Fuel optimization system with improved fuel level sensor

A method of calculating a miles-to-empty value for a fuel tank of a vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from a the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• acquiring a vehicle distance traveled value from the vehicle management system;
• calculating a change in percentage of capacity value based on the first percentage of capacity value and the second percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating a miles-to-empty value by dividing the vehicle distance traveled value by the change in percentage of capacity value and multiplying the result by the second percentage of capacity value.

A method of calculating a tank size for a fuel tank of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• calculating a fuel economy value by acquiring a vehicle distance traveled value from the vehicle management system;
• calculating a change in percentage of capacity value based on the first percentage of capacity value and the second percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating a tank size value by dividing the vehicle distance traveled value by the change in percentage of capacity value, multiplying the quotient by 100, and dividing the multiplied quotient by the fuel economy value.

A method of calculating an amount of fuel remaining in a fuel tank of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• calculating a fuel economy value based on information from the vehicle management system;
• calculating a change in percentage of capacity value based on the first percentage of capacity value and the second percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating a fuel remaining value by multiplying the second percentage of capacity value by the change in percentage of capacity value, multiplying the result by 100, and then dividing the multiplied result by the fuel economy value.

A method of determining the number of hours until a fuel tank of a vehicle is empty, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from the a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• acquiring a tank capacity value from a storage device;
• calculating a fuel remaining value by multiplying the second percentage of capacity value by the tank capacity value;
• acquiring a fuel flow rate value from the vehicle management system, the fuel flow rate value representing a rate of fuel flow out of the fuel tank for consumption by the vehicle;
• and
• calculating an hours to empty value by multiplying the fuel remaining value by the fuel flow rate value.

A method of determining the number of hours until a fuel tank of a vehicle is empty, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• acquiring a relative hours value from the fuel level sensor, the relative hours value representing a difference between the first moment in time and the second moment in time;
• calculating a change in percentage of capacity value based on the first percentage of capacity value and the second percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating an hours to empty value by dividing the relative hours value by the change in percentage capacity value and multiplying the result by the second percentage of capacity value.

A method of calculating a tank size for a fuel tank of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first percentage of capacity value from a fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a first moment in time;
• acquiring a second percentage of capacity value from the fuel level sensor mounted on the fuel tank at a second moment in time after the first moment in time;
• acquiring a relative hours value from the fuel level sensor, the relative hours value representing a difference between the first moment in time and the second moment in time;
• acquiring a fuel flow rate value from the vehicle management system, the fuel flow rate value representing a rate of fuel flow out of the fuel tank for consumption by the vehicle;
• calculating a change in percentage of capacity value based on the second percentage of capacity value and the first percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating a ratio value of the relative hours value to the change in percentage of capacity value;
• and
• calculating a tank size value by multiplying the ratio value by the fuel flow rate value.

A method of identifying a tank leak in a fuel tank of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle management system, the method comprising the acts of:

• acquiring a first tank capacity value at a first time;
• acquiring a second tank capacity value at a second, later time;
• dividing the second tank capacity value by the first tank capacity value to obtain a quotient;
• and
• determining whether the quotient is less than a predetermined value and, upon determining that the quotient is less than the predetermined value, broadcasting a leak message.

A method of identifying fraud in refueling a fuel tank of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle information system, the method comprising the acts of:

• measuring a first fuel value at a first time;
• filling the fuel tank with fuel;
• measuring a second fuel value at a second time following filling the fuel tank with fuel;
• broadcasting the first and second fuel values to a computer, the computer calculating and recording the difference between the second and first fuel values;
• acquiring a third fuel value through a man-machine interface, an operator of the vehicle providing the third fuel value using the man-machine interface, and delivering the third fuel value to the computer;
• comparing the third fuel value to the difference between the second and first fuel values and generating a comparison value;
• and
• generating a fraud message if the comparison value is greater than a predetermined fraud value.