GB2474510A

GB2474510A - Fuel filter monitoring apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2474510A
Application number: GB0918257A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pedro Diaz
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Priority date: 2009-10-19
Filing date: 2009-10-19
Publication date: 2011-04-20
Also published as: GB0918257D0

Abstract

A fuel filtration apparatus 100 for an internal combustion engine 200 of a vehicle, the apparatus having a fuel filter 110 comprising a main body including fuel inlet, a fuel outlet and a water collection portion 128, where the water collection portion includes a sensor for determining the level water. Preferably the apparatus also comprises a control system and a GPS system to transmit a warning comprising the location of the apparatus when a pre-determined water level was exceeded. A memory may be provided to store the warnings as fault codes, and may provide an inter ogable diagnostic function. A warning may be displayed to a vehicle user. The system may comprise a fuel volume sensor 152 and may store the location of a filling station upon filling of the fuel tank 150. The system may display to the user an indication of a partial volume of water within the volume of fuel acquired.

Description

FUEL FILTRATION APPARATUS

The invention relates to fuel filters for internal combustion engines, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a fuel filter for a diesel engine which is capable of monitoring the level of water retained in the filter. Aspects of the invention relate to a fuel filtration apparatus, a system for monitoring the level of water in a fuel filter and to a vehicle.

Road vehicles are typically powered by internal combustion engines fuel by petrol or diesel, with a small minority using an ethanol-based fuel. The market for diesel vehicles is increasing, largely due to the increased fuel efficiency over petrol vehicles.

This increase in diesel vehicle sales over petrol vehicle sales is resulting in an increase in the occurrence of vehicle problems related to diesel fuel contamination and in particular, contamination with water. Many fuel system and engine components in a diesel engine rely on the lubricating properties of diesel to lubricate their surfaces and maintain their performance. If the fuel is contaminated with water, these lubricating properties are diminished, leading to excessive wear and ultimately, premature component failure. Generally speaking, diesel is immiscible in water, but a small proportion of water may be absorbed by diesel and held in suspension. Water contamination of diesel in trace quantities does not generally harm the fuel system components, trace quantities of up to 50 ppm (parts per million) of water in diesel is within typically acceptable limits. However, if the water content exceeds 200 ppm then there is an increased risk of premature wear.

Whilst water can contaminate the diesel at any time following its manufacture, it is most common for water to be introduced into the diesel while it is held in tanks at the filling station prior to being sold on the forecourt. This is often due to the accumulation of condensation in the tanks or, in some instances the tanks may be damaged, allowing ground water to seep into the tank.

Increasing the water content in the diesel reduces the calorific content of the fuel, leading to a reduction in the fuel economy of the vehicle. Furthermore, high water content diesel can cause deterioration of the engine and fuel system components due to corrosion which, in combination with the reduction in lubrication, can lead to advanced failure of fuel pumps and can also present problems with the fuel injectors.

In some developing countries, diesel fuel has been sold with water contamination levels up to 10% of the total volume in extreme cases. Clearly, modern diesel engines could not survive long if supplied such heavily contaminated fuel without some way to separate the water from the diesel before it reaches the engine. A known solution to this problem is to provide a fuel filter with a collection trough for collecting water which can be drained during regular vehicle service intervals. Whilst this solution is practical in environments where only a very small volume of water is found in the diesel, the fuel filter can soon be overwhelmed with water where a substantial volume is found in the diesel.

If the supply of diesel fuel is contaminated with as much as 10% water, a water purge every 10 000 to 15 000 miles or so is entirely inadequate in preventing the problems described above. In the case of such extreme water contamination of the fuel, the water collection trough in such a filter would be overwhelmed after just one tank of fuel had passed through the filter. In such cases the vehicle user may not realize that the supply of fuel is to blame for the subsequent degradation of vehicle performance and may potentially suffer repeated damage if they continue to use the same source of contaminated fuel. Such scenarios are not uncommon in some markets. This leads to high warranty costs on behalf of the vehicle manufacturer and an understandable reluctance by the market to adopt modern engine technologies whose reputation for reliability is unfairly tarnished by reports of breakdowns.

It is an object of the present inventions to at least mitigate some of the above problems.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided, a fuel filtration apparatus for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the apparatus having a fuel filter comprising a main body including a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet and a water collection portion, wherein the water collection portion includes a sensor for determining the level of water within the water collection portion.

Advantageously, this feature allows the user of the vehicle to monitor the volume of water within the fuel filter. By allowing the level of water in the filter to be monitored, the driver is able to ensure that the filter is purged of water before the water rises to a level where it would overwhelm the filter with the attendant risk of water contaminating the fuel system. This greatly reduces the risk of serious damage to the fuel system and engine.

