Claims:We claim:
1. An arrangement (11) to determine a clogged area in a fuel filter (18), said arrangement comprising :
a first sensor (16a) located in an inlet (20) of said fuel filter (18), said first sensor (18) generates a first output upon detecting at least one particle in a fuel flowing into said fuel filter (18);
a second sensor (16b) located in an outlet (22) of said fuel filter (18), generates a second output upon detecting at least one particle in said fuel flowing out from said fuel filter (18);
an electronic control unit (26) adapted to receive said first output and said second output and to calculate a difference between said first output and said second output;
said electronic control unit (26) determines said clogged area in said fuel filter (18) from a stored map, in dependence with said calculated result.
2. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said stored map comprises plurality of voltages mapped to plurality of sizes of particles passing through said fuel filter (18).
3. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said first output is a voltage pulse generated based on a size of said detected at least one particle.
4. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said second output is a voltage pulse generated based on a size of said detected at least one particle.
5. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said electronic control unit 26 comprising a counter (25) counts number of particles passed through said fuel filter 18 based on said generated outputs of said first sensor (16a) and said second sensor (16b).
6. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said counter (25) increments a number upon detecting generation of at least one output.
7. The arrangement claimed as in claim 1, wherein said electronic control unit (26) notifies a status of said fuel filter (18) via a display.
8. A method to detect a working state of a fuel filter (18), said method comprising :
-detecting at least one particle at an input of said fuel filter (18);
- generating a first output through a first sensor upon detecting said at least one particle at said input of said fuel filter (18);
- detecting at least one particle at an output of said fuel filter (18);
- generating a second output through a second sensor upon detecting said at least one particle at said output of said fuel filter (18);
- receiving said first output and said second output in an ECU;
- calculating a difference between said first output and said second output in said ECU;
- detecting said working state of said fuel filter (18) from a stored map based on said calculated result in said ECU.
, Description:Field of the invention
[0001] This disclosure relates to an arrangement to determine a clogged area of a fuel filter.
Background of the invention:
[0002] Diesel fuel normally contains impurities, or more or less solid substances (especially paraffin). Because of the level of impurities that are found in diesel fuel, diesel fuel engines require the use of a diesel fuel filter. As compared to gasoline fuel filters, diesel fuel filters must be changed on a regular basis due to the high levels of impurities that exist in the diesel fuel. Modern diesel fuel filters generally consist of a cup-shaped outer casing and a closure cover. In retaining said impurities, a cartridge progressively clogs and has therefore to be periodically replaced. Failure to change such diesel fuel filters on a regular basis may lead to the inefficient operation or even the stoppage of a diesel engine. Thus, the expense spent on the early replacement of the diesel fuel filter leads to inefficiencies that are undesirable in any business or industry. If the diesel fuel filter is not replaced at the end of its life cycle, then the vehicle may be in jeopardy of failing to operate due to the diesel fuel filter being clogged.
[0003] A United States application 20140202580 discloses an apparatus and a method for determining fuel quality. As fuel is delivered from the fuel source, fuel quality is monitored using one or more fuel quality sensor devices, which detect one or more corresponding fuel quality characteristics. A visual indication includes a unique combination of a color component and a frequency component, thereby allowing a user of the fuel dispensing apparatus to quickly determine fuel quality status as the fuel is delivered from the fuel source.
Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
[0004] An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0005] Figure 1 illustrates an arrangement to determine a clogged area in a fuel filter in accordance with this disclosure; and
[0006] Figure 2 illustrates a fuel injection system in accordance with this disclosure.
Detailed description of the embodiments:
[0007] Figure 1 illustrates an arrangement 11 to determine a clogged area in a fuel filter in accordance with this disclosure. The arrangement comprises a first sensor 16(a) located in an inlet 20 of the fuel filter 18. The first sensor 20 generates a first output upon detecting at least one particle in a fuel flowing into the fuel filter 18. The arrangement comprises a second sensor 16(b) located in an outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18. The second sensor 16(b) generates a second output upon detecting at least one particle in the fuel flowing out from the fuel filter 18. The arrangement comprises an electronic control unit 26 adapted to receive the first output and the second output and to calculate a difference between the first output and the second output. The electronic control unit 26 determines the clogged area in the fuel filter 18 from a stored map, in dependence with the calculated result.
[0008] The first sensor 16(a) and the second sensor 16(b) is chosen from a group of sensors like a magnetic sensor or a particle counter or a metal scan sensor or the like. The water settles to the lower area of the fuel filter 18 due to the high density than the fuel, and will be collected in a collecting space. A valve (not shown) is situated in the area of the collecting space to discharge the collected water .The electronic control unit 26 opens the valve when the amount of water in the collecting space has reached a threshold value.
[0009] Figure 2 illustrates a fuel injection system 10 in accordance with this disclosure. The arrangement of the components and the working of the components of the fuel injection system will be explained in the following description. The fuel injection system 10 comprises a feed pump 14 that is connected between a fuel source 12 and one end of the fuel filter 18. The other end of the fuel filter 18 is connected to a fuel pump24. In one embodiment of the invention, a first sensor16 (a) is located in an inlet 20 of the fuel filter 18 and a second sensor 16(b) is located in an outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18. In another embodiment, a first sensor 16(a) is placed in proximity of the inlet 20 of the fuel filter 18 and a second sensor 16(b) is placed in proximity of the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18. The fuel injection system 10 comprises an electronic control unit 26 connected to the first sensor 16(a) and the second sensor 16(b).
