by the processor, the measurements of the amount of fuel delivered by a fuel controller.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting, by the processor, the fuel delivery measurement if the amount of fuel measured by one or more of the meters during calibration is not in a predetermined range of the amount of fuel delivered to the calibration reservoir during calibration.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining a program update configured to decrease the deviation between the fuel delivery measurement and the actual amount of delivered fuel; and

adjusting, by the processor, the fuel dispenser based at least partially on the update.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting, by the processor, the fuel dispenser based at least partially on the update comprises adjusting a fuel controller in response to the program update.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether adjustment of the fuel dispenser is required in response to the calibration; and

adjusting the fuel dispenser if adjustment is required.

21. The method of claim 14 receiving a calibration adjustment from a facility controller.

22. A self-calibrating fueling facility comprising:

one or more fuel reservoirs;

one or more calibration reservoirs, each comprising a tank and scale configured to measure an amount of fuel contained in the calibration reservoir, the tank sized to only contain a fraction of a fuel volume containable in one of the one or more fuel reservoirs;

one or more fuel dispensers comprising;

one or more pumps configured to deliver fuel from one or more of the fuel reservoirs to a fuel delivery line in fluid communication with the one or more calibration reservoirs;

one or more meters configured to measure an amount of fuel delivered through the fuel delivery line to the one or more calibration reservoirs;

a dispenser manager configured to control fuel delivery by the one or more pumps; and

a housing configured to enclose at least a portion of the one or more pumps, one or more meters, the dispenser manager, and at least a portion of the tank; and

a facility controller configured to determine whether a fuel delivery measurement should be calibrated based at least in part on a deviation between the amount of fuel delivered to the one or more calibration reservoirs measured by the one or more meters and the measured amount of fuel contained in the one or more calibration reservoirs, and send a command to the one or more fuel dispensers in response to the calibration.

23. The facility of claim 22, further comprising sensors coupled to one or more of the fuel reservoirs, wherein the sensors are configured to measure an amount of fuel in one or more of the fuel reservoirs.

24. The facility of claim 22, wherein the facility controller is further operable to determine an amount of fuel in one or more of the fuel reservoirs, and wherein the facility controller calibrates the fuel dispenser by:

measuring an amount of fuel delivered by at least one of the fuel dispensers;

determining an amount of fuel delivered from one or more of the fuel reservoirs to the fuel dispenser(s) based on the determined amounts of fuel in the fuel reservoir(s);

comparing the measured amount of fuel delivered by the fuel dispenser(s) to the determined amount of fuel delivered;

determining the deviation based on the comparison; and

determining if the fuel delivery measurement of at least one of the fuel dispensers should be adjusted based on the deviation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining the amount of fuel in one or more of the fuel reservoirs includes measuring an amount of fuel in one or more of the fuel reservoirs before and after delivering the amount of fuel.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the facility controller is operable to analyze data from sensors coupled to one or more of the fuel reservoirs to determine an amount of fuel in one or more of the fuel reservoirs.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the facility controller performs a calibration.

28. The self-calibrating fueling facility of claim 22, wherein the housing is configured to completely enclose the tank.