In an example, the fuel filtration apparatus further comprises: a control means; and a global positioning system (GPS) arranged to determine the location of the apparatus, wherein upon the level of water exceeding a pre-determined level, the control means is arranged to generate a warning comprising the location of the apparatus when the pre-determined water level was exceeded.

Advantageously, this feature allows the user to determine the source of contaminated fuel so that they may avoid using that source in the future.

In an example, the fuel filtration apparatus comprises a memory, arranged to store the warnings generated by the control means and, wherein the warnings are stored on the memory in the form of fault codes.

Advantageously, the memory is configured to provide the apparatus with a diagnostic function which may be interrogated during regular maintenance of the apparatus, allowing maintenance personnel to determine the frequency of use by the user of a contaminated fuel source. A memory arranged to store data relating to the water level in the filter and the location of the apparatus at the time, may provide valuable field data for the development of future fuel systems. Additionally, this data may be used by the relevant authorities to police contaminate fuel sources.

In an example, the fuel filtration apparatus comprises a warning indicator, wherein the warning generated by the control means is made known to the user by the warning indicator.

Advantageously, this system allows the driver to be continually informed of the level of water within the fuel filter, ensuring that the user takes the appropriate action to purge water from the filter before the level of water in the diesel causes damage to the fuel system or the engine. In addition, the provision of a warning indicator provides the user with an increased level of detail regarding the condition of the fuel filter and thus the quality of the fuel. This serves to provide the user with increased notice of impending maintenance requirements and allows them to plan a suitable maintenance schedule accordingly.

In an example, the warning comprises an identification of the location of the apparatus when the pre-determined level of water was exceeded.

In an example, the sensor defines at least two level probes, each probe being arranged to detect the presence of water at a respective predetermined level.

In an example, the level sensor defines four level probes.

In an example, the level probes comprise a conductivity probe.

In an example, the fuel filtration apparatus comprises a conductive base arranged in use to connect electrically to each conductivity probe when the water reaches the respective predetermined level.

Advantageously, the provision of a sensor with at least two predetermined probes allows the user to have advanced warning of the rising water level in the filter.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for monitoring the level of water in a fuel filter, the system including an apparatus according to the paragraphs above, the system further comprising a fuel tank having a fuel volume sensor arranged to determine the volume of fuel stored within the fuel tank.

In an example, the control means is in communication with the fuel volume sensor and stores the location of the system upon determining an increase in the volume of fuel stored in the tank.

In an example, the warning or fault code generated by the control means further comprises the location of the system when the control means determined an increase in the volume of fuel stored in the tank.

n an example, the control means is configured to record the location of a filling station upon filling of the vehicle fuel tank, the controller further configured to generate an indication to the user of a partial volume of water within the volume of fuel acquired from said filling station.

Advantageously, this allows the driver of the vehicle to monitor the quality of the diesel purchased from various filling stations, and thereby to avoid repeated use of filling stations selling fuel contaminated with water and thus ensure that the quality of the diesel is as high as possible.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle comprising a fuel filtration apparatus and/or a system according to any of the proceeding paragraphs.

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 is a partial sectioned view of a fuel filtration apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial section detailed view of an inlet portion of the fuel filtration apparatus of figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a system for monitoring the level of water in a vehicle fuel filter according to a second aspect of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows an example of a fuel filtration apparatus for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention. The fuel filtration apparatus comprises a fuel filter 10. The fuel filter 10 is shown having an outer casing in the form of main body 12 which has an upright cylindrical wall 14, a base 16 and a top comprising a fuel inlet and outlet (not shown for clarity). The outer casing 12 surrounds a cylindrical filter element 20 which extends between the base 16 and the top of the filter 10.

Positioned at the centre of the base 16 is a purge portion indicated generally at 22 having a purge line connector 24 and a sensor portion indicated generally at 26, the purpose of which will be described in greater detail shortly. The sensor portion 26 is raised above the base 16 of the filter 10 to form a circumferential trough 28 which acts as a collection point for water entering the filter 10 as will be described in greater detail shortly. The fuel filter is connected to a fuel line (not shown) by way of the fuel inlet and outlet in a known manner.

Turning now to Figure 2 which shows the purge portion 22 in greater detail, a cup 30 extends towards the top from the base 16 and defines a series of apertures 32.

