Fuel blending system, method and apparatus

Mixing of gasolines and additives to achieve various octane ratings for different spark ignition engines has been taking place for decades. Determinations of performance or octane ratings of fuels are normally carried out on the basis of comparative tests against certified reference fuels of known and controlled characteristics. Conversely, the determination of octane requirements of engines and vehicles, are again carried out by repetitive testing with a range of reference test fuels of known characteristics.

These reference tests fuels are normally pre-mixed in precise ratios to yield specific performance or octane ratings in accordance with blend ratio tables issued by the test fuel producers.

Blended fuels are then stored and introduced to the laboratory engine or vehicle in separate containers. While these widely adopted practices do not compromise the performance of these tests in laboratories or ground vehicle settings, the storage of a wide range of test fuels in a test aircraft raises serious installation and safety issues.

To perform fuel evaluations and octane determination tests on ground and aircraft in-flight settings in a safe and expeditious manner, the test fuels blender system of the present invention has been developed.

The system is an on-board and in-line system for blending two fuels of known characteristics to achieve instantaneous in-line change in the octane rating of fuel flowing to the engine. The fuel blending system may be used in conjunction with a detonation indication system set forth in applicant's pending U.S. application, Serial No. 346,822 filed 29th November 1994, entitled Aircraft Engine Detonation Indication System, and corresponding EP Appln.No. 95308572.7. The blending system of the present invention is utilized in determining the octane sensitivity factors of unleaded fuels and engine octane requirements, The blending system provides a means of precise in-line blending of two reference fuels in an on-board aircraft or land vehicle installation. Based on appropriate calibration blending curves, the system will provide instantaneous indications of both lean and rich performance ratings of the fuel. Instantaneous lean and rich performance ratings of the blended fuel stream may be recorded concurrently with engine parameters and ambient test data, and with combustion knock severity numbers derived from the previously mentioned detonation indication system.

An example of an in-line blending system is found in U.S. Patent No. 3,864,095 which is a system utilized in a refinery during the production of gasolines, which adds the various anti-knock lead alkyl compounds during in-line gasoline blending. The amount of anti-knock additive is kept at a constant flow rate while the gasoline stream is modulated to adjust the overall octane rating of the gasoline. This system is also different from the present invention, in that it utilizes an octane analyzer which is sensing the on-going stream rather than use of two reference fuels of known octane characteristics which are volumetrically blended to achieve a known octane rating. Another blending system is illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 4,422,413 which is an on-board system for trucks. The system adds fuel additives to the regular diesel tanks of a truck in specified amounts. To achieve proper dosage in this blending system, a timer is used which operates a constant flow pump whereby the precise amount of additive can be measured. The system is not a true "in-line" system.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a blending system for aircraft or other piston engines which utilize two reference fuels of known octane characteristics to achieve an in-line instantaneous known change of the octane rating of the fuel flowing to the engine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blending system of two known fuels to achieve a specific octane rating of the fuel flowing to the engine which is unaffected by engine power and mixture settings.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a fuel blending system which instantaneously varies the octane rating of the blended stream while the aircraft or other vehicle is being operated under varying conditions to measure the combustion knock severity of various octane levels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-board adjustable octane blending system which provides a fuel stream with a precise octane number.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an on-board fuel blending system as defined in claim 1.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of achieving instantaneous know octane rating changes in an in-line fuel flow to a piston engine as defined in claim 11.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an in-line, on-board blending system for an aircraft fuel injected piston engine featuring excess or return fuel provisions; and</li><li>Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the same blending system on a carburetor piston engine with portions of the blending system not shown.</li></ul>

An on-board fuel blending system embodying the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The term "on-board" means that the system is carried, or is intended to be carried, in the aircraft or other vehicle and is connected, or is intended to be connected, to the engine and the existing fuel system in the aircraft or other vehicle. The term "in-line" means that in the operative installation, the blended fuel flows directly to the engine rather than to a separate blended tank. The system 10 basically combines two reference fuels A and B of known octane in a blending valve 16 to achieve a blended fuel of a precisely known octane rating for use in various test conditions in conjunction with the above-mentioned detonation system.

