Systems and methods for supplying fuel to a vehicle

A system for supplying fuel to a fuel tank of a vehicle, comprising:

• a fuel line configured to supply fuel to the fuel tank of the vehicle, wherein a flow of the fuel in the fuel line causes an accumulation of an electrostatic charge on a surface of the fuel in the tank;
• an ionization radiation source configured to expose an air medium in the fuel tank to ionizing radiation;
• a sensor configured to determine a level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank and generate a sensor signal indicating the determined level of ionization;
• and
• a control device in communication with the sensor and configured to:
• cause the fuel line to supply the fuel to the fuel tank at an initial rate of fuel flow,
• cause the ionization radiation source to expose the air medium in the fuel tank to the ionizing radiation and increase the level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank, wherein the ionization radiation source is positioned relative to the fuel tank such that the ionization radiation source transmits the ionizing radiation through an interior space of the fuel tank to increase the level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank, wherein the ionization radiation source is configured to expose the air medium in the fuel tank to the ionizing radiation before supplying, via the fuel line, fuel to the fuel tank of the vehicle at the initial rate of fuel flow,
• receive the sensor signal indicating the determined level of ionization,
• determine an increased rate of fuel flow based on a difference between the determined level of ionization and a baseline level of ionization, wherein the electrostatic charge accumulated on the surface of the fuel dissipates at an increased rate when the determined level of ionization of the air medium is higher than the baseline level of ionization, and
• cause the fuel line to supply the fuel to the fuel tank at the determined increased rate of fuel flow to reduce a time for supplying the fuel to the fuel tank.

A method of supplying fuel to a fuel tank of a vehicle, comprising:

• supplying, via a fuel line, fuel to the fuel tank of the vehicle at an initial rate of fuel flow, wherein supplying the fuel causes an electrostatic charge to accumulate on a surface of the fuel in the fuel tank;
• exposing, using an ionization radiation source, an air medium in the fuel tank to ionizing radiation to increase a level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank and thereby increase a rate of dissipation of the electrostatic charge accumulated on the surface of the fuel, wherein the ionization radiation source is positioned relative to the fuel tank such that the ionization radiation source transmits the ionizing radiation through an interior space of the fuel tank to increase the level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank;
• responsive to exposing the air medium in the fuel tank to the ionizing radiation, determining the level of ionization of the air medium in the fuel tank;
• determining an increased rate of fuel flow based on a difference between the determined level of ionization and a baseline level of ionization, wherein the electrostatic charge accumulated on the surface of the fuel dissipates at an increased rate when the determined level of ionization of the air medium is higher than the baseline level of ionization;
• and
• supplying, via the fuel line, the fuel to the fuel tank at the determined increased rate of fuel flow to reduce a time for supplying the fuel to the fuel tank,
• wherein exposing the fuel tank to the ionizing radiation comprises inserting a nozzle of the fuel line into the fuel tank, wherein the nozzle comprises the ionization radiation source, and
• wherein inserting the nozzle of the fuel line into the fuel tank comprises inserting the ionization radiation source through a fuel inlet of the fuel tank such that the ionization radiation source extends into the interior space of the fuel tank.