METHOD FOR SENSING A FUEL COMPOSITION TO RESTRICT THE USABILITY OF A VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A MISFUELING

Abstract

A method for CO.sub.2 certification and/or CO.sub.2-dependent homologation of vehicles that takes into account at least one design feature of the vehicle, which is characterized in that the detected use of a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is taken into account as a design feature of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for CO.sub.2 certification and/or CO.sub.2-dependent homologation of a vehicle, the method comprising: taking into account at least one design feature of the vehicle; and detecting a use of a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel as a design feature of the at least one design feature of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein additional CO.sub.2-reducing design features of aerodynamics and/or lightweight construction and/or engine efficiency and/or the use of a renewably generated green power content of a plug-in hybrid vehicle of the vehicle to be certified and/or to be homologated are detected and are taken into account in the CO.sub.2 certification and/or CO.sub.2-dependent homologation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specific chemical composition of the fuel is objectively detected by a fuel sensor, wherein a specific chemical composition pattern is created from the specific chemical composition of the fuel and is compared with at least one of multiple standard reference composition patterns of CO.sub.2-reduced fuels, so that a fuel considered to be CO.sub.2-reduced is inferred in the event of a match.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a differentiation of a non-CO.sub.2-reduced fuel from a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is made on the basis of chemical components of the fuel in the specific composition pattern that have CO.sub.2-reducing effects, wherein these chemical components are also contained in the standard reference composition pattern, so that a fuel considered to be CO.sub.2-reduced is inferred in the event of a match.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the differentiation of a non-CO.sub.2-reduced fuel from a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is made on the basis of at least one marker detected in the specific composition pattern that is added to a fuel approved as a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel, wherein the marker is also contained in the standard reference composition pattern, so that a fuel considered to be CO.sub.2-reduced is inferred in the event of a match.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the chemical components of the fuel or of the at least one marker are detected through an analysis method associated with the at least one fuel sensor that recognizes, by chemical or other means, the chemical components and/or the at least one marker added to the approved fuel.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a predefinable threshold value of the particular content of the chemical components of the fuel is defined, wherein the threshold value must be exceeded for the fuel to be recognized and classified as CO.sub.2-reduced fuel.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein a spectroscopic method or NIR spectroscopy (NIR=near-infrared spectroscopy) or NMR spectroscopy (NMR=nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) or LIF spectroscopy (LIF=laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy) or TR-LIF spectroscopy (TR-LIF=time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy) is carried out as the analysis method for analyzing the chemical components of the fuel and/or of the at least one marker, with which method is associated a fuel sensor that detects the chemical components of the fuel and of the at least one marker.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein an analysis method specifically associated with the relevant marker is carried out as the analysis method for analyzing the at least one marker, with which method is associated a specific fuel sensor that detects only the at least one marker.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the use of solely a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel in the vehicle is ensured to the greatest degree possible by the means that a use of the vehicle is permitted only when the CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is utilized.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein, in the event that the fuel sensor detects that no CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is in the fuel tank, a notification concerning the current non-use of CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is issued, in particular is issued in graduated fashion, to the user by means of at least one display element, wherein at least one notification includes at least a message about the misfueling that has occurred and preferably a corresponding prompt for a corrective action.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein information is provided in the at least one display element of a fuel supply system of the vehicle, in particular in a first level, about a misfueling detected by the fuel sensor, and wherein a prompt is issued to visit the nearest repair shop within a predefinable travel distance.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein information is provided in the at least one display element of a fuel supply system of the vehicle, in particular in a second level, about a misfueling detected by the fuel sensor, wherein a prompt is issued to visit the nearest repair shop within a predefinable travel distance, wherein information is additionally provided in the display element of the fuel supply system of the vehicle about restrictive actions to occur in future as a result of the misfueling.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein actions with graduated effectiveness (Zn, n=nth action) are initiated with regard to preventing circumvention of the notifications, in particular graduated notifications such that Z1 is a limitation of a maximum speed of the vehicle or of a speed of the internal combustion engine; and/or Z2 is a reduction in the torque of the internal combustion engine; and/or Z3 is a prevention of a predefinable nth engine start (n=predefinable number of remaining permissible engine starts), wherein n=0 is possible so that even one next engine start is prevented, or Z4 is a prevention of a predefinable nth engine start (n=predefinable number of remaining permissible engine starts) in combination with the reaching of a predefined travel distance, wherein only n predefinable engine starts (n=predefinable number of remaining permissible engine starts) is/are permitted once the predefined travel distance is reached, wherein n=0 is possible so that even one next engine start is prevented after the predefined travel distance is reached.

15. Arrangement of a fuel sensor in a fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine for carrying out the method according to claim 1 for CO.sub.2 certification and/or CO.sub.2-dependent homologation of vehicles that takes into account at least one design feature of the vehicle, wherein at least a detected use of a standard CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is taken into account as a design feature of the vehicle, wherein the fuel sensor is arranged in the fuel supply system, in particular in a fuel tank or in a fuel feed line, in particular between fuel tank and internal combustion engine, and wherein the fuel sensor is equipped to determine the chemical components of the fuel and/or at least one marker added to the fuel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation to illustrate the flow of material and signals of a vehicle that permits a sensing of the fuel composition and/or of a marker by an associated fuel supply system,

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation to illustrate the flow of material and signals of the vehicle that permits a sensing of the fuel composition and/or of a marker in the associated fuel supply system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The invention is explained in an overview of FIGS. 1 and 2, with reference accordingly being made in the description to the figures.