The two reference fuels A and B are stored externally from the blender system in tanks 12 and 14 respectively. These tanks include conventional fill openings and are separately vented to atmosphere to avoid cross-contamination. The tanks 12 and 14 also include a manual drain/dump valve 23 to discharge the fuels overboard in the event of an in-flight emergency, or during routine draining operations. The high octane reference fuel A flows to a blending valve 16 via a line 22 and pump 18 which may be powered by a direct current motor (DCM) and which maintains a constant discharge pressure regardless of the flow rate. A pressure regulator 26 maintains the pump discharge pressure constant regardless of the rate of flow from the pump. Also provided in the line 22 is a manual shut-off valve 19, a filter 30, a vapor separator 28 and a flow meter 32, all of which are conventional components used in fuel systems. The pumping action of the electrically driven pump 18 creates gasoline vapors in its discharge, and the separator 28 is provided to vent those vapors out of the system to atmosphere prior to passing through the flow meter 32 and blending valve 16. Also provided in line 22 is a check valve 21 which prevents back flow in the line in the event of pressure gradient reversals.

Reference fuel B, which is a lower octane reference fuel, is stored in the tank 14 and flows through a line 24 to the blending valve 16. The pump 20 in line 24 is similar to pump 18 and includes a pressure regulator 25, set at the same relieving pressure level as pressure regulator 26. Line 24 also includes a shut-off valve 19, filter 30, vapor separator 28 and a check valve 21, all of which function in the same manner as those in line 22.

Blending valve 16 includes a valve spool 36 which has cone-shaped orificing surfaces 40 and 42 on the left and right hand ends. Axially connected to spool 36 is a manually operable member such as a knob 38 which is threaded into the valve body so that rotation of knob 38 creates gradual linear movement of valve spool 36. Spool 36, in its full leftward position as seen in Fig. 1, blocks all the flow in line 24, while the orifice surface 40 in line 22 is full open. The discharge from blending valve 16 flows from the exit port in the center of the valve through an exit line 44. Line 44, which carries the blended amounts of fuels A and B, also includes a flow meter 34 which measures the total flow of the blended fuel being consumed by the engine. Located immediately downstream in exit line 44 is a fuel level controller 46. Positioned in the controller 46 is a float-actuated needle valve 48 which blocks all flow in the exit line 44 if the fuel exceeds a certain level. Connected to controller 46 is an engine supply line 54 and a return line 56. Positioned downstream in both lines 54 and 56 and externally to the blender system, are three-way interconnected valves 58 and 60, both of which may be manually or solenoid actuated, for example by a direct current switch (DCS).

When the aircraft is being operated on the blended fuels, the three-way valves 58 and 60 are in the positions indicated in Fig. 1. When the aircraft engine is not utilizing blended fuels, the valves 58 and 60 are positioned to block any flow from the blending system 10 while connecting the engine to the aircraft main fuel tank 74. Tank 74, contained in-dotted lines, may include an electrically driven boost pump 80 positioned proximate the tank which provides low pressure fuel to the engine in a supply line 76, excess fuel being returned in line 78 across a pressure regulator 72.

