Method and system for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system

• US 9,834,430 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation and Research
• Original Assignee: Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation and Research
• Inventors: Criel, Bjorn, Chaussinand, Antoine, Hill, David, McCleary, Scott, Dedeurwaerder, Jurgen, Baja, Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/824,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20160060093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 141 1- 2, 141 4- 7, 141 44, 141 59, 141192, 141198
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/035 characterised by venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03576 Venting during filling the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/362 combined with over-fill preventing means indicating or measuring liquid level G01F23/00; level control G05D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm

Abstract

A method for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system including a tank equipped with a filler pipe and a shut-off valve, the method including detecting the start of a refilling event; while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of the tank has reached a predetermined fill level; if the predetermined fill level has been reached, performing the following steps: closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle; when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and when a second pressure criterion is met, closing the shut-off valve. The second pressure criterion includes a decrease of pressure inside the tank below a predetermined pressure level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe and a shut-off valve, the method comprising:

detecting the start of a refilling event;

while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;

if said predetermined fill level has been reached, performing the following steps;

closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;

when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and

in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said opening and closing of said shut-off valve are repeated for a plurality of nozzle shutoff instances.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first pressure criterion comprises a stagnation or a decrease of pressure inside said tank.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined pressure level is substantially equal to a hydrostatic pressure induced by a liquid reaching a predetermined level in said filler pipe.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring a pressure variation following said closing of the shut-off valve, and generating an estimate of a partial pressure characteristic of said liquid based on a slope of said pressure variation.

6. A computer program product for controlling a filling operation of a vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe, a shut-off valve, a level gauge, a pressure sensor, and a controller, said computer program product comprising code means configured to cause the controller to carry out a method comprising:

detecting the start of a refilling event;

while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;

if said predetermined fill level has been reached performing the following steps;

closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;

when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and

in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

7. A vehicular liquid storage system comprising a tank equipped with a filler pipe, a shut-off valve, a level gauge, a pressure sensor, and a controller arranged to obtain fill levels from said level gauge and pressure levels from said pressure sensor and to control said shut-off valve, said controller being configured to carry out a method comprising:

detecting the start of a refilling event;

while the shut-off valve is open, observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level;

if said predetermined fill level has been reached performing the following steps;

closing the shut-off valve to induce a shut-off of a filling nozzle;

when a first pressure criterion is met, opening the shut-off valve; and

in response to a decrease of pressure inside said tank below a predetermined pressure level, closing the shut off valve.

8. A motor vehicle comprising the vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7.

9. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7, wherein said liquid is a fuel.

10. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 9, wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, gasoline, liquefied petrol gas, and diesel oil.

11. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7, wherein said liquid is aqueous urea.

12. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7, wherein said tank comprises multiple compartments.

13. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 12, wherein said tank is a saddle tank.

14. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 12, wherein each compartment of said tank comprises a level gauge.

15. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 14, wherein said observing whether a measured fill level of said tank has reached a predetermined fill level is based on a level reading from the compartment with a highest fill level.

16. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 7, further comprising an orifice implemented inside a recirculation line.

17. The vehicular liquid storage system according to claim 16, wherein said orifice facilitates tuning of pressure reduction speed.