Method for Displaying a Fill Level of a Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Vessel Assembly

Abstract

A method for displaying a fill level of a pressure vessel includes measuring an actual fill level of the pressure vessel, calculating a displayable fill level based on the actual fill level, and displaying the displayable fill level via a display device. In the method, during refueling between a first filling point (FP1) and a second filling point (FP2), the displayable fill level is increased in relation to the actual fill level in accordance with a predefined characteristic curve.

Claims

1.-17. (canceled)

18. A method for displaying a fill level of a pressure vessel, comprising: measuring an actual fill level of the pressure vessel; calculating a displayable fill level based on the actual fill level; and displaying the displayable fill level via a display device, wherein during refueling between a first filling point (FP1) and a second filling point (FP2), the displayable fill level is increased in relation to the actual fill level in accordance with a predefined characteristic curve.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein during the calculation the displayable fill level is increased or remains equal in comparison to the actual fill level.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the calculation during the refueling takes place differently from the calculation during withdrawal.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein during refueling below the first filling point (FP1), the displayable fill level corresponds to the actual fill level.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the characteristic curve extends linearly between a first fill level value (FW1) at the first filling point (FP1) and a second fill level value (FW2) at the second filling point (FP2).

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein during refueling between the second filling point (FP2) and a third filling point (FP3), the displayable fill level is calculated linearly between a second fill level value (FW2) at the second filling point (FP2) and 100% at the third filling point (FP3).

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the second fill level value (FW2) corresponds to a ratio of the second filling point (FP2) to the third filling point (FP3).

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the characteristic curve assigns the displayable fill level to each actual fill level.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the characteristic curve entirely or partially has a slope >1.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the characteristic curve reaches the second fill level value (FW2), which is less than 100%, at the second filling point (FP2).

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein after each refueling at a filling station, a maximum actual fill level reached is stored, and in a next refueling, a last maximum actual fill level reached at the filling station or a value which is calculated based on maximum actual fill levels previously reached at the filling station is used as the third filling point (FP3) and/or as a filling point from which the displayable fill level of 100% is calculated.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the displayable fill level is 100% during refueling above the second filling point (FP2) or above the third filling point (FP3).

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, if after an end of a refueling, a predefined actual fill level is not reached, the actual fill level is used as the displayable fill level.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein during withdrawal the displayable fill level is calculated via a fourth filling point (FP4) and a fifth filling point (FP5), the fourth filling point (FP4) corresponds to the fill level actually reached during a refueling and the fifth filling point (FP5) is predefined, and between the fifth filling point (FP5) and the fourth filling point (FP4), the displayable fill level extends linearly between 100% at the fourth filling point (FP4) and a fifth fill level value (FW5) at the fifth filling point (FP5).

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein during withdrawal below the fifth filling point (FP5), the displayable fill level corresponds to the actual fill level.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising calculating a range based on the actual fill level and the displayed fill level.

34. A pressure vessel arrangement, comprising: a pressure vessel; a device configured to measure an actual fill level of the pressure vessel; a display device; and an electronic control device that is configured to execute a method according to claim 33.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level during the refueling; and

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level during withdrawal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10, which is connected to a filling station 5 for refueling. The filling station 5 has a refueling hose 7 for this purpose, which is connected to a connecting piece 12 of the motor vehicle 10.

[0049] The motor vehicle 10 has a pressure vessel arrangement 15, which comprises a pressure vessel 20, a pressure sensor 25 attached thereto, a control device 30, a first display device 32, and a second display device 34. The pressure sensor 25 can ascertain an internal pressure of the pressure vessel 20 and thus represents a device for ascertaining an actual fill level. A value displayed for this purpose is supplied to the control device 30, which converts the actual fill level into a fill level to be displayed, in a way as described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The fill level to be displayed is displayed on the first display device 32 as a percentage value. Furthermore, the control device 30 also carries out a range calculation, which is based in principle on the actual fill level. The corresponding range is displayed in kilometers on the second display device 34. The display devices 32, 34, which are shown separately here, can also be combined.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a relationship between fill level to be displayed and an actual fill level, wherein both the actual filling in kilograms and also an associated percentage value of the actual fill level from 0% to 100% is indicated here.