Positioned within the sensor portion 26 is a level sensor indicated generally at 34. The sensor has a series of level probes in the form of conductive probes 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D which are positioned within the cup 30. The four conductive probes have a conductive tip (not shown for clarity) which is electrically connected to a sensor base strip 38. The four conductive probes 36 each have a different height within the cup 30 the purpose of which will be described in further detail shortly. The sensor base strip 38 is electrically linked to a sensor connector 40 positioned on an inner surface of the purge line connector 24 to transmit water level data from the level sensor to a processor (not shown). The conductive probes 36 and the sensor base strip 38 are formed from a printed circuit board (PCB) or other known manufacturing process.

In use, fuel is pumped into the fuel filter 10 by a fuel pump and enters the filter 10 via the inlet (not shown). The fuel is then directed through the filter element 20 before exiting the fuel filter 10 via the fuel outlet at the top of the filter 10. Upon entry to the filter 10, any water contained in the diesel settles initially in the trough 28 as a result of the relative densities of the water and diesel. Over time, the level of the water collecting in the trough 28 will increase as the water contained in the diesel entering the fuel filter separates out from the diesel to pool in the base of the filter 10. Once the trough 28 is full water begins to settle in the base of the cup 30.

As soon as the water reaches the conductive tip of the first conductive probe 36A, an electric circuit will be completed between the conductive tip and the sensor base strip 38 via the water. This causes a signal to be transmitted via the sensor connector 40 to a processor (not shown for clarity). The processor is arranged to calculate the extent to which the diesel has been contaminated by water based on the time taken for each conductive tip to register contact with water and the volumetric flow of fuel through the filter. This information may be used by maintenance personnel to diagnose potential vehicle problems early and may be displayed to the driver to inform them, by a visual dashboard warning, a vehicle fault code, and/or audible warning, that the level of water in the fuel filter 10 has reached a first level. Accordingly, as the level of water within the fuel filter 10 rises, so the conductive tip of the successive conductive probes 36B, C, D generates a signal via the sensor connector 40 to warn the driver of the increasing water level.

In this way, the driver of the vehicle is able to monitor whether the level ofwaterwithin the fuel filter 10 is approaching a critical level at which damage may be done to the fuel management system or the engine. The driver may then take appropriate action, either to purge the water from the fuel filter 10 themselves or to seek assistance at a qualified service station or authorised main dealer. Furthermore the provision of four level probes allows the driver a better indication of the extent of the problem, that isto say how quickly the filter 10 is filling with water. This will have the desired effect of reducing the risk of component failure or accelerated component wear whilst informing the user of behaviour, such as use of filling stations supplying contaminated fuel, which have an adverse affect on the reliability and performance of the vehicle.

Figure 3 shows a schematic view of an example of a system 100 for monitoring the level of water in a fuel filtration apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention. It will be noted that like reference numbers have been used for like components to aid clarity.

The system shown in Figure 3 comprises a fuel tank 150, fuel filter 110, a fuel pump 190, an internal combustion engine 200, an engine management unit 210, a global positioning system or GPS 170, system control means 160 and a warning indicator 180. In Figure 3, fuel lines are represented by thick lines and communication or electrical connections are represented by thin lines.

Fuel is supplied from the fuel tank 150 to the fuel filter 110 via a fuel inlet line 1 lOi.

Filtered fuel is drawn through the filter 110 by the pump 190. The pump 190 is supplied by fuel by a fuel outlet line 110g. The fuel pump 190 delivers fuel at the desired pressure to the internal combustion engine 200 via a fuel line 211, in dependence on a fuel pump command 195, controlled by the engine management unit 210.

The engine management unit 210 controls the operation of the engine 200 via an engine management harness 205. The engine management unit 210 not only controls the operation of the engine 200 but also monitors, via the engine management harness 205, numerous physical parameters such as coolant temperature and engine speed. The engine management unit 210 communicates with the control means 160 via an engine status communication line 215.

The fuel filter 110 comprises a purge portion 122, a purge line connector 124, a sensor portion 126, a trough 28, a cup 130 and a level sensor 134 which all function in the same way as components of the fuel filter of Figures 1 and 2. Also shown in the Figure is a purge line hOp, through which water separated from the fuel may be drained from the filter 110 in use. The level sensor 134, comprising a plurality of sensor probes, sends information regarding the water content of the fuel via a sensor link 115 to the control means 160.

The control means 160 is first activated in dependence on the user activating the engine 200 via a suitable engine management control such as an ignition switch (not shown). The control means 160 is connected to said engine management control via an ignition line 5. Upon activation, the control means 160 is arranged to perform a self diagnostic routine and perform a status diagnostic routine on the components of the system 100. If a problem is identified by the control means 160 with any of the components of the system 100 during the diagnostic routine, a fault code is generated by the control means 160 and displayed on the warning indicator 180.

