On-Demand Fuel Manifold With Recirculation for Spill-Free Refueling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel delivery systems are inefficient, prone to spills and leaks, and pose safety risks due to manual delivery methods, which can result in wasted time, resources, and potential hazards such as fires, especially in remote or harsh environments where personnel exposure is high.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a tank, manifold, pressure relief valve, and segmented hoses with automated fill caps and probes that allow for on-demand fuel delivery to multiple fuel-consuming assets, preventing overfilling and recirculating excess fuel to maintain pressure while minimizing spillage and operator intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual fuel delivery is used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases and time is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service fuel delivery where the automated dispensing system handles the entire fuel delivery process without manual intervention. The system automatically monitors fuel levels, controls the dispensing process, and manages multiple assets simultaneously, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring human operators for each delivery task.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated dispensing system is designed to serve multiple fuel-consuming assets simultaneously through a single centralized system. The manifold structure allows one system to perform multiple delivery functions to different assets at the same time, eliminating the need for separate manual delivery operations for each asset.
2Loss of time
If manual fuel delivery to multiple assets is performed sequentially, then system complexity is minimized, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the fuel delivery function into separate parallel channels through the manifold structure, allowing independent delivery to multiple assets simultaneously. Each asset receives fuel through its own dedicated line from the manifold, enabling parallel processing of multiple delivery tasks rather than sequential operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple fuel delivery operations into a single integrated system that handles all assets simultaneously. The centralized control system coordinates fuel delivery to multiple assets at the same time, merging what would otherwise be separate sequential operations into one concurrent process.
3Reliability
If manual fuel delivery is used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but reliability decreases due to human error and spills
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system performs all fuel delivery operations autonomously without human intervention, eliminating human error as a source of failures. The system automatically monitors fuel levels, controls the dispensing rate, and manages the entire delivery process, ensuring consistent and reliable operation without the variability introduced by manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous monitoring of fuel levels in each asset and automatically adjusts the dispensing process based on this feedback. When an asset reaches its target fuel level, the system automatically stops delivery, preventing overfilling and spills. This closed-loop control ensures reliable operation by continuously adapting to actual fuel consumption.
4Reliability
If continuous monitoring of fuel levels is performed manually, then overfill prevention is improved, but loss of time increases and operator exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring of fuel levels through automated sensors that continuously track fuel consumption in each asset. The system independently detects when fuel levels reach predetermined thresholds and automatically adjusts dispensing accordingly, eliminating the need for manual monitoring while maintaining reliable overfill prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses continuous automated feedback from fuel level sensors to control the dispensing process. Sensors monitor fuel levels in real-time and provide automatic signals to stop or adjust fuel delivery when thresholds are reached, ensuring reliable overfill prevention without requiring manual intervention or continuous human monitoring.
5Stress or pressure
If excess fuel is recirculated back to the pump through bypass line, then pressure build-up is prevented, but temperature increases and pump damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the excess fuel from the delivery line and redirects it to a separate containment area or storage reservoir rather than recirculating it back through the pump. This separation removes the harmful effect (heat generation from recirculation) while maintaining the beneficial effect (pressure control through excess fuel management).
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary containment area or storage reservoir as a mediator between the delivery line and the pump. Excess fuel is directed to this intermediate location rather than directly back to the pump, allowing pressure control while preventing the harmful thermal effects of continuous recirculation through the pump.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures efficient, safe, and continuous fuel delivery to multiple assets without manual intervention, reducing the risk of spills, fires, and personnel exposure, while maintaining fuel supply based on individual asset consumption rates.
Implementation Method 1
The first pressure relief valve is set at a first predetermined pressure threshold. The first pressure relief valve opens when the back-pressure in the fuel delivery coupling exceeds the first predetermined pressure threshold and the first fluid is directed back to the tank through a first re-circulation inlet
Implementation Method 2
a pump fluidically coupled to the outlet of the tank through the fuel delivery coupling
Implementation Method 3
a float valve coupled to the outlet of the probe and configured to shut off the flow of the first fluid into the second tank when a level of the first fluid in the second tank reaches a predetermined maximum level
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for delivering fluid to a fluid consuming asset having a fluid tank includes a tank operable to contain the fluid and a fluid delivery coupling fluidically coupling the tank to a manifold. A pressure relief valve is fluidically coupled to the manifold, disposed between the manifold and the tank, and coupled to the tank through a recirculation inlet. The pressure relief valve is set at a predetermined pressure threshold and opens when the back-pressure in the manifold exceeds that threshold. The fluid is directed to the tank through the recirculation inlet when the pressure relief valve opens. A fluid transporting mechanism is fluidically coupled to the manifold at a first distal end and a fill cap at a second distal end. The fill cap is coupled to an opening of the fluid tank and fluid can flow from the manifold to the fluid tank through the fluid transporting mechanism.