Refueling System Fuel Property Sensor Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current refueling systems for motor vehicles are cost-intensive and limited in analytical resolution, making it difficult to distinguish between different types of fuels and requiring costly integrated sensor systems in each vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A refueling system that integrates a sensor device within the refueling installation to determine fuel material properties, which are then transmitted to the vehicle, allowing for precise control of vehicle components based on the actual fuel properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If individual sensor systems are integrated in every motor vehicle to analyze fuel properties, then measurement precision and analytical resolution are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel analysis precisionVSAvoidsensor system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor device is extracted from the motor vehicle and relocated to the refueling installation. The refueling installation now performs the fuel analysis function, transmitting only the analysis results to the vehicle. This eliminates the need for complex sensor systems in each vehicle while maintaining measurement precision through centralized sensing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A communication interface acts as an intermediary between the refueling installation's sensor device and the motor vehicle's control unit. This intermediary transfers fuel property data from the refueling installation to the vehicle, enabling the vehicle to access precise fuel analysis without housing the sensor system itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If individual sensor systems are integrated in every motor vehicle to analyze fuel properties, then analytical resolution for distinguishing fuel types is improved, but cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel type differentiation capabilityVSAvoidvehicle production cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The expensive sensor device is extracted from the vehicle and installed at the refueling installation instead. This single centralized sensor system serves multiple vehicles, dramatically reducing the cost per vehicle while maintaining the capability to distinguish between different fuel types through the transmitted fuel property data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of each vehicle having its own sensor system, the refueling installation creates a copy of the fuel analysis capability that serves all vehicles. The sensor device at the refueling installation analyzes the fuel and transmits the results to vehicles, providing the same analytical resolution without duplicating the expensive hardware in each vehicle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If sensor devices are placed in the motor vehicle to measure fuel properties, then up-to-date fuel information is obtained, but space requirements and operational robustness requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel property information availabilityVSAvoidspace for sensor system

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor device is extracted from the vehicle and positioned at the refueling installation where space is more abundant. The refueling installation measures fuel properties during the refueling process and transmits this information to the vehicle, providing up-to-date fuel property data without requiring space for sensors within the vehicle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Measurement precision

If sensor devices are placed in the motor vehicle to measure fuel properties, then precise fuel-adapted control is enabled, but robustness requirements for heat, cold, and vibration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel property measurement accuracyVSAvoidenvironmental robustness requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor device is extracted from the harsh environmental conditions of the vehicle and positioned at the refueling installation. This eliminates the need for the sensor system to withstand extreme temperatures, vibrations, and other harmful factors present in the vehicle environment, while still enabling precise fuel property measurement and transmission to the vehicle's control unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12286340B2Refuelling system for motor vehicles

Publication Date: 2025.04.29 VOLKSWAGEN AG

AI summary

A refueling system for motor vehicles, that includes a motor vehicle with a first communication interface and with a control unit, as well as a refueling installation, a second communication interface, which has a communication connection to the first communication interface for the transmission of data, as well as a tank with a fuel. The refueling installation has a sensor device, which is equipped to determine a fuel material property of the fuel of the refueling installation and to transmit it to the motor vehicle, so that the control unit of the motor vehicle controls a vehicle component on the basis of the determined fuel material property.