A system for regulating the viscosity of a fluid prior to atomization includes a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of a fluid flowing in a conduit prior to atomization of the fluid by an atomizer fluidly connected to the conduit and a sensor in communication with the temperature controller such that the sensor can provide an indicator to the temperature controller of a viscosity of the fluid flowing in the conduit prior to atomization. An adjustment to the temperature of the fluid by the temperature controller is based at least in part on the measured viscosity indicator of the fluid, a target atomization-viscosity of the fluid, and a coking temperature of the fluid.

In some embodiments, a fuel temperature sensor is located proximate to a vehicle component that is expected to experience fuel gelling, such as near or within a fuel filter, in order to obtain temperature information that accurately reflects the likelihood of fuel gelling occurring within the component. The proximate fuel temperature sensor can provide more accurate temperature information for components such as fuel filters that are installed at the periphery of the vehicle, compared to other temperature sensors that measure oil temperatures or other temperatures of centrally located vehicle components. In some embodiments, the vehicle is automatically started when the temperature indicated by the fuel temperature sensor falls below a startup temperature threshold value, and is automatically stopped after a predetermined time period or after the temperature reaches a shutdown temperature threshold value.

Disclosed is a fuel level estimation device including: an information acquiring unit acquiring information about a closed system internal pressure of a closed fuel vapor system including the fuel tank, a vent passage, and a canister; a flow rate controlling unit controlling, by actuating a negative pressure pump, a flow rate of fuel vapor-containing gas in the closed fuel vapor system; a fuel level estimating unit estimating a fuel level based on a total volume of the closed fuel vapor system and an occupied volume of the gas. The fuel level estimating unit estimates the occupied volume of the gas by using a change in a closed system internal pressure before and after the closed fuel vapor system is subjected to pressure-reducing treatment for a predetermined interval and a reference discharging rate when the gas is subject to the pressure-reducing treatment. An abnormality diagnostic apparatus is also disclosed.

A method of controlling an engine system includes controlling a fuel injector to perform a zero-fueling injector operation during operation of the engine, the zero-fueling injector operation including a non-zero injector on-time resulting in zero fueling by the injector, determining an injection system pressure change associated with the zero-fueling injector operation, modifying at least one fuel injection control parameter in response to the injection system pressure change, and using the modified fuel injection control parameter to control injection of fuel by the fuel injector during operation of the engine.

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle engine fuel system. In one embodiment the method comprises indicating degradation of each of a low-pressure fuel pump and a fuel filter based on a comparison of a pressure differential between a high-pressure pump pressure setting to an actual pressure and a demanded fuel flow to an engine, the indication distinguishing between pump ageing and filter degradation. The method may include adjusting operation of the low-pressure fuel pump in response to the comparison of the high-pressure pump pressure setting and pressure of fuel entering a high-pressure pump. In one example, the fuel filter may be positioned to filter fuel drawn from a fuel tank before entering the low-pressure fuel pump.

A fuel-feeding device may include a fuel tank storing fuel therein, a fuel pump configured to feed the fuel in the fuel tank to an engine through a fuel-feeding conduit, an aspirator configured to generate a negative pressure therein using a flow of the fuel flowing through a branched conduit branched from the fuel-feeding conduit, a negative pressure sensor configured to detect the negative pressure generated by the aspirator, and a control device configured to control a revolution speed of the fuel pump. The control device is configured to determine a sign of vapor generation in the fuel stored in the fuel tank based on detection information of the negative pressure sensor.

A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of operating an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system may selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel and a flowable adsorbent in order to separate the fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced fuel components. A controller may be used to determine a particular operating condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit during one operating condition, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture in another operating condition.

A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes an outlet conduit having an internal volume and also having an exterior surface that is exposed to an environment. The fuel system also includes a pressure pulsation damper which includes a pressure pulsation damper wall made of a resilient and compliant polymer material which defines a pressure pulsation damper chamber. The pressure pulsation damper wall extends along, and is centered about, a pressure pulsation damper axis such that the pressure pulsation damper wall circumferentially surrounds the pressure pulsation damper axis, thereby defining the pressure pulsation damper chamber which is circumferentially surrounded by the pressure pulsation damper wall, the pressure pulsation damper wall having an inner wall surface which is in fluid communication with the internal volume of the outlet conduit and also having an outer wall surface which is exposed to the environment.

A vehicular liquid containment system including a tank, a pressure sensor arranged to detect a pressure in a vapor dome inside the tank, at least two thermistors configured to detect temperatures at a plurality of levels of the tank, and leak detection logic operatively connected to the pressure sensor and the thermistors. The leak detection logic is configured to: use a first thermistor of the thermistors to perform a first measurement indicative of a temperature in the vapor dome in the tank; estimate an expected pressure evolution in function of at least the first temperature measurement; monitor pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, determine whether the monitored pressure deviates from the expected pressure evolution, and generate a leak condition signal conditional on the determining.

A transport refrigeration system having: a refrigerated cargo space (119); a refrigeration unit (22) in operative association with the refrigerated cargo space, the refrigeration unit providing conditioned air to the refrigerated cargo space; a first engine (150) configured to power the vehicle; a second engine (26) configured to power the refrigeration unit; a first plurality of fuel tanks (350) fluidly connected to first engine, the first plurality of fuel tanks configured to supply fuel to the first engine; a second plurality of fuel tanks (330) fluidly connected to second engine, the second plurality of fuel tanks configured to supply fuel to the second engine; and a single filling point (310) fluidly connected to the first plurality of fuel tanks and second plurality of fuel tanks. The single filling point (310) is configured to receive fuel.