WO1998020342A1 | 1998-05-14 |
FR2878516A1 | 2006-06-02 | |||
EP1354847A1 | 2003-10-22 | |||
CN1449989A | 2003-10-22 |
Claims
1. FUEL QUALITY CONTROL METHOD AND SYSTEM characterized by remote sensing of the fuel quality throughout a fuel distribution network
2. It is used a digital sensor set to measure the fuel quality
3. The fuel quality is measured by the fuel spectral signature with a spectrophotometer or any other physical property of the fuel
4. Each time the fuel is dispensed into a vehicle in the end of the fuel supply chain such fuel is sampled, processed and a quality signal is transmitted
5. The quality signals are timely consolidated in a central database
6. The sample for the sensor set is captured either at the handler of the fuel dispenser apparatus or just tagged into the tail of the handler or between the handler and the main body of the fuel dispenser apparatus or inside the main body of the fuel dispenser apparatus but not after (coming from outside in) the fuel pump connected to the fuel dispenser apparatus |
Fuel Quality Control Method and System
The present invention relates to a fuel quality control method and system based on field sensors and digital databases integrated in real time with telecommunications to prevent sales of adulterated fuel.
Sale of adulterated fuel is an art per se. It is pretty much developed in developing countries where it does occur. Expressions such as "ghost tanks", "shadow commands" and "chupa-cabra" (a Brazilian fairy tale expression for a devil that sucks life out of sheep and little kids) are part of the jargon of the trade.
Identification of adulterated fuels in the laboratory is a technical field we shall render completely dominated. Identification of sources of adulteration is also a field we shall render dominated by taggants. So as long as a sample is provided and taken to the laboratory the adulteration cycle could be broken down. But it is part of the trade to make sure the sample of the adulterated fuel does not come right into the hands of the scientists and technicians.
The present invention is the first to propose a real time integrated network of sensors and digital databases which does provide a precise archive of physical properties identifying the fuel dispensed every time such fuel is dispensed down the last step of the fuel supply chain. By comparing such properties with the properties of the fuel up the supply chain supplied to a chain of distribution stations the adulteration, if any, is proved crystal clear in real time.
A set of three figures is presented. The first, a flowchart, presents a three steps process for sampling the fuel in the field. The second, a hierarchical chart, represents both the structure of the samples database and the distribution network, which consists of n stations numbered from Sl to Sn, each of them containing handlers numbered from 1 to the number of handlers in the station. The third is a diagram indicating where the sensors can be fit.
The invention shall be exploited within a fraud prevention scheme for fuel distribution chains in the market. By comparing the fuel first delivered through the initial steps of the supply chain with the fuel finally dispensed to the final client (i.e. the fuel dropped inside the client vehicle) it will be possible to circumvent adulteration boosting the distribution chain sales.
It is also possible to exploit the invention through regulatory agencies where national interests make it mandatory.
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