JP2009184475A - Fuel quality determining device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel quality determining device capable of exactly determining whether fuel in a fuel tank has poor quality or not. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel quality determining device comprises a level sensor 3 provided inside of the fuel tank 2 and detecting a liquid level at a saturated position of fuel F, a pressure sensor 4 provided on a bottom surface inside of the fuel tank 2 and detecting the pressure of the fuel on the bottom surface, a fuel density calculating portion 7 calculating the density of the fuel F by using the sensor output of the level sensor 3 and the pressure sensor 4, and a determining portion 8 determining whether the density of the fuel F calculated by the fuel density calculating portion 7 is included in a predetermined range or not. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel quality determination device that determines the quality of fuel supplied to a fuel tank.

  Conventionally, in a fuel for a moving body such as a construction machine, an inferior fuel mixed with impurities (for example, kerosene) that are not suitable for the fuel may be used. If poor fuel is used, the output of the engine, which is the drive source, may be reduced, leading to engine failure. In order to solve such a problem, a technique for controlling the maximum absorption torque of a hydraulic pump so that the load factor of the engine is maintained at a target value when the output of the engine is reduced due to use of poor fuel is disclosed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-190582 A

  However, since the above prior art is a technique that copes with a decrease in engine output due to the use of poor fuel, etc., it has not been possible to determine whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank is bad fuel. For this reason, in the said prior art, use of poor fuel could not be prevented beforehand.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can accurately determine whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank is bad fuel, and can prevent the use of bad fuel. An object is to provide a fuel quality determination device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a fuel quality determination device according to the present invention is a fuel quality determination device that determines the quality of fuel supplied to a fuel tank, and is provided inside the fuel tank. A level sensor for detecting a liquid level of the fuel, a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of the fuel on the bottom surface of the fuel tank, and sensor outputs of the level sensor and the pressure sensor. Density calculating means for calculating the density of the fuel by using and a determining means for determining whether or not the density of the fuel calculated by the density calculating means is included in a predetermined range. And

  In the fuel quality determination apparatus according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the level sensor detects a liquid level in a state where the fuel reaches a specified amount in the fuel tank.

  Moreover, the fuel quality determination device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the fuel quality determination device further comprises an output means for displaying or outputting information according to the determination result of the determination means.

  According to the fuel quality determination device of the present invention, a level sensor that detects the fuel level inside the fuel tank, a pressure sensor that detects the fuel pressure on the bottom surface inside the fuel tank, the level sensor, and the pressure sensor A fuel density calculating means for calculating the density of the fuel using the sensor output, and a determining means for determining whether or not the fuel density calculated by the density calculating means is within a predetermined range. The quality of the fuel supplied to the fuel tank can be determined based on the density of the fuel. Therefore, it can be accurately determined whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank is poor fuel, and the use of bad fuel can be prevented in advance.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of a main part of a fuel quality determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A fuel quality determination apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus for determining the quality of fuel F supplied to a fuel tank 2, and is provided inside the fuel tank 2 so that the fuel F supplied to the fuel tank 2 has a specified amount. A level sensor 3 that detects the level of the fuel F when the full tank position is reached, and a pressure sensor 4 that is provided on the bottom surface inside the fuel tank 2 and detects the fuel pressure on the bottom surface of the fuel tank 2. And a monitoring device 5 that performs various processes including quality determination of the fuel F in the fuel tank 2 using the sensor outputs of the level sensor 3 and the pressure sensor 4.

  The monitoring device 5 includes an input unit 6 that receives input of model information of the fuel tank 2, and the density (mass per unit volume) of the fuel F stored in the fuel tank 2 based on the sensor outputs of the level sensor 3 and the pressure sensor 4. ), A determination unit 8 that determines the quality of the fuel F in the fuel tank 2 using the calculation result of the fuel density calculation unit 7, a fuel amount of the fuel F in the fuel tank 2, It includes an output unit 9 that displays or outputs various types of information including the determination result of the determination unit 8, a control unit 10 that controls the operation of the monitor device 5, model information of the fuel tank 2, and information related to quality determination processing of the fuel F. And a storage unit 11 for storing various information.

  The level sensor 3 is a float type or optical type detector.

  The output unit 9 includes a fuel gauge 91 that displays the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 2 and a buzzer 92 that outputs an alarm when the determination unit 8 determines that the fuel F is poor fuel.

  The storage unit 11 stores model information 111 of the fuel tank 2, density information 112 of regular fuel, and the like.

  The fuel quality determination device 1 and the fuel tank 2 having the above configuration are mounted on a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator, for example.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the fuel quality determination process performed by the fuel quality determination apparatus 1. When the fuel F is supplied to the fuel tank 2, the fuel quality determination device 1 also determines the quality of the supplied fuel F. For this reason, in the following description, it demonstrates on the assumption that the fuel supply to the fuel tank 2 is performed until the tank is full. Whether or not the fuel F is full may be detected by using the level sensor 3 or may be detected by the fuel supply device that supplies the fuel F.

