Back to results
US 4,402,212 AGranted
Octane number measuring system
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorW. Ves Childs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
First and second reference fuels having different known octane numbers and a test fuel having an unknown octane number are each provided individually to the fuel inlet of an engine at a desired flow rate. The sample valve is utilized to inject test fuel into a fuel flowing to the fuel inlet of the engine so as to be able to determine the octane number of a test fuel based on only a small sample.
Claims9
Apparatus comprising:
- a sample valve means having at least first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ports, said first and second ports being in fluid communication with each other, said third and fourth ports being in fluid communication with each other and said fifth and sixth ports being in fluid communication with each other when said sample valve means is in a first position and said first and sixth ports being in fluid communication with each other, said second and third ports being in fluid communication with each other and said fourth and fifth ports being in fluid communication with each other when said sample valve means is in a second position, said second and fifth ports being connected in fluid communication with each other through a sample loop;
- means for supplying at least a first reference fuel having a first known octane number and a second reference fuel having a second known octane number different from said first known octane number to the third port of said sample valve means;
- means for supplying a test fuel having an unknown octane number to the first port of said sample valve means;
- an engine means having a fuel inlet;
- means for supplying fuel from said fourth port to the fuel inlet of said engine means;
- means for actuating said sample valve means to change the position of said sample valve means;
- and
- means for establishing a first signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine means when said first reference fuel is flowing to said third port and said sample valve means is in said first position, for establishing a second signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine means when said second reference fuel is flowing to said third port and said sample valve means is in said first position, and for establishing a third signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine means when said sample valve means is actuated from said first position to said second position so as to supply said test fuel from said sample loop to said engine means.
5 more elements
A method for determining the octane number of a test fuel comprising the steps of:
- providing a first reference fuel, having a first known octane number, at a desired flow rate to the third port of a sample valve having at least first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ports, said first and second ports being in fluid communication with each other, said third and fourth ports being in fluid communication with each other and said fifth and sixth ports being in fluid communication with each other when said sample valve is in a first position and said first and sixth ports being in fluid communication, said second and third ports being in fluid communication and said fourth and fifth ports being in fluid communication when said sample valve is in a second position, said second and fifth ports being connected in fluid communication with each other through a sample loop and said fourth port being connected in fluid communication with the fuel inlet of an engine;
- establishing a first signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine when said first reference fuel is flowing to said third port and said sample valve is in said first position;
- providing a second reference fuel, having a second known octane number different from said first known octane number, at a desired flow rate to said third port;
- establishing a second signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine when said second reference fuel is flowing to said third port and said sample valve is in said first position;
- providing a test fuel, having an unknown octane number, to said first port of said sample valve to thereby fill said sample loop with said test fuel;
- actuating said sample valve to said second position after said sample loop is filled with said test fuel and while said second reference fuel is flowing to said third port at a desired flow rate for said test fuel to thereby inject the test fuel contained in said sample loop in said second reference fuel so as to provide the test fuel contained in said sample loop at a desired flow rate to said engine;
- establishing a third signal representative of the rate of change of the cylinder pressure in said engine when said test fuel is flowing to the fuel inlet of said engine;
- and
- establishing the octane number of said test fuel in response to said first, second and third signals.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.