Fuel Additive Blending With Sample Testing for Precise Ethanol Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in accurately mixing biofuels, such as ethanol with gasoline, to ensure a predictable and precise concentration, especially considering the volatility of ethanol and potential changes over time, which is crucial for meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining fuel properties like vapor pressure and octane rating.
Innovation Solution
A method involving taking a fuel sample, mixing an additive in metered proportions, testing the sample to ensure the desired properties are met, and storing the fuel until ready for use, allowing for precise and repeatable mixing of additives, like denatured ethanol, into the remaining fuel at the last possible moment to maintain stability and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If ethanol is mixed into gasoline in advance, then the fuel can be prepared early, but the concentration becomes unpredictable due to volatility and time-related changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by preparing test samples with precise ethanol concentrations in advance, before the actual fuel blending operation. These pre-prepared samples are used to calibrate and verify the blending system, ensuring that when fuel is mixed at the last moment, the concentration accuracy is guaranteed by the prior calibration work.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring and measuring the ethanol concentration in the blended fuel, comparing it against target specifications, and adjusting the blending process accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that volatility and other time-related changes do not compromise the final concentration precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If ethanol is mixed into gasoline at the last moment, then the concentration remains predictable and stable, but the process requires precise metering and testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or simple mechanical mixing with an automated blending system that uses meters, pumps, and control systems to precisely dosing ethanol into gasoline. This substitution of mechanical processes with automated systems enables the precise metering required for last-moment blending while managing the inherent complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate testing and measurement devices as mediators between the ethanol and gasoline mixing process and the final fuel product. These intermediaries (sensors, analyzers, meters) provide real-time data about concentration and composition, enabling precise control without requiring complex manual intervention.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If fuel is stored for long periods, then it can be prepared in advance, but the characteristics change due to evaporation and reactions with environmental pollutants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fuel blending operation from the storage process by implementing just-in-time mixing. Instead of storing pre-blended fuel, the system separates the storage of pure components (ethanol and gasoline) from the blending operation, which occurs immediately before use. This extraction eliminates the stability problems associated with long-term storage of blended fuel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of the blending operation from 'early preparation with long storage' to 'last-moment mixing with immediate use'. This parameter change in the process timing fundamentally alters the stability profile by minimizing the time fuel composition can change through evaporation or chemical reactions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for mixing additives into a fluid fuel at a predictable concentration. The method comprises: taking a sample of the fuel; mixing the additive into the sample in metered proportions; testing the sample to determine that the correct amount of additive is present; storing the remaining fuel until it is time for the fuel to be used; and mixing the additive into the remainder of the fuel in the same metered proportions.