Fluid level measurement
AssigneeThermo King Corporation
InventorsPierce D. Kennedy, Robert Michael Lattin, Erich A. Lucht
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for determining a fluid consumption rate from a fluid tank is described. The fluid tank includes a fuel for an internal combustion engine and the internal combustion engine provides power to a powered system. The method includes determining instantaneous fluid consumption; determining an operating condition of the powered system, the powered system providing a load on the internal combustion engine; determining the load on the internal combustion engine and a state of the internal combustion engine; and calculating the fluid consumption rate based on the instantaneous fuel consumption, the load on the internal combustion engine, and the state of the internal combustion engine.
Claims20
A method for determining a fluid consumption rate indicating a fluid consumption rate of a fluid in a fluid tank, the fluid tank including a fuel for an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine providing power to a powered system, the method comprising:
- determining instantaneous fluid consumption;
- determining an operating condition of the powered system, the operating condition being based on a current state of the powered system, the powered system providing a load on the internal combustion engine;
- determining the load on the internal combustion engine and a state of the internal combustion engine;
- and
- calculating the fluid consumption rate based on the instantaneous fuel consumption, the load on the internal combustion engine, and the state of the internal combustion engine.
A system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine having a governor and a fuel rack, the governor and the fuel rack collectively controlling an amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine;
- a powered system to be powered by the internal combustion engine;
- a coupling means that connects the internal combustion engine to the powered system;
- and
- a controller that controls one or more operations of the internal combustion engine and/or the powered system, wherein the controller calculates a fuel consumption rate based on instantaneous fuel consumption, a load on the internal combustion engine, and one or more operating conditions that are based on a current state of the powered system.
A transport refrigeration system (TRS), comprising:
- a transport unit;
- an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine having a governor and a fuel rack, the governor and the fuel rack collectively controlling an amount of fuel provided to the internal combustion engine;
- a powered system to be powered by the internal combustion engine;
- a coupling means that connects the internal combustion engine to the powered system;
- and
- a controller that controls one or more operations of the internal combustion engine and/or the powered system, wherein the controller calculates a fuel consumption rate based on instantaneous fuel consumption, a load on the internal combustion engine, and one or more operating conditions that are based on a current state of the powered system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.