Description:Complete Specification

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to a method to detect a drained DEF tank, and more specifically to the method to detect the drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition.

Background of the invention
[0002] US 2020232840 AA describes a level sensor assembly (10) for measuring physical properties indicative of a quality of a urea solution (AdBlue/DEF), where at least a portion of the level sensor assembly (10) is inserted in a tank (50), the level sensor assembly (10) comprises a header unit (12) mounted in an aperture of the tank (50), heating tubes (20) inserted in the tank for heating/thawing the urea solution in the tank (50) and one or more tubes (22) for suction of urea solution from the tank (50), the tubes (20,22) being connected to the header unit (12), and a level sensor (24,26) for measuring level of urea solution in the tank (50). Further, a detachable UQS sensor (30) is installed in the header unit (12), the UQS sensor (30) being at least partly submerged in a liquid pool (32) of urea solution in the header unit (12), and the liquid pool (32) in the header unit (12) comprises a compressible and/or expanding bottom (34).

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a method to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a method 100 to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition. The method 100 comprises determining 110 a level of AdBlue in an AdBlue tank by means of a signal received by a level sensor, determining 120 a concentration of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank by means of a signal received by a concentration sensor, comparing 130 the signal received by the level sensor with the signal received by the concentration sensor, and determining 140 that a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is below a threshold limit if the signal received by a concentration sensor matches with the signal received by the concentration sensor. The method further comprises determining 150 by an electronic control unit if a vehicle is switched off for a pre-determined duration of time and determining 160 that there is a leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is greater than a threshold limit.

[0005] The method 100 to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition is described. The method 100 comprises determining 110 a level of AdBlue in an AdBlue tank by means of a signal received by a level sensor. Once the level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is determined by the level sensor, a concentration of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is determined 120 by means of a signal received by a concentration sensor. Once the level of AdBlue in an AdBlue tank is determined 110 by the level sensor, the signal received by the level sensor is compared 130 with the signal received by the concentration sensor. The method further comprises determining 140 that a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is below a threshold limit if the signal received by the concentration sensor matches with the signal received by the concentration sensor.

[0006] The method 100 to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition further comprises determining 150 by an electronic control unit if a vehicle is switched off for a pre-determined duration of time. If the electronic control unit determines 150 that the vehicle is switched off for the pre-determined duration of time that is greater than a threshold limit, the electronic control unit determines 160 that there is a leak in the AdBlue tank.

[0007] The method 100 to detect the drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition further comprises determining 150 by the electronic control unit if the vehicle is switched off for the pre-determined duration of time, and determining 160 that there is a leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is greater than a threshold limit that is pre-determined by the user. The method 100 further comprises determining 170 by the electronic control unit if the vehicle is not switched off for the pre-determined duration of time, and determining 180 that there is no leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is greater than the threshold limit that is pre-determined by the user.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the level sensor that is described above may be an ultrasonic sensor. In an alternate exemplary embodiment, the level sensor does not operate when a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is below a threshold limit. In an exemplary embodiment, the threshold limit is 15 millimeters. In the exemplary embodiment, the level sensor is adapted to determine a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank. In addition, the concentration sensor is adapted to determine a concentration of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank. In addition, the level sensor and the concentration sensor are both positioned within the AdBlue tank.

[0009] It must be understood that the embodiments explained above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Many modifications in the embodiments with regard to dimensions of various components are envisaged and form a part of this invention. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.

, Claims:We Claim

1. A method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, the method (100) comprising:
determining (110) a level of AdBlue in an AdBlue tank by means of a signal received by a level sensor;
determining (120) a concentration of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank by means of a signal received by a concentration sensor;
comparing (130) the signal received by the level sensor with the signal received by the concentration sensor; and
determining (140) that a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is below a threshold limit if the signal received by a concentration sensor matches with the signal received by the concentration sensor.

2. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, further comprising:
determining (150) by an electronic control unit if a vehicle is switched off for a pre-determined duration of time; and
determining (160) that there is a leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is greater than a threshold limit.

3. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, further comprising:
determining (170) by an electronic control unit if a vehicle is switched off for a pre-determined duration of time;
determining (180) that there is no leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is greater than a threshold limit;
determining (190) by the electronic control unit if the vehicle is not switched off for the pre-determined duration of time; and
determining (200) that there is no leak in the AdBlue tank if the pre-determined duration of time is lesser than a threshold limit.

4. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, wherein the level sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, wherein the level sensor does not operate when a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank is below a threshold limit.

6. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, wherein the level sensor is adapted to determine a level of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank.

7. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, wherein the concentration sensor is adapted to determine a concentration of AdBlue in the AdBlue tank.

8. The method (100) to detect a drained DEF tank during vehicle off condition, wherein the level sensor and the concentration sensor are both positioned within the AdBlue tank.