Apparatus and method for measuring fuel flow rate and residual fuel quantity and for controlling evaporated fuel

A fuel measuring method for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the method comprising the steps of:

• measuring flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank through the fuel supply inlet passage by a fuel flow rate measuring device having a rotor with blades mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank, the blades of the turbine rotor being disposed so that liquid fuel flowing through the fuel supply inlet passage is intercepted by the blades so that the blades are rotated by the fuel hitting the blades whereby the rotor is driven by the liquid fuel, the rotor being disposed so that liquid fuel flows into the turbine rotor and out from the turbine rotor in substantially a common direction;
• computing injection rate of liquid fuel injected into the engine;
• and
• computing quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank from the measured fuel flow rate, the computed injection rate and quantity of liquid fuel remaining before the flow rate measuring step.

An apparatus for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the apparatus comprising:

• a fuel flow rate measuring device, mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank, for measuring flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage;
• the fuel flow rate measuring device having a turbine rotor with blades which turns at a rotational speed in accordance with the flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage, and a rotational speed detector for detecting rotational speed of the blades of the turbine rotor, for measuring the flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank from the detected rotational speed;
• and
• an expansion film provided in the fuel tank to expand and shrink in accordance with stored amount of liquid fuel in the fuel tank, thereby reducing a space volume above the liquid fuel.

An apparatus for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the apparatus comprising:

• a fuel flow rate measuring device, mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank, for measuring flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage;
• the fuel flow rate measuring device having a turbine rotor with blades which turns at a rotational speed in accordance with the flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage, and a rotational speed detector for detecting rotational speed of the blades of the turbine rotor, for measuring the flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank from the detected rotational speed;
• a residual fuel quantity memory for memorizing quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank;
• an injection rate computing device for computing injection rate of liquid fuel injected into the engine;
• and
• a residual fuel quantity computing device for computing the quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank on the basis of the memorized quantity of liquid fuel, the measured fuel flow rate, and the computed injection rate of liquid fuel, wherein:
• the residual fuel quantity measuring device has a residual quantity detector for detecting that the residual quantity of liquid fuel in the fuel tank has reached a predetermined residual quantity, and a residual fuel quantity correcting device for correcting the residual quantity of liquid fuel to the predetermined residual quantity when the residual quantity detector detects that the residual quantity of liquid fuel has reached the predetermined residual quantity.

An apparatus for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the apparatus comprising:

• a fuel flow rate measuring device, mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank, for measuring flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage;
• the fuel flow rate measuring device having a turbine rotor with blades which turns at a rotational speed in accordance with the flow rate of liquid fuel passing in the fuel supply inlet passage, and a rotational speed detector for detecting rotational speed of the blades of the turbine rotor, for measuring the flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank from the detected rotational speed;
• a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank;
• a connecting tube connecting the fuel tank and the canister;
• an open/close valve fitted in the connecting tube for opening and closing the connecting tube;
• and
• a valve control device for opening the open/close valve when the flow rate measuring device detects that the liquid fuel is supplied to the fuel tank.

A fuel measuring method for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the method comprising the steps of:

• measuring flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank through the fuel supply inlet passage by a fuel flow rate measuring device having a rotor mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank to be driven by the liquid fuel;
• computing injection rate of liquid fuel injected into the engine;
• computing quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank from the measured fuel flow rate, the computed injection rate and quantity of liquid fuel remaining before the flow rate measuring step;
• detecting, by a detector disposed in the fuel tank, that the liquid fuel in the fuel tank has reached a predetermined level;
• and
• correcting the computed residual quantity of liquid fuel to a predetermined residual quantity when the detector detects that the residual quantity of liquid fuel has reached the predetermined level.

A fuel measuring method for an internal combustion engine system having a fuel tank with a fuel supply inlet passage, the method comprising the steps of:

• measuring flow rate of liquid fuel supplied into the fuel tank through the fuel supply inlet passage by a fuel flow rate measuring device having a rotor mounted in the fuel supply inlet passage of the fuel tank to be driven by the liquid fuel;
• computing injection rate of liquid fuel injected into the engine;
• computing quantity of liquid fuel remaining in the fuel tank from the measured fuel flow rate, the computed injection rate and quantity of liquid fuel remaining before the flow rate measuring step;
• supplying, through the fuel inlet supply passage, the liquid fuel into an expansion film bag provided in the fuel tank to store therein evaporated fuel;
• and
• purging the evaporated fuel in the expansion film bag to a canister when the fuel flow rate measuring device is in operation.