SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING THE CONDITION OF FLUIDS INSIDE A CONTAINER

Abstract

A system and method for identifying the condition of fluids inside a container, by means of a resistive element associated with a control unit of the resistive element, preferably used for identifying the condition of water for application in a fuel vehicle water injection system, but not limited to this application. The control unit of the resistive element is comprised of a processing unit capable of obtaining the reading of the resistance of a resistive element and processing the information for performing the identification of the condition of the fluid, and also the composition can use the resistive element as a heating element through a heater control unit when it is identified that the condition of the fluid is solid.

Claims

1. A system for identifying the condition of a fluid inside a container, the system comprising: at least one fluid storage container (1); the system being CHARACTERIZED by further comprising: at least one resistive element (2) associated with at least a fluid; at least one control unit of the resistive element (3) associated with the resistive element (2).

2. The system according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the resistive element (2) comprises a resistance that varies with the temperature.

3. The system according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the resistive element (2) comprises a PTC-type resistor.

4. The system according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the control unit of the resistive element (3) comprises a processing unit (4).

5. The system according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that the processing unit (4) comprises an electronic control unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the control unit of the resistive element (3) comprises a heater control unit (5) and a processing unit (4).

7. A method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container, CHARACTERIZED by comprising the steps of: obtaining, with a control unit of the resistive element (3), the electric reading of a resistive element (2) inserted into a fluid storage container (1); processing the information obtained by the control unit of the resistive element (3) with a processing unit (4); identifying, through the processed information by the processing unit (4), the conditions of the fluids in contact with the resistive element (2); and providing the information on the state of the fluids stored in the fluid storage container (1).

8. The method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED in that the state of the fluid identified by the processing unit (4) is associated with a lower limit and an upper limit of resistivity associated with the material of the resistive element (2).

9. The method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED in that the method further comprises the step of the control unit of the heater (3) increasing the voltage applied to the resistive element (2) if the processing unit (4) identifies that the fluid contained inside the fluid storage container (1) is in solid state.

10. The method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED by being executed in a system for reading the condition of fluids inside a container, comprising: at least one fluid storage container (1); at least one resistive element (2) associated with at least one fluid; and at least one control unit of the heater (3) associated with the resistive element (2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The preferred embodiment of the invention in question is described in detail on the basis of the drawings listed, wherein:

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates, in perspective, the system for measuring a fluid condition inside a container.

[0037] FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the resistance and current as a function of time when the state of the fluid is of good quality.

[0038] FIG. 3 graphically illustrates the resistance and current as a function of time when fluid state is of intermediate quality.

[0039] FIG. 4 graphically illustrates the resistance and current as a function of time when fluid state is of poor quality.

[0040] FIG. 5 graphically illustrates the resistance and current as a function of time when the fluid storage container is empty of fluid.

[0041] FIG. 6 graphically illustrates the resistance and current as a function of time when the fluid is in the solid state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] According to the general objectives of the invention in question, the system for identifying the condition of fluids inside a container comprises: at least one fluid storage container 1, at least one resistive element 2 associated with at least one fluid and at least one control unit of the resistive element 3 associated with the resistive element 2, as exemplified in FIG. 1.

[0043] In this way, the fluid storage container 1 may contain various types of fluids in the solid, liquid, and gaseous state. Internally associated with it, and consequently in contact with the internal fluids, the resistive element 2 comprises a resistance that varies with temperature, a PTC-type resistor or other temperature-sensitive elements, such as thermistors that work with a positive temperature coefficient.

[0044] Thus, the control unit of the resistive element 3 associated with the resistive element 2 is responsible for performing the reading of the resistive value, by applying a voltage to it, which varies depending on the fluid in which it is immersed.

[0045] The processing unit 4, which performs the processing of electrical signals obtained by the resistive element 2, comprises an electronic control unit (ECU). This signal processing can be any element provided with a processor and at least one memory unit that is able to read the electrical signals and transform them digitally, and by means of programming, to identify the fluid in which the resistive element 2 is immersed.

[0046] In this way, the control unit of the resistive element 3 comprises a processing unit 4, which, when associated with the resistive element 2, identifies the condition of the fluid element contained inside the fluid storage container 1.

[0047] Further, as an alternative embodiment, the control unit of the resistive element 3 also comprises a heater control unit 5 and a processing unit 4. The function of the heater control unit 5, associated with the resistive element 2 and the processing unit 4, is to provide a higher voltage to the resistive element 2 and consequently higher power when the condition of the fluid element is solid, and also to transmit the information on the reading of the resistive element 2 to the processing unit 4. In addition, if equipped with at least one processor and at least one memory, the heater control unit 5 can process and identify the state of the fluid in contact with the resistive element 2, transmitting the result to the processing unit 4. The association between the heater control unit 5 and the processing unit 4 can be carried out by physical connections by means of electrical signals, whether or not communication protocols are used, such as the CAN protocol.

[0048] This invention also discloses a method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container, which comprises the steps of: obtaining, by means of a control unit of the resistive element 3, the electrical reading of a resistive element 2 inserted into a fluid storage container 1, processing the information obtained by the control unit of the resistive element 3 by means of a processing unit 4, identifying, through the information processed by the processing unit 4, the conditions of the fluids in contact with the resistive element 2, providing the information on state of the fluids stored in the fluid storage container 1.

[0049] Thus, the method described in this invention comprises the fact that the state of the fluid identified by the processing unit 4 is associated with a lower limit and an upper limit of resistivity associated with the material of the resistive element 2. Within this range of values, the fluid can be characterized in five states: good quality, intermediate quality, poor quality, empty container, and solid state fluid.

[0050] For the state in which the fluid is of good quality, by obtaining the voltage read in the resistive element 2, and consequently the resistance thereof, one can observe a value of an intermediate range in the resistive curve thereof, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0051] In a second state, in which the quality of the fluid is of an intermediate quality, an intermediate value of the resistance value of the resistive element 2 that is outside the value considered is considered for good quality, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0052] The third state of poor quality, the resistance value of the resistive element 2 is within two ranges closer to the upper and lower limit of the resistive curve of the resistive element, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] For the empty container, the resistance value of the resistive element 2 is at the upper limit of the resistive curve thereof, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0054] The last state observed in the proposed method is when the fluid is in the solid state, due to low temperatures. Accordingly, the resistance value of the resistive element 2 is at a lower threshold value of the resistance curve thereof, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0055] Additionally, the present invention describes a method that further comprises the step in which the heater control unit 3 increases the voltage applied to the resistive element 2 if the processing unit 4 identifies that the fluid contained inside the fluid storage container 1 is in the solid state.

[0056] Finally, it is worth mentioning that the method for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container comprises the fact that it is performed in a system for measuring the condition of fluids inside a container, composed of at least one fluid storage container 1, at least one resistive element 2 associated with at least one fluid, at least one heater control unit 3 associated with the resistive element 2.

[0057] It is important to highlight that the sole purpose of the above description is to describe one example of a particular embodiment of the invention in question. Therefore, it is clear that any modifications, variations, and constructive combinations of the elements that perform the same function substantially in the same way to achieve the same results, remain within the scope of protection delimited by the accompanying claims.