  In the fuel quality determination device 1, when the level sensor 3 is turned on (step S1, Yes), the fuel density calculation unit 7 reads the sensor output (A / D conversion value) P of the pressure sensor 4 (step S2). . On the other hand, when the level sensor 3 is not turned on (step S1, No), that is, when the fuel F is being refueled, the fuel quality determination device 1 is in a standby state.

  Subsequently, the fuel density calculation unit 7 calculates the density ρ of the fuel F supplied (step S3). Specifically, the fuel density calculation unit 7 uses the read output P of the pressure sensor 4 and also uses the depth hmax of the fuel F and the gravitational acceleration g at the full tank position respectively stored in the storage unit 11. Then, the density ρ = P / (g · hmax) of the fuel F is calculated.

  Next, the determination unit 8 determines whether or not the value of the density ρ calculated by the fuel density calculation unit 7 is included in a predetermined normal range (ρmin <ρ <ρmax) (step S4). The upper limit value ρmax and the lower limit value ρmin of the density referred to here are stored as a part of the density information 112 by the storage unit 11 and give the density range that the regular fuel should satisfy. When the determination unit 8 determines that the value of the density ρ is included in the normal range described above (Yes in step S4), the fuel quality determination device 1 ends the fuel quality determination process. On the other hand, as a result of the determination by the determination unit 8, if the value of the density ρ deviates from the normal range (step S4, No), the fuel quality determination device 1 outputs an alarm from the buzzer 92 of the output unit 9 ( Step S5), the fuel quality determination process is terminated.

  As a result of determination by the determination unit 8 in step S5, the output unit 9 also outputs information for notifying the determination result even when the fuel F is found to be regular fuel (step S4, Yes). Also good.

  According to the fuel quality determination apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the level sensor that detects the fuel level inside the fuel tank and the pressure that detects the fuel pressure on the bottom surface inside the fuel tank. A sensor, density calculating means for calculating the density of the fuel using sensor outputs of the level sensor and the pressure sensor, and determining means for determining whether or not the fuel density calculated by the density calculating means is within a predetermined range; Therefore, the quality of the fuel supplied to the fuel tank can be determined based on the density of the fuel. Therefore, it can be accurately determined whether or not the fuel in the fuel tank is poor fuel, and the use of bad fuel can be prevented in advance.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described so far, but the present invention should not be limited only by the above-described embodiment. For example, even if the determination result by the determination unit is normal, if the fuel density ρ has a value near the lower limit value ρmin or the upper limit value ρmax of the normal range, a small amount of mixture is included. There is a possibility. Therefore, among the fuels determined to be regular fuels, the fuel usage amount is stored on the monitoring device side for the fuel having a density that is smaller than the predetermined value by the difference between the lower limit value ρmin or the upper limit value ρmax, and the usage amount An alarm may be output from the output unit when the integrated value exceeds a predetermined value. This makes it possible to carry out maintenance before the construction machine is seriously damaged.

  Further, the specified amount in the fuel tank detected by the level sensor may be other than full. That is, the position of the level sensor provided in the fuel tank may be other than the full fuel position.

  Note that the present invention is also applicable to a moving body other than a construction machine. The present invention can also be applied for determining the quality of fuel used for products other than moving objects.

  Thus, the present invention can include various embodiments and the like not described herein, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea specified by the claims. It is possible to apply.

It is a figure which shows the function structure of the principal part of the fuel quality determination apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of the fuel quality determination process which the fuel quality determination apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention performs.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel quality determination apparatus 2 Fuel tank 3 Level sensor 4 Pressure sensor 5 Monitor apparatus 6 Input part 7 Fuel density calculation part 8 Determination part 9 Output part 10 Control part 11 Storage part 91 Fuel gauge 92 Alarm buzzer 111 Model information 112 Density information F fuel

Claims (3)

A fuel quality determination device for determining the quality of fuel supplied to a fuel tank,
A level sensor that is provided inside the fuel tank and detects a level of the fuel;
A pressure sensor provided on a bottom surface inside the fuel tank and detecting the pressure of the fuel on the bottom surface;
Fuel density calculating means for calculating the density of the fuel by using sensor outputs of the level sensor and the pressure sensor;
Determining means for determining whether or not the density of the fuel calculated by the fuel density calculating means is included in a predetermined range;
A fuel quality judging device comprising: The level sensor is
2. The fuel quality determination device according to claim 1, wherein a liquid level in a state where the fuel reaches a specified amount in the fuel tank is detected. The fuel quality determination device according to claim 1, further comprising: an output unit that displays or outputs information according to a determination result of the determination unit.

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