Fuel sensor

Details Fuel sensor Fuel sensor

2005-04-26

2005-04-26

Nolan, Jr., Charles H. (Department: 2854)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Impedance, admittance or other quantities representative of...

Lumped type parameters

C073S061410, C073S061430

Reexamination Certificate

active

06885199

ABSTRACT:
A fuel sensor (20) includes a single capacitor (22) that operates in two different modes to obtain capacitance and conductance information when a fuel mixture flows between the electrodes (24, 26) of the capacitor. Two different oscillators (180, 182) are selectively used to obtain the conductance and capacitance information. In a disclosed embodiment, a capacitor includes an outer electrode (24) that is received around an inner electrode (26) such that there is a spacing between the electrodes through which the fuel flows. The fuel acts as a dielectric of the capacitor allowing the conductance and capacitance measurements to be made. The inventive fuel sensor can be readily incorporated into a variety of locations within a vehicle fuel supply system depending on the needs of a particular situation. In one example, a portion of the fuel rail (132) is used as one of the electrodes of the capacitor.

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Patent Cooperation Treaty, International Search Report mailed Aug. 26, 2002.

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