The engine compartment 82, contained in dotted lines, symbolically sets forth the fuel delivery and return lines of a conventional fuel injected system. This system includes an engine driven pump 62 supplied with low pressure blended fuel in line 54. Pump 62 in turn supplies a metering valve 64, which is essentially a variable orifice mechanically linked to the manually controlled throttle, not shown. Downstream of metering valve 64 is a manifold valve 68 which in turn supplies individual injector nozzles 70. Metering valve 64 is mechanically tied to an air throttle 66 which proportionally increases the intake air to the engine as the flow rate through metering valve 64 increases. The capacity of pump 62 always exceeds the engine's maximum flow; therefore there is return flow in line 56 across the pressure regulator 72. The return flow in line 50 enters fuel level controller 48, and the float-actuated needle valve 48 will modulate the flow entering controller 46 from blending valve 16 so that the flow rate entering fuel level controller 46 will be the actual consumption rate of the engine. Also connected to controller 46 is a vent line 50 which includes a pressure regulator 52 for maintaining a back pressure of approximately 3.45 x 10³ to 13.80 x10³ Pa (0.5 to 2.0 psi) in supply line 54.

Fig. 2 illustrates a carburetor fuel system on an aircraft engine connected to the blending system 10' embodying the present invention, with portions of the blending system not shown. The engine compartment 82' includes a carburetor 84 shown in block form, supplied by blended fuel from fuel level controller 46' through the supply line 54'. With a carburetor there is no return flow, and therefore only a single three-way valve 58' connects the engine to either the blending system 10', or to the conventional aircraft main tank 74'. The conventional tank 74' may also include a boost pump 80' which can supply the engine through supply line 76'.

OPERATION

The blending system 10 embodying the present invention can be utilized to power the engine of the aircraft, or alternately the aircraft's main fuel tank 74 can be used. If, for example, the blended fuel tests were to be taken at altitude, the aircraft would utilize its conventional fuel tank 74 until the airplane reached the altitude of the planned test. To disconnect the blending system 10 from the engine, the solenoid-or manually-operated three-way valves 58 and 60, as seen in Fig. 1, would be rotated clockwise 90 degrees so as to isolate the blending system 10 and connect the engine with fuel tank 74.

Once the aircraft is ready to commence its blended fuel tests, valves 58 and 60 are actuated to their Fig. 1 position, opening the fuel blending system to the engine. Flow meter 32 signals the processor 86 of the volume flow of reference fuel A. Flow meter 34 also signals the processor 86 of the total amount of combined blended fuel from tanks 12 and 14. With this sensed flow rate information the processor 86 can compute the ratio between fuel A and B or the percentage of either fuel A or B. Since the octane levels of the referenced fuels A and B are known and the volumes which are blended are known, a computer or processor such as a P.C. 90, connected to or integral with the processor 86 so as to receive therefrom the data relating to the numerical fuel blending ratio, can compute the instantaneous octane rating of the blended fuel as well as the fuel to air ratio if engine air flow meter provisions are installed, and other engine operational parameters as well.

The knob 38 is adjusted to set the octane level of the blended fuel stream at a predetermined octane to begin the test. With the detonation system, above-mentioned, activated, the operator in a typical test begins to reduce the octane level of the blended fuel by set increments, such as 0.1 octane point. The detonation system which is indicating and recording the occurrence and frequency of detonation along with other data, records along with that data the precise octane level the engine is burning at that moment.

While blending valve 16 is shown as manually operated, it could include a motorized actuator to adjust the octane rating as required to develop incipient detonation conditions during octane requirement rating tests. The blending system in Figure 1 is a fuel injection system with return fuel from the engine compartment 82 flowing in line 56 to fuel level controller 46. Controller 46 includes a float-actuated needle valve 48 which modulates the needle valve so that flow entering controller 46 is the actual engine fuel burn rate. Whenever the octane rating is adjusted at knob 38, the time for purging the previous octane rating fuel from the controller 46 and its connecting lines 54 and 56 is approximately 60 seconds. This very short purging time is due to the very small volume of fuel which is contained in lines 54, 56 and controller 46.

In a carbureted engine, such as shown in Figure 2, the purge time would also be of a very short duration comparable to the injection system in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the above-described embodiments of the invention are for the purpose of illustration only. Additional embodiments or modifications can be anticipated by those skilled in the art based on a reading and study of the present disclosure. Such additional embodiments and modifications may be fairly presumed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.