[0040] The invention is based on the starting point of a fuel supply system with which is associated a suitable control device, in particular an engine control unit 10, and which has a control connection to an internal combustion engine 100 and, according to the invention, to a particular fuel sensor 300.

[0041] The fuel supply system includes a fuel tank 200 and the usual additional components that likewise can be controlled by the engine control unit 10; these are not shown in the simplified schematic representations in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0042] In FIG. 1, the fuel sensor 300 is arranged in the fuel tank 200.

[0043] In FIG. 2, the fuel sensor 300 is arranged in the fuel feed line between fuel tank 200 and internal combustion engine 100.

[0044] Fundamentally, the basic idea is that the fuel sensor 300 has a control connection to the engine control unit 10, wherein the fuel sensor 300 is designed such that it recognizes which fuel is in the fuel tank 200 and is currently being used in operating the internal combustion engine 100.

[0045] Provision is made that the signals from the fuel sensor 300 are checked by the engine controller in respect of whether a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel for which the vehicle has also been homologated (approved) is in the fuel tank 200.

[0046] Provision is made according to the invention that, in the event that the fuel sensor 300 detects that no CO.sub.2-reduced fuel is in the fuel tank 200, actions are taken by the engine controller, which are explained below.

a) The user is informed of the misfueling by clear messages in a display element 20 of the fuel supply system of the vehicle and is prompted to visit the nearest repair shop within an additional predefinable travel distance x (x=100 km, for example). At the repair shop, the fuel supply system is cleaned and the vehicle is filled again with the approved CO.sub.2-reduced fuel so that operational readiness is reestablished.

[0047] If the user does not take the vehicle to the repair shop within the predefined travel distance (100 km, for example), additional actions are taken.

[0048] b) The user is informed of the misfueling by clear messages in a display element 20 of the fuel supply system of the vehicle and is informed of restrictive actions as a result of the misfueling, in order to force the user to take the vehicle to the repair shop so that the fuel supply system can be cleaned and the vehicle can be filled again with the approved fuel.

[0049] The following coercive actions Zn are proposed:

[0050] According to a first action Z1, a limitation of the maximum speed takes place.

[0051] According to a second action Z2, a reduction in the torque of the internal combustion engine 100, and thus poor drivability of the vehicle, is brought about.

[0052] According to a third action Z3, only n remaining engine starts (n=predefinable number of remaining permissible engine starts) are permitted, wherein n=0 is possible so that even one next engine start is prevented.

[0053] According to a fourth action Z4, the third action Z3 is combined with a predefinable remaining permissible travel distance x=km, wherein only n engine starts (n=predefinable number of remaining permissible engine starts) is/are permitted once the predefined travel distance is reached, wherein n=0 is possible so that even one next engine start is prevented.

[0054] The fuel sensor 300 and the associated analysis method are designed such that CO.sub.2-reduced fuels, in particular synthetic and biocomponents of CO.sub.2-reduced fuels, or CO.sub.2-reducing additives or CO.sub.2-reduced fuels, is possible on the basis of specific markers in the specific composition pattern through comparison with the at least one reference composition pattern standardized or standard as a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel.

[0055] CO.sub.2-reduced fuels: biodiesel (for example the applicant's R33 BlueDiesel), paraffinic diesel, Sweden Class

[0056] CO.sub.2-reducing additives: OME (polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers), ethanol additives of all types Markers signaling CO.sub.2-reduced fuels and/or CO.sub.2-reducing additives

[0057] CO.sub.2-reduced fuel with chemical markers or markers that mark through other means

[0058] It is proposed to use a homologation method in which the CO.sub.2 values of a vehicle, in particular of a passenger car or a truck, are identified.

[0059] Such a method consists essentially of a calculation tool that is based on computation of components, technical equipment, and design features with relevance for the CO.sub.2 emissions of the relevant vehicle (passenger car, truck, and so on).

[0060] This calculation tool takes CO.sub.2-reducing design features into account for the vehicle, in particular features of aerodynamics, lightweight construction, engine efficiency, and/or the use of a renewably generated green power content of an electrical charging of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and also the use of a fuel that is classified as a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel under a standard, wherein it is substantially ensured in accordance with the inventive method that only CO.sub.2-reduced fuel and/or renewably generated green power content of an electrical charging is used.

[0061] It is proposed, in particular, to expand the European Commission's VECTO calculation tool (Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool) currently under development by adding the feature of the use of a CO.sub.2-reduced fuel in the vehicle, and to introduce a specific homologation of certain CO.sub.2-reduced vehicles. In this way, an effective contribution can be made to reducing CO.sub.2 emissions that takes into account the method according to the invention and the associated system.

[0062] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.