The control means 160 is in constant communication with the sensor link 115 in use. If the level sensor 134 indicates that the level of water contained within the filter 110 is above a pre-determined threshold, the control system will intervene and not permit the engine management unit 210 initiating start-up of the engine 200 until the water has been purged from the fuel filter 110. This prevents the user inadvertently attempting to start the engine 200 with water in the filter 110 or fuel outlet line 1100.

The fuel tank 150 comprises a fuel sender assembly 152. The sender assembly 152 has a float mounted to a pivoted arm supported on a fuel level sensor. The position of the float varies relative to the fuel tank 150 in dependence on the level of fuel held within the tank 150. The sender assembly 152 sends fuel level information to the control means 160 via a sender harness 155. The control means 160 is arranged to determine a change in the volume of fuel held in the tank 150. If the user adds fuel to the tank 150 then the control means 160 will detect an increase in fuel volume by the information sent to the control means 160 by the sender assembly 152 via the sender harness 155.

In the example shown in Figure 3, the control means 160 is in communication with the warning indicator 180. The warning indicator 180 is arranged to display to the user information regarding the volume of fuel stored in the tank 150 and the approximate proportion of water contamination within that fuel. The warning indicator 180 receives information from the control means 160 via a warning output line 185.

The control means 160 is in communication with the GPS 170 via a GPS link 175. The control means 160 may be arranged to monitor the output of the GPS 170 constantly or in response to a pre-determined trigger. An appropriate trigger may be when the control means 160 determines the fuel volume held within the tank 150 has increased.

In this case, the control means identifies the location of the system 100 from the information sent by the GPS 170 via the GPS link 175 and generates a unique code. If the control means 160 is forced to intervene in the start-up of the engine 200 the user will be notified by a warning displayed on the warning indicator 180.

The code generated by the control means 160 may comprise information such as time, date, location and approximate volume of fuel added to the tank 150. In this way, service personnel analysing the code during vehicle maintenance can identify when contaminated fuel was used and the location of the filling station where the user acquired it.

By communication with the engine management unit 210 and the sender assembly 152, the control means 160 is able to generate an indicator of a partial volume of water within the fuel tank 150. This information may be presented to the driver in the form of a bar graph or similar graphical approximation of the percentage of water contamination in the fuel. This information may be stored by the processor and downloaded from the system 100 via a suitable diagnostic tool during scheduled maintenance at an authorised service facility.

In an alternative example, not shown, the system is not fitted with a GPS navigation system, but has instead a user interface arranged to permit the user to enter the details of the filling station manually. In this way, the control means may perform the same function as the system 100 of Figure 3, correlating the location of a filling station with fuel quality data.

Other advantage will be apparent to one skilled in the art and the present examples and embodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive. The invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A fuel filtration apparatus for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the apparatus having a fuel filter comprising a main body including a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet and a water collection portion, wherein the water collection portion includes a sensor for determining the level of water within the water collection portion.
2. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 1 further comprising: a control means; and a global positioning system (GPS) arranged to determine the location of the apparatus, wherein upon the level of water exceeding a pre-determined level, the control means is arranged to generate a warning comprising the location of the apparatus when the pre-determined water level was exceeded.
3. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 2, the fuel filtration apparatus further comprises a memory, arranged to store the warnings generated by the control means and, wherein the warnings are stored on the memory in the form of fault codes.
4. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 further comprising a warning indicator, wherein the warning generated by the control means is made known to the user by the warning indicator.
5. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the warning comprises an identification of the location of the apparatus when the pre-determined level of water was exceeded.
6. The fuel filtration apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the sensor defines at least two level probes, each probe being arranged to detect the presence of water at a respective predetermined level.
7. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the level probes comprise a conductivity probe.
8. The fuel filtration apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the apparatus further comprises a conductive base arranged in use to connect electrically to each conductivity probe when the water reaches the respective predetermined level.
9. A system for monitoring the level of water in a fuel filter, the system including an apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 8, the system further comprising a fuel tank having a fuel volume sensor arranged to determine the volume of fuel stored within the fuel tank.
10. The system according to Claim 9 wherein the control means is in communication with the fuel volume sensor and stores the location of the system upon determining an increase in the volume of fuel stored in the tank.
11. The system according to Claim 10, wherein the warning or fault code generated by the control means further comprises the location of the system when the control means determined an increase in the volume of fuel stored in the tank.
12. The system of any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the control means is configured to record the location of a filling station upon filling of the vehicle fuel tank, the controller further configured to generate an indication to the user of a partial volume of water within the volume of fuel acquired from said filling station.
13. A vehicle comprising a fuel filtration apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8.
14. A vehicle comprising a system according to any of claims 9 to 12.