Fuel management

• US 9,823,108 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexander George Whitehead, Josef Johannes Van Der Linde, Lynette Irene Whitehead
• Original Assignee: Alexander George Whitehead, Josef Johannes Van Der Linde, Lynette Irene Whitehead
• Inventors: Van Der Linde, Josef Johannes, Whitehead, Alexander George, Whitehead, Lynette Irene
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenwick, Warren K
• Application Number:
  US14/297,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20150013451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 73195, 73196
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/007 comprising means to prevent fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 17/00 Methods or apparatus for determining the capacity of containers or cavities, or the volume of solid bodies measuring linear dimensions to determine volume G01B
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel management system for a vehicle. The fuel management system includes a fill-up sensor located at an inlet of a fuel tank of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel flowing into the fuel tank, a fuel supply sensor located in a fuel line between the fuel tank and an engine of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel flowing to the engine of the vehicle and a return line sensor located in the fuel return line of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel returning to the fuel tank. The system further includes a controller in communication with the fill-up sensor, fuel supply sensor and return line sensor, for collecting data from the sensors, calculating whether there is a fuel deviation between the amount of fuel entering the fuel tank and consumed by the vehicle, and generating fuel deviation events.

Claims

1. A fuel management system for a vehicle, which includes:

a fill-up sensor located at an inlet of a fuel tank of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel flowing into the fuel tank;

a fuel supply sensor located in a fuel line between the fuel tank and an engine of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel flowing to the engine of the vehicle;

a return line sensor located in the fuel return line of the vehicle, for determining the volume of fuel returning to the fuel tank; and

a controller in communication with the fill-up sensor, fuel supply sensor and return line sensor, for collecting data from the sensors, calculating whether there is a fuel deviation between the amount of fuel entering the fuel tank and consumed by the vehicle, and generating fuel deviation events, the controller includes a transmitter for transmitting data;

a real-time clock in communication with the controller, the real-time clock configured to ascribe fuel consumption data collected to a particular date and time;

a GPS receiver in communication with the controller, the GPS receiver configured to ascribe fuel consumption data collected to a specific location; and

an alarm connected to the controller and configured to sound when a fuel deviation event has been generated by the controller.

2. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the fuel supply sensor is located between the fuel tank and any one of a vehicle fuel injector pump and a vehicle carburetor.

3. The fuel management system of claim 1, which includes a fuel level meter in the fuel tank of the vehicle, in communication with the controller.

4. The fuel management system of claim 3, in which the controller generates a fuel deviation event when the fuel level in the tank, as measured by the fuel level meter, reduces while the vehicle engine is switched off.

5. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the sensors are in the form of flow meters, operable to measure the flow of fuel at the point where the flow meters are installed.

6. The fuel management system of claim 5, in which the flow meters are in the form of transducers.

7. The fuel management system of claim 6, in which the transducers are operable to communicate the flow of fuel measurements (data) to the controller, and in which the controller is operable to convert the fuel flow measurements into volume.

8. The fuel management system of claim 1, which includes an identification input device controllably connected to a fuel valve located in a fuel line of the vehicle, the identification input device operable by a driver of the vehicle to identify himself, the identification input device in communication with the fuel valve such that successful identification of the driver opens the fuel valve and allows the engine of the vehicle to be started, the identification input device is in communication with the controller such that fuel consumption data collected is ascribed to use of a vehicle by a particular driver.

9. The fuel management system of claim 1, which includes fill up detail input means communicating the volume of fuel purchased at a fuel station to the controller, the fill up detail input means being in the form of an message received by the controller.

10. The fuel management system of claim 9, in which the controller is operable to compare the volume of fuel purchased, as obtained from the fill up detail input means, with the volume of fuel that flowed through the inlet of the vehicle fuel tank as measured by the fill-up sensor and in which the controller is further operable to generate a fuel deviation event, if the volume of fuel that flowed through the inlet of the vehicle fuel tank is less than the volume of fuel purchased.

11. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the controller is in the form of a programmable logic controller.

12. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the controller includes a receiver for receiving instructions.

13. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the controller is operable to calculate a fuel deviation and to generate a fuel deviation event when fuel purchased exceeds a hypothetical volume in the fuel tank, by

calculating an initial hypothetical volume of fuel in the fuel tank of the vehicle by adding the volume of fuel flowing through the fill-up sensor to any residual fuel in the tank, to obtain an initial hypothetical volume of fuel in the tank;

subtracting the volume of fuel that flows through the fuel supply sensor over a period of time from the initial hypothetical volume of fuel in the tank;

adding the volume of fuel that flows through the return line sensor over the period of time to the initial hypothetical volume of fuel in the tank to provide a final hypothetical volume;

subtracting the final hypothetical volume of fuel in the tank form the volume capacity of the fuel tank of the vehicle to provide a hypothetical void volume in the fuel tank; and

comparing the volume of fuel purchased with the hypothetical void volume in the fuel tank.

14. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the controller generates a fuel deviation event when the fill-up sensor senses negative flow in the form of fuel flowing out of the fuel tank.

15. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the system includes a remote server in wireless communication with the controller, the wireless communication being through any one or more of a mobile telephone network, GSM network and the Internet.

16. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the remote server is operable to receive data and fuel deviation event information from the controller of the vehicle.

17. The fuel management system of claim 16, in which the remote server is operable to generate an alert when a fuel deviation event has been generated by a controller.

18. The fuel management system of claim 16, which includes immobilization means, to immobilize a vehicle when a fuel deviation event has been generated by the controller.

19. The fuel management system of claim 16, which includes data storage means, for storing any one of the data collected by the sensors and the hypothetical volumes in the fuel tank as calculated by the controller, the data storage means being in the form of a database hosted on any one or both of the remote server and controller.

20. The fuel management system of claim 19, in which the database is accessible to a registered user.

21. The fuel management system of claim 1, in which the system is linked to any one of a satellite tracking system and a fleet management system.

22. A method of monitoring fuel in a vehicle, which includes the steps of:

determining the volume of fuel flowing into a fuel tank of the vehicle;

determining the volume of fuel flowing to an engine of the vehicle;

determining the volume of fuel returning from the engine of the vehicle to the fuel tank of the vehicle;

calculating the difference between the volume of fuel flowing into the engine and the volume of fuel returning to the fuel tank, to obtain an actual fuel usage volume; and

calculating the difference between the volume of fuel flowing into the fuel tank and the actual fuel usage volume to obtain a hypothetical volume in the fuel tank.

23. The method of claim 22, which includes the prior step of determining the volume of fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle and adding the calculated difference between the volume of fuel flowing into the fuel tank and the actual fuel usage volume to obtain the hypothetical volume in the fuel tank.

24. The method of claim 23, which includes the further step of comparing the hypothetical volume in the fuel tank with an actual volume of fuel in fuel tank, obtained from a fuel level meter, and if the hypothetical volume in the fuel tank is less than the actual volume in the fuel tank, generating a fuel deviation event.

25. The method of claim 23, which includes a subsequent step of calculating the hypothetical void volume in the fuel tank, by subtracting the hypothetical volume of fuel in the fuel tank from the volume capacity of the fuel and generating a fuel deviation event when a higher volume of fuel flows into the fuel tank than the hypothetical void volume of the fuel tank.