Mobile Dosing Unit for Vehicle Fuel Tanks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel systems for vehicles require manual addition of fuel additives, which can lead to incorrect dosing or omission of additives during fuel stops.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive fuel treatment device that automatically doses additives into a vehicle's fuel tank without modifying the drivetrain, fuel lines, or fuel tanks, using a dynamic fill adapter and umbilical cord system powered by the vehicle's battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual addition of fuel additives is used, then the system is simple and requires no additional components, but the dosing accuracy deteriorates and may lead to incorrect amount or omission of additives
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically doses additives without requiring manual intervention. The controller monitors fuel tank conditions and autonomously controls the pump to deliver the correct amount of additive, eliminating human error in dosing while maintaining reasonable system complexity through automated self-service operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical dosing with an automated electromechanical system. The controller uses electrical signals to activate the pump and monitor fuel conditions, substituting human manual operation with automated electronic control to achieve precise dosing measurements.
2Ease of manufacture
If non-invasive mounting is used, then the installation is simple and does not require modification to drivetrain or fuel lines, but the reliability of additive delivery may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: the controller unit, the pump mechanism, the dynamic fill adapter, and the umbilical cord system. This segmentation allows non-invasive mounting of each component while maintaining reliable additive delivery through dedicated fluid pathways that do not require integration with the vehicle's existing fuel system.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic fill adapter and umbilical cord system act as intermediaries between the additive reservoir and the fuel tank. This intermediary mechanism enables reliable additive transfer without direct connection to the vehicle's fuel lines, maintaining both installation ease and delivery reliability through a dedicated transfer pathway.
3Stability of the object's composition
If pre-dosing before filling is used, then the additive mix with fuel is superior and activation agitation is improved, but the timing complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary dosing of additives into the fuel tank before fuel filling occurs. The controller detects when the tank is ready for filling and delivers the appropriate amount of additive in advance, ensuring superior mixing and activation agitation when the fuel is added, while managing timing complexity through automated sequence control.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller uses feedback signals from the dynamic fill adapter to determine the optimal timing for additive delivery. The system monitors fuel tank conditions and receives feedback about when pre-dosing should occur, automatically adjusting the timing to achieve optimal fuel-additive mixing without requiring complex manual timing coordination.
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 accurate and automatic pre-dosing of additives into the fuel tank, improving fuel efficiency and performance without requiring driver intervention, and can accommodate various fuel tank sizes and configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a pump fluidly coupled to the reservoir and configured to deliver the predetermined amount of additive from the reservoir
Implementation Method 2
The fill adapter is configured to trigger the pump to deliver the additive in response to a trigger event, such as removal of a fuel cap
Data Source
AI summary
A dosing system that is configured to pre-dose an additive into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle before or during filling, of the vehicle fuel tank. The dosing system includes a base unit having an enclosure that includes a controller, product reservoir and a pump. The dosing system also includes a dynamic fill adapter that is attached to the filler neck of the fuel tank. The tank of base unit is fluidly coupled to the fill adapter. Removal of the cap from the fill adapter causes a predetermined dose of additive to be dispensed from the product reservoir into the fuel tank through the fill adapter.