[00010] The working of the fuel injection system 10 can be explained as follows. The feed pump 14 pumps the fuel from the fuel source 12 to the fuel pump 24 via the fuel filter 18. During this process, the first sensor 16(a) present at the input side 20 of the fuel filter 18 detects if at least one particle is passed through the fuel that is flowing into the fuel filter 18. The fuel filter 18 filters the particles present in the fuel and the particles present in the fuel will be trapped in a filtering element of a fuel filter 18. If any particle from the fuel filter 18 is escaped, the second sensor 16(b) present at the output side 22 of the fuel filter 18 detects the particle passing through the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18.A counter 25 present in the electronic control unit 26 counts number of particles passed through the fuel filter 18 based on said generated outputs of the first sensor (16a) and the second sensor (16b). The counter 25 increments a number upon detecting generation of at least one output.
[00011] A method of detecting a clogged area of a fuel filter 18 can be explained as follows. The fuel which is pumped from the fuel source 12 flows via the inlet 20 into the fuel filter 18. The fuel comprises plurality of particles which flows along with the fuel into the fuel filter 18. The first sensor 16(a) which is present at the input side of the fuel filter 18 detects at least one particle that is present in the fuel. The first output generated by the first sensor 16(a), upon detection of at least one particle in the fuel will be in such a way that, for every detection of a particle, the first sensor 16(a) generates a voltage pulse and transmits the pulse to the electronic control unit 26 which is connected to the first sensor 16(a). The amplitude of the voltage pulse will be equivalent to a size or volume of the particle detected. For instance, if the first sensor 16(a) detects a particle of the size of 50 microns, the first sensor 16(a) generates a voltage pulse corresponding to the size of the particle detected. A map comprising plurality of voltages mapped to plurality of sizes of the particles is stored in the electronic control unit 26. The electronic control unit 26 stores the generated voltage value for every instant of time, from the time the vehicle starts moving. The fuel which passed through the first sensor 16(a) enters into the fuel filter 18. The fuel filter 18 comprises a mesh kind of filter element which stops the particles from flowing into the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18. The particles which remain in the fuel filter 18 covers a flow area of the fuel filter 18. The second sensor 16(b) present at the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18, detects the particles present in the fuel coming out of the fuel filter 18. For every detected particle, the second sensor 16(b) produces a voltage pulse and will be transmitted to the electronic control unit 26. The amplitude of the voltage pulse will be equivalent to the size or volume of the particle detected. The electronic control unit 26 determines the number of particles passed through the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18 depending on the number of pulses generated by the second sensor 16(b) upon detecting at least one particle. The ECU receives the first output generated from the first sensor 16 (a) and the second output generated from the second sensor 16(b) upon detecting at least one particle in either the inlet or the outlet of the fuel filter.
[00012] The electronic control unit 26 calculates the difference between the first output and the second output in every instant of time. The electronic control unit 26 determines the clogged area of the fuel filter 18 based on the calculated result. For instance, the first sensor 16(a) detected a particle of size 50 microns at 10.1sec and produce a fluctuated voltage pulse of 1V. At the same instant of time i.e., at 10.1 sec, since there is no particle passed through the second sensor 16(b), the output of the second sensor 16(b) is 0V. The electronic control unit 26 calculates a difference between the first output and the second output (i.e., 1V-0V = 1V).From the stored map ,the electronic control unit 26 will determine the area that is clogged due to the flow of the particles for corresponding voltage difference.ie., for 1V of voltage difference a 0.1m2 area of the fuel filter is clogged. The electronic control unit 26 calculates the difference between the outputs of the first sensor 16(a) and the second sensor 16(b) at every instant of time. The electronic control unit 26 calculates the total area clogged from the voltage differences calculated at every instant of time. If the total area that is clogged is more than a predefined value, the electronic control unit 26 will notify a user of the vehicle the status of the fuel filter 18 and recommends for a replacement with a new fuel filter. The status of the fuel filter 18 is displayed via a display present in a dashboard of the vehicle.
[00013] In addition to the above process, the electronic control unit 26 stops the flow of the fuel through the outlet 22 of the fuel filter 18 by closing an outlet valve 23, if the area that is clogged is more than the predefined value. The electronic control unit 26 transmits a signal to the feed pump 14 to pump a large amount of fuel into the inlet 20 of the fuel filter 18. The large amount of fuel quantity pumped will be used to clean the clogged area of the fuel fitler18. The particles that are covering the fuel filter flow area will be directed back to the fuel source by opening, a valve 27 present in the collecting space. Once, the fuel filter clogged area is cleared, the electronic control unit 26 closes the valve 27 and opens the outlet valve 23 for the flow of the fuel into the high pressure pump. The cleaning of the clogged area of the fuel filter 18 will occur when the vehicle is in neutral gear.
[00014] With the above arrangement, the clogging of the fuel filter 18 can be detected at the early stage. The number of particles escaping from the fuel filter 18 can be determined from the second output of the second sensor 16(b) which gives the information on the working state of the fuel filter 18. For instance, if more particles are detected by the second sensor 16(b), it provides the information that the fuel filter 18 is damaged. With the above arrangement, filtration efficiency can be determined.
[00015] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.