Fuel Pump Pulser Shield Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively address the manipulation and tampering of fuel pump pulsers, leading to significant fuel theft and losses, especially during high gas prices, as they do not protect the pulsers from manipulation while maintaining the vapor barrier integrity.
Innovation Solution
A pulser shield device made of a single, uniform solid material with rectangular segments that can be fixedly attached within the fuel pump, covering all pulsers without breaking the vapor barrier, and is configured to fit snugly with the mailbox printer, limiting access and preventing tampering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current solutions (camera surveillance, additional locks, tampering alarms) are used to prevent fuel theft, then detection and alarm capabilities are improved, but the underlying pulser manipulation issue remains unaddressed and the fuel pump structure is not protected
Solution Approach 1:
The pulser shield is divided into multiple rectangular segments that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and installation while forming a complete protective enclosure around the pulser mechanism, resolving the contradiction by providing effective protection through a modular approach that simplifies the overall implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulser shield acts as an intermediary physical barrier between the external environment and the pulser mechanism. This shield prevents direct access to the pulser while allowing the fuel pump to continue operating normally, thus protecting against tampering without interfering with the pump's function or requiring complex integration with existing systems.
2Reliability
If a protective shield is added to cover the pulser, then protection against tampering is improved, but the vapor barrier integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pulser shield incorporates a vapor barrier layer that is flexible and can be conformally applied to the curved surfaces of the fuel pump. This thin film maintains the vapor barrier integrity by preventing vapor leakage while still providing the necessary mechanical protection against pulser tampering, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and vapor barrier maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulser shield is constructed using composite materials that combine structural integrity with vapor barrier properties. This composite construction allows the shield to provide both mechanical protection against tampering and vapor containment, eliminating the need to choose between the two functions and resolving the technical contradiction.
3Reliability
If a custom-shaped shield is manufactured to fit the fuel pump precisely, then protection effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is segmented into multiple rectangular portions that can be manufactured using standard fabrication processes. Each segment can be independently produced and then assembled to form the complete protective structure, significantly simplifying manufacturing compared to producing a single custom-shaped shield while still achieving precise coverage through the modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield design transitions from a single complex 3D curved surface to multiple flat rectangular segments that can be easily manufactured and then assembled in three-dimensional space. This dimensional approach allows for simplified manufacturing of each component while achieving the same protective coverage through proper assembly, thus improving ease of manufacture without sacrificing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A pulser protection device configured to be coupled to a fuel pump sandwiched between the pulser lines of the fuel. The pulser protection device comprises one uniform body with four substantially rectangular segments. The four substantially rectangular segments includes a first, a second, a third, and a fourth substantially rectangular segment. The second, third, and fourth substantially rectangular segments being bent orthogonally from the first substantially rectangular segment. The pulser device sized to be received between a plurality of pulsers of the fuel pump and if present a mailbox printer of the fuel pump. The method of attachment for pulser within the fuel pump is described herein.