The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 2007
Filed:
Mar. 13, 2003
Frank Ament, Troy, MI (US);
Sam R. Reddy, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Frank Ament, Troy, MI (US);
Sam R. Reddy, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A narrow test chamber has at least one heater immersed with its major faces parallel to the fuel surface, part way up the chamber. Heater resistance increases non-linearly as a critical temperature is reached. When the heater is energized, fuel begins to evaporate. Heater temperature remains below the critical temperature until the fuel level drops to or just below the heater level, whereupon heater temperature rises quickly to the critical temperature and heater current drops sharply. The time trequired to reach this point and the heater current or energy consumed vary according to the fuel distillation Drivability Index (DI). The DI is determined from the measured heater current and tor from differential measurement of tfor two heaters mounted one above the other, by calculation or from a look-up table. The DI value is then used to control engine operation to reduce pollution and improve performance.