[0051] A first filling point FP 1, a second filling point FP2, and a third filling point FP3 are arranged on the horizontally plotted axis of the actual fill level. These are predefined values which can be permanently programmed in or can also be adjusted specifically by filling station. The third filling point FP3 is at an actual fill level of 95%, as shown. Furthermore, a complete filling, i.e., 100% actual fill level, is also shown. In the present case, this is at 6.5 kg. This represents a solely exemplary value.

[0052] Below the first filling point FP1, the fill level to be displayed corresponds to the actual fill level. This is shown by the dashed line. Between first filling point FP1 and second filling point FP2 having assigned fill level values FW1 and FW2, the fill level to be displayed extends as a function of the actual fill level along a characteristic curve, which is shown by a solid line. The characteristic curve has a linear profile in the present case having a slope >1, wherein it is to be noted that the characteristic curve can also be embodied differently. In the region between first filling point FP1 and second filling point FP2, an adjustment thus takes place which has the result that a successively higher value is displayed than is actually present. Between second filling point FP2 and third filling point FP3, the fill level to be displayed as a function of the actual fill level again extends linearly, but with a lesser slope, which is shown by the dotted curve. Above the third filling point FP3, a fill level to be displayed of 100% is fundamentally displayed, so that a further refueling can no longer be recognized by the driver.

[0053] The dashed line and the dotted line are also shown outside those regions in which they indicate the actual relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level. The dashed line corresponds to the identity function. The dotted line corresponds to the connection between zero point and a fill level of 100% to be displayed at the third filling point FP3.

[0054] Due to the described embodiment, a refueling up to the third filling point FP3 is already perceived by the driver as complete refueling and thus an incomplete refueling, which is permissible according to SAE norm, is not perceived as an error.

[0055] As shown, the fill level to be displayed at the second filling point FP2 has a second fill level value FW2. This lies on one of the dotted straight lines, which means that its ratio to 100% corresponds to that of the second filling point FP2 to the third filling point FP3. An ideal relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level is thus achieved in the upper region.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows the relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level upon withdrawal. This can take place, for example, during an actual active operation of the motor vehicle 10, or also during idle phases outside a refueling.

[0057] The actual fill level reached during the refueling is now defined as the fourth filling point FP4. This can therefore be redefined after each refueling. Between the fourth filling point FP4, at which the display of the fill level to be displayed is 100% (shown as the fourth fill level value FW4), and a fifth filling point FP5, the relationship between fill level to be displayed and actual fill level extends linearly along the solid line, which has a slope >1. The fill level to be displayed thus drops more strongly than the actual fill level, which means a successive equalization to the actual fill level. Below the fifth filling point FP5 having its fifth fill level value FW5, the fill level to be displayed corresponds to the actual fill level, so that realistic feedback about the actual fill level is given to the driver, which allows him, for example, a more accurate estimation of the range.

[0058] If the filling station should already end the refueling before reaching the third filling point FP3, for example, due to a malfunction or due to a customer intervention, an adjustment of the display to the actually reached fill level can also take place. This transition can preferably be filtered or temporally smoothed, to avoid jumps in the display. Such an adjustment can take place, for example, at the end of a refueling (no pressure increase), while the follow-ups such as a pressure relief of a refueling hose and a release of a nozzle are still performed on the filling station side and the customer generally does not yet observe the fill level display.

[0059] Overall, the most suitable possible fill level display can be given to the driver by the embodiment described here, which is only modified insofar that the driver does not recognize a possibly incomplete refueling, which still corresponds to the norm, however, as a malfunction.

[0060] For reasons of readability, the expression “at least one” was partially omitted for simplification. If a feature of the technology disclosed here is described in the singular or undefined (for example, the/a pressure vessel, the/a sensor, etc.), the plural thereof is therefore also to be disclosed simultaneously (for example, the at least one pressure vessel, the at least one sensor, etc.).

[0061] The preceding description of the embodiments of the present invention is used only for illustrative purposes and not for the purpose of restricting the embodiments of the present invention. Various changes and modifications are possible in the context of the embodiments of the present invention without leaving the scope of the invention and its equivalents.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] FP: filling point [0063] FW: fill level value [0064] 5: filling station [0065] 7: refueling hose [0066] 10: motor vehicle [0067] 15: pressure vessel arrangement [0068] 20: pressure vessel [0069] 30: control device [0070] 32: first display device [0071] 34: second display device