How much gasoline is hidden under a lit fuel light or a modern fuel level indicator and much more.
Before the automobile revolution, manufacturers installed mechanical sensors directly on the fuel tank. Before driving, the driver had to check the fuel level. Inexpensive cars and models were equipped with these primitive systems until the 30s of the 20th century. Meanwhile, knowing the level of fuel in a tank is not only “cool”, but sometimes it is vital, especially when this refers to road or construction machinery on which complex technological processes are implemented, and not just a movement function.
Pointer fuel level indicators have low accuracy, and in addition, the scale in such devices has non-linearity. Therefore, it is very difficult to determine the quantity of fuel in the tank. Most of the drivers quite painstakingly monitor the fuel level, but still there are situations when the indicator pointer tends to zero and there is still a lot to go. When the light starts flashing, the question immediately arises: “Will the car be able to make it out to refueling?”
Previously, our client used a classic float fuel gauge and an electromechanical fuel indicator. And since tanks of various shapes and sizes are used on the machines produced by the client, the readings of the indicator often showed inaccurate information. Cases of failure of both the gauge and the indicator were also often. Analysis of the causes of frequent device failures showed that typically the client faces the following problems:
– inaccuracy of the displayed information due to the high sensitivity of the electromagnetic unit to vibration loads;
– untimely detection of a malfunction of the fuel level indicator;
– large measurement error;
– frequent breakdowns of the mechanical assembly of both the gauge and the indicator.
To solve the problems noted above, our company proposed to use a modern capacitance fuel gauge instead of a float fuel gauge. There are no moving parts in this gauge, it is possible to calibrate in accordance with any shape and size of the tank. The gauge is also equipped with digital and analog interfaces. And such gauge meets all requirements of the client.
The gauge is good in all features, but there are problems with the indication of the measured fuel level. There are practically no indicators on the market that can function with a capacitance gauge and have flexible settings in accordance with the tank volume. Thus, we have a project for the development of a fuel measurement and indication system that would meet a set of specific requirements, here are the main ones:
– measurement error ±1%;
– easy to read readings from the fuel indicator;
– compatibility with satellite vehicle monitoring systems;
– power supply range from 10 to 30 V;
– possibility to install in accordance with any shape and size of the tank;
– built-in design and high class of water and dust protection.
Our company has developed a universal digital indicator. Here it is.
The use of a modern element base and a high-level programming language made it possible to create a multifunctional digital indicator for our client, and not just a fuel indicator.
The use of a transparent silicone cover on the front panel provides a protection class of at least IP65 from outside.
The indicator contains interfaces for connecting sensors and equipment via CAN, RS485, K-Line interfaces, as well as two channels of discrete and two channels of analog inputs.
The integrated voltage regulator allows powering the device in a wide voltage range of 10 – 30 V. The control and display unit includes buttons for entering and changing the device parameters and LEDs for indicating the status of the measured parameters.
Color, easy-to-read IPS display, 320×240 pixel resolution.
During operation, the device:
– scans sensors of a given type;
– calculates the current value of the measured value from the received data;
– checks whether the measured value exceeds the specified limits;
– indicates, if necessary, about the measured value going beyond the set limit;
– scales the measured value in order to bring it within the specified indication range;
– displays the scaled value on the indicator.
Indication options:
In the indicator developed by us, the ability to connect fuel gauges is implemented:
– with analog output up to 10 V
– with a frequency output in the range of 100 – 5000 Hz
– with digital interface RS-485, K-Line or CAN.
Using one indicator, you get three in one package. Namely:
– information on the quantity of fuel with an accuracy of a liter
– voltage of the on-board network
– engine speed.
And we can indicate the fuel level at which the light will light up, through the indicator menu.
Using our indicator, you will know exactly how much fuel is hidden under a lit fuel light.