# US 11,441,496 B2 · Fuel consumption calculation of a fuel and water mixture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,496 B2 - Document ID: US11441496B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/303,046 - Filed: 2017-06-06 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-09 - Assignees: Micro Motion, Inc. - Applicants: Micro Motion, Inc. - Inventors: Christopher Douglas Hill; Patrick John Zimmer; Taylor Robert Scott - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441496B2 ## CPC - F02D 19/088: {by estimation, i.e. without using direct measurements of a corresponding sensor} - F02M 25/0225: {Water atomisers or mixers, e.g. using ultrasonic waves} - F02M 25/025: Adding water - G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid - G01F 1/84: Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters - G01F 1/86: Indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density, temperature or pressure - B63H 21/38: Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like ({in outboard drives B63H20/001; } lubricating or cooling machines or engines in general F01 - F04) - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A fuel control system (300) for fuel consumption calculation for a fuel and water mixture is provided. The fuel control system (300) includes a mixer (330), a fuel source (310) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330), the fuel source (310) being configured to measure a flow of fuel to the mixer (330), a water source (315) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330), the water source (315) being configured to measure a flow of water to the mixer (330), and a mixture flow meter (5) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330). The mixture flow meter (5) is configured to receive and measure properties of a fuel/water mixture from the mixer (330). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel control system (300) for fuel consumption calculation for a fuel and water mixture, the fuel control system (300) comprising: a mixer (330); a fuel source (310) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330), the fuel source (310) being configured to measure a flow of fuel to the mixer (330); a water source (315) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330), the water source (315) being configured to measure a flow of water to the mixer (330); a mixture flow meter (5) fluidly coupled to the mixer (330), the mixture flow meter (5) being configured to receive and measure properties of a fuel/water mixture from the mixer (330); and a controller (360) communicatively coupled to the fuel source (310), the water source (315), and the mixture flow meter (5), said controller (360) being configured to calculate a fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel, the measured flow of the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixture provided by the mixture flow meter (5); wherein the controller (360) being configured to calculate the fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel, the measured flow of the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixture comprises the controller (360) being configured to calculate the fuel consumption based on equation: SFOC = [ α K * Be * Q TEST Q CONT ] - EDP , where: SFOC=specific fuel oil consumption (g/kWh); OTEST=net calorific value of the fuel oil during test (MJ/kg); OCONT=net calorific value of the fuel oil during the engine's baseline characterization (MJ/kg), which may be referred to as factory acceptance test; α=power adjustment factor; K=ratio of indicated power; Be=fuel oil consumption on test bed (g/kWh); and EDP=Engine driven pumps (g/kWh). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the net calorific content of the fuel during test (QTEST) is updated using the following equation: QNEW=(QFUEL*mFUEL)+(QWATER*mWATER); where: QNEW=calorific content of the fuel/water mixture; QFUEL=calorific content value of fuel oil; QWATER=calorific content value of water; mFUEL=mass flow concentration factor of fuel; and mWATER=mass flow concentration factor of water. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the controller (360) being configured to calculate a fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel, the measured flow of the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixture comprises the controller (360) being configured to calculate a mass flow concentration factor of the fuel (mFUEL) and a mass flow concentration factor of the water (mWATER) based on the measured flow of the fuel, the measured flow of the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixture provided by the mixture flow meter (5). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the water source (315) comprises a water source flow meter (5w) and the fuel source (310) comprises a fuel source flow meter (5f). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the water source (315) being configured to measure the flow of water comprises the water source (315) being configured to measure a mass flow of the water (mFLOW WATER) and the fuel source (310) being configured to measure the flow of the fuel comprises the fuel source (310) being configured to measure a mass flow of fuel (mFLOW FUEL). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the mixture flow meter (5) being configured to receive and measure properties of a fuel/water mixture from the mixer (330) comprises the mixture flow meter (5) being configured to measure a mass flow of the fuel/water mixture (mFLOW TOTAL). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel control system (300) of claim 1, wherein the measured flow of the fuel and the measured flow of the water are volume flow rates, and wherein the fuel source (310) is further configured to measure a density of the flow of the fuel, the water source (315) is further configured to measure a density of the flow of the water, and the properties of the fuel/water mixture comprise at least one of a volume flow rate and a density of the fuel/water mixture. ### Claim 8 A method of calculating a fuel consumption of a fuel and water mixture, the method comprising: flowing a fuel/water mixture; measuring a flow of the fuel/water mixture; measuring a flow of the fuel and a flow of the water in the fuel/water mixture; and calculating a fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel, the measured flow of the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixtures; wherein calculating the fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel and the water comprises calculating the fuel consumption based on equation: SFOC = [ α K * Be * Q TEST Q CONT ] - EDP , where: SFOC=specific fuel oil consumption (g/kWh); OTEST=net calorific value of the fuel oil during test (MJ/kg); OCONT=net calorific value of the fuel oil during the engine's baseline characterization (MJ/kg), which may be referred to as factory acceptance test; α=power adjustment factor; K=ratio of indicated power; Be=fuel oil consumption on test bed (g/kWh); and EDP=Engine driven pumps (g/kWh). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the net calorific content of the fuel during test (QTEST) is updated using the following equation: QNEW=(QFUEL*mFUEL)+(QWATER*mWATER); where: QNEW=calorific content of the fuel/water mixture; QFUEL=calorific content value of fuel oil; QWATER=calorific content value of water; mFUEL=mass flow concentration factor of fuel; and mWATER=mass flow concentration factor of water. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein calculating a fuel consumption based on the measured flow of the fuel and the water comprises calculating a mass flow concentration factor of the fuel (mFUEL) and a mass flow concentration factor of the water (mWATER) based on the measured flow of the fuel and the water, and the measured flow of the fuel/water mixture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the flow of the fuel and the water comprises measuring a mass flow of the water (mFLOW WATER) and measuring a mass flow of fuel (mFLOW FUEL). ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the flow rate of the fuel and the water comprises measuring a mass flow of the fuel/water mixture (mFLOW TOTAL). ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the measured flow of the fuel and the measured flow of the water are volume flow rates, and wherein the method further comprises measuring a density of at least one of the flow of the fuel and the flow of the water.