Controlling a viscosity of fuel in a fuel control system with a vibratory meter
AssigneeMicro Motion, Inc.
InventorsPatrick John Zimmer, Steven M Jones, John Ansdell Houghton, Paul Benedetti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a viscosity of fuel in a fuel control system with a vibratory meter is provided. The method includes providing the fuel to the vibratory meter, measuring a property of the fuel with the vibratory meter, and generating a signal based on the measured property of the fuel. The method also includes providing the signal to a temperature control unit configured to control the temperature of the fuel provided to the vibratory meter.
Claims8
A Coriolis flow meter for controlling a viscosity in a fuel control system with the Coriolis flow meter, the Coriolis flow meter comprising:
- a meter assembly fluidly coupled to a fuel line between a temperature control unit and an engine;
- a meter electronics communicatively coupled to the meter assembly, wherein the meter electronics is configured to:
- measure a density of the fuel with the meter assembly;
- measure a temperature control unit viscosity of the fuel using a temperature control unit coupled to the fuel line;
- determine a Coriolis flow meter viscosity of the fuel based on the density of the fuel using an empirically determined viscosity-density relationship of the fluid;
- generate a signal based on the Coriolis flow meter viscosity of the fuel;
- and
- provide the signal to the temperature control unit configured to control an engine viscosity of the fuel by controlling the temperature of the fuel provided to the Coriolis flow meter based on the Coriolis flow meter viscosity and the temperature control unit viscosity to compensate for heat loss between the Coriolis flow meter and the temperature control unit.
A fuel control system configured to control a viscosity of fuel in the fuel control system with a Coriolis flow meter, comprising:
- the Coriolis flow meter fluidly and communicatively coupled to a fuel line between a temperature control unit and an engine, and configured to measure the density of the fuel;
- and
- the temperature control unit configured to receive fuel from a fuel source and communicatively and fluidly coupled to the Coriolis flow meter, wherein the temperature control unit is configured to:
- measure a temperature control unit viscosity of the fuel;
- receive a signal from the Coriolis flow meter;
- and
- control the engine viscosity of the fuel by controlling the temperature of the fuel based on a Coriolis flow viscosity and the temperature control unit viscosity to compensate for heat loss between the Coriolis flow meter and the temperature control unit;
- wherein the Coriolis flow meter viscosity of the fuel is based on the density of the fuel and an empirically determined viscosity-density relationship of the fluid, and the signal comprises at least one of the density of the fuel or the Coriolis flow meter viscosity of the fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.