Water-in-fuel abuse detection

• US 6,676,841 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Goerges, Stephanie, Thompson, Scott, Akins, Mark, Chamarthi, Gopal
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US09/992,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20030085180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 210/85, 210/86, 210/90, 210/94, 210/103, 210/143, 210/171, 210/172, 210/739, 210/744, 210/767, 210/138, 705/1, 705/4, 340/290.R, 340/304.C, 340/438, 340/439, 340/450, 340/459, 340/461, 701/29, 701/30, 701/35, 702/55
• US Class Current: 210/744
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 36/005 Liquid level sensing means, e.g. for water in gasoil-filters
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/228 Warning displays
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/28 with means activated by the presence of water, e.g. alarms or means for automatic drainage
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/32 characterised by filters or filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2847 Water in oil basic sediment and water G01N33/2823; oil in water G01N33/1833
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A water-in-fuel abuse detection system provides a way to determine if a vehicle operator has ignored a conventional water-in-fuel indicator light and continued to operate the vehicle beyond a certain threshold. The system includes a sensor positioned in a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel. The sensor is operatively connected to a software routine, as well as to a conventional indicator light that illuminates to alert a vehicle operator that water must be purged from the fuel filtration system. The software routine determines the duration, in distance traversed or time elapsed, that the amount of water is at or above the level of the sensor. The routine then writes a fault code to permanent memory when the threshold is exceeded. A diagnostic tool can access the permanent memory and reveal whether the fuel system has be the subject of water-in-fuel abuse.

Claims

1. A water-in-fuel abuse detection system comprising:

a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;

means for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and

means, operatively connected to said means for detecting, for determining a duration that said means for detecting indicates said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity apart from a purging period.

2. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 1, wherein said duration is measured in terms of distance traversed.

3. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 1, wherein said duration is measured in terms of time elapsed.

4. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 1, further comprising means for determining a greatest value of said duration.

5. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 1, further comprising means for recording if said duration exceeds a threshold.

6. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 5, further comprising permanent memory means, and wherein said means for recording comprises writing a fault code to said permanent memory means.

7. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 6, further comprising a diagnostic tool capable of determining if said permanent memory means contains said fault code.

8. A water-in-fuel abuse detection system comprising:

a fuel filter for separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;

a sensor for detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and

a software routine, operatively connected to said sensor, for determining a duration that said sensor detects that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity apart from a purging period.

9. The water-in-fuel detection system of claim 8, wherein said software routine further determines a greatest value of said duration.

10. A method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse comprising:

providing a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;

detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity; and

determining a duration that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity apart from a purging period.

11. The method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse of claim 10, further comprising determining a greatest value of said duration and writing said greatest value to permanent memory means.

12. The method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse of claim 10 further comprising writing a fault code to permanent memory means if said duration exceeds a threshold.

13. The method for detecting water-in-fuel abuse of claim 12, further comprising using a diagnostic tool to determine if said permanent memory means contains said fault code.

14. A method for determining a warranty claim comprising:

providing a fuel filter capable of separating an amount of water from a source of fuel;

detecting if said amount of water in said fuel filter attains a certain quantity;

determining data characteristic of water-in-fuel abuse apart from automatically purging water;

writing data to permanent memory means;

using a diagnostic tool to access said data in said permanent memory means; and

providing warranty coverage if said data reveals the absence of excessive water-in-fuel abuse.

15. The method for determining a warranty claim of claim 14, wherein said data are one or more durations that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity.

16. The method for determining a warranty claim of claim 15, wherein said data further include a fault code and said writing step is performed if said one or more durations exceed a threshold that is characteristic of said excessive water-in-fuel abuse.

17. The method for determining a warranty claim of claim 14, wherein said data are the greatest of one or more durations that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity.

18. The method for determining a warranty claim of claim 14, wherein said fuel filter has a nominal state, said method further comprising:

counting a number of events characterized by detecting that said amount of water equals or exceeds said certain quantity subsequent to said fuel filter existing in said nominal state, wherein said data are said number of events.