Integrated fuel composition and pressure sensor
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsArturo Sebastian Fernandez Lara, Manuel Iván Calderón Delgado, Enrique Lopez Hernandez, Diego Cabrera Padilla, Said Alan Sánchez Martínez
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for an integrated fuel composition-pressure sensor. In one example, the integrated sensor may include a set of cylindrical capacitors and a set of plate capacitors with a common capacitor element shared between the sets. A composition of fuel may be determined from the set of cylindrical capacitors and a pressure of fuel may be determined from the set of plate capacitors.
Claims18
An integrated fuel composition and pressure sensor, comprising:
- a nested set of cylindrical capacitors concentrically arranged and spaced apart from one another, where the nested set of cylindrical capacitors is adapted to receive a flow of fluid axially through each capacitor of the nested set of cylindrical capacitors;
- wherein the set of cylindrical capacitors includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, the outer cylinder surrounding the inner cylinder, and wherein a portion of the outer cylinder is a common capacitor element;
- and
- a plate capacitor forming a set with the common capacitor element, wherein the common capacitor element is shared between the nested set of cylindrical capacitors and the plate capacitor set.
A method, comprising;
- flowing a fuel through a fuel line and through a sensor arranged in the fuel line;
- estimating a fuel composition of the fuel from a first signal generated from a change in capacitance between a nested set of cylindrical capacitors of the sensor which are arranged concentrically with one another and positioned in a flow path of the fuel, wherein the nested set of cylindrical capacitors includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, the outer cylinder surrounding the inner cylinder, and wherein a common capacitor element is a portion of the outer cylinder;
- and
- estimating a pressure of the fuel from a second signal generated from a second change in capacitance between a plate capacitor and the common capacitor element and based on the first signal.
A fuel system, comprising;
- a fuel line coupling a fuel tank to an engine;
- and
- an integrated sensing device arranged in the fuel line, in line with a path of fuel flow through the fuel line, the device including:
- a nested set of cylindrical capacitors formed by concentrically arranged, inner and outer cylindrical capacitors, the outer cylindrical capacitor surrounding the inner cylindrical capacitor;
- and
- a static plate capacitor arranged outside of the path of fuel flow and forming a static plate capacitor set with a portion of the outer cylindrical capacitor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.