# US 5,701,863 A · Aqueous fuel emulsion identification system and anti-tampering device for an internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,701,863 A - Document ID: US5701863A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/778,928 - Filed: 1997-01-03 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1997-01-03 - Assignees: Caterpillar Inc. - Inventors: Richard A. Cemenska; Gerald N. Coleman; James E. Sibley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701863A ## CPC - F02M 25/0228: {Adding fuel and water emulsion} - F02D 17/04: rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions (dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14) - F02D 19/12: peculiar to engines working with non-fuel substances or with anti-knock agents, e.g. with anti-knock fuel - F02M 25/0227: {Control aspects; Arrangement of sensors; Diagnostics; Actuators} - G01N 33/2829: {Mixtures of fuels} - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A system and method for the identification of the fuel being transported within a fuel delivery system of an internal combustion engine that may utilize an advanced fuel such as a fuel in water emulsion is provided. The identification of the fuel is accomplished using a fuel identification sensor that distinguishes the fuel type based on differences in optical properties, electrical properties, physical properties, or other characteristics between an aqueous fuel emulsion and a conventional fuel. The disclosed fuel identification device is readily incorporated in an anti-tampering device for preventing the use of a conventional fuel, such as diesel fuel, in an engine designed and certified for aqueous fuel emulsions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anti-tampering device for preventing the use of selected fuels in an internal combustion engine adapted to use an aqueous fuel emulsion, said anti-tampering device comprising: a fuel identification sensor adapted to detect selected characteristics of the fuel in a fuel delivery system of said engine; a control unit responsive to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to differentiate between said aqueous fuel emulsion and fuels other than said aqueous fuel emulsion and produce a signal that disables said engine when said fuel identification sensor identifies said fuel as being other than said aqueous fuel emulsion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The anti-tampering device of claim 1 wherein said fuel identification sensor is an optical sensor adapted to detect optical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The anti-tampering device of claim 1 wherein said fuel identification sensor is a device adapted to detect selected electrical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The anti-tampering device of claim 1 wherein said fuel identification sensor is a device adapted to detect selected physical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The anti-tampering device of claim 1 further comprising a countercheck detector operatively coupled to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to indicate if said fuel identification sensor has been altered or otherwise disabled. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The anti-tampering device of claim 5 wherein said countercheck detector includes a fuel flow measurement device operatively coupled to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to indicate if said fuel flow proximate said fuel identification sensor has been diverted. ### Claim 7 A fuel identification system for preventing the use of selected fuels in an internal combustion engine adapted to use an aqueous fuel emulsion, said fuel identification system comprising: a fuel delivery system for said engine, said fuel delivery system including a fuel tank and a fuel line in fluid communication with said fuel tank for supplying fuel to said engine; a fuel identification sensor disposed in operative association with said fuel delivery system and adapted to detect selected characteristics of a fuel in said fuel delivery system; a control unit responsive to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to differentiate between said aqueous fuel emulsion and other fuels to produce a signal that disables said engine when said other fuels are identified as being present within said fuel delivery system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said engine includes one or more electronically controlled fuel injectors and said signal from said control unit is adapted to limit the quantity of fuel injected by said fuel injectors into the engine cylinders. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said engine includes a fuel valve disposed in said fuel line and said signal from said control unit is adapted to control the fuel valve thereby restricting fuel flow to the engine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said fuel identification sensor is an optical sensor adapted to detect optical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said fuel identification sensor is a device adapted to detect selected electrical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said fuel identification sensor is a device adapted to detect selected physical properties of said fuel in said fuel delivery system of said engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 further comprising a countercheck detector operatively coupled to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to indicate if said fuel identification sensor has been altered or otherwise disabled. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The fuel identification system of claim 13 wherein said countercheck detector includes a fuel flow measurement device operatively coupled to said fuel identification sensor and adapted to indicate if said fuel flow proximate said fuel identification sensor has been diverted. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The fuel identification system of claim 7 wherein said fuel identification sensor is disposed along said fuel line of said engine. ### Claim 16 A method for preventing the use of other fuels in an internal combustion engine adapted to use an aqueous fuel emulsion, the method comprising the steps of: detecting selected characteristics of a fuel in a fuel delivery system of said engine; identifying said fuel in said fuel delivery system based on said detected characteristics; disabling said engine when one of said other fuels are identified as being present within said fuel delivery system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying said fuel in said fuel delivery system further includes identifying said fuel as an aqueous fuel emulsion if said detected characteristics correspond to predetermined characteristics and identifying said fuel as one of said other fuels if said detected characteristics do not correspond to said predetermined characteristics. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying said fuel in said fuel delivery system further includes identifying said fuel as one of said other fuels if said detected characteristics correspond to predetermined characteristics. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of detecting selected characteristics of said fuel further comprises detecting selected optical properties of said fuel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of detecting selected characteristics of said fuel further comprises detecting selected electrical properties of said fuel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of detecting selected characteristics of said fuel further comprises detecting selected physical properties of said fuel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of detecting evidence of tampering with said fuel delivery system and disabling said engine when evidence of tampering is detected. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 wherein the step of detecting evidence of tampering further comprises monitoring the fuel flow in said fuel delivery system to determine whether the fuel flow has been altered. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of disabling said engine further comprises the step of curtailing the quantity of fuel injected by said fuel injectors into the engine cylinders. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the step of disabling said engine further comprises the step of shutting off a fuel solenoid operatively associated with a valve disposed in said fuel line thereby stopping fuel flow to the engine.