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Flexible-fuel vehicles now being developed by the automotive industry require smart sensors that detect alcohol concentrations in the fuel supply and alert the engine to make the adjustments necessary for eftjcient combustion.

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13ensors in Flexible-Fuel Vehicles

Bill Siuru
oday's automotive engineers can choose from a variety of alternative fuels: methanol (methyl alcohol), ethanol (ethyl alcohol), compressed natural gas, propane, and hydrogen. The consensus is that methanol is the most likely nearterm candidate for widespread use as an alternative to both unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel. Natural gas and propane will probably be limited to fleet operations and niche markets. Hydrogen, although an attractive option, will most likely be put on hold until the twentyfirst century. Ethanol, already a nearterm alternative fuel, must compete with more conventional uses for corn, sugar cane, and the other raw miterials from which it can be made. Methanol is being touted as a way to reduce America's deDendence on inported oil. I t is also a cleaner burning fuel with fewer smog-producing hydrocarbons in the exhaust by-products. On the negative side, methanol can produce potentially carcinogenic aldehydes. Most internal combustion engines need only minor modifications to run on mcthanol; it is more corrosive than gasoline, however, so fuel system components must be corrosion resistant. h4ethanol is uscd in racc cars for the 5-7% power advantage over gaqoline, but on a per-gallon basis it provides roughly 30?40 lecq energy/gal. This means, of course, either largcr fuel tanks or shorter distances on a tdn!,. Starting up a methanol-burning engine at sub-Lero temperaturcs i q very d i f f i cult, if not impossible. \lost manufacturers dTC therefore dcsigning vehicles to operate on a fucl called h185, d mixture of 85% methanol and 1 5 % unledded

gasoline. M85 allows ignition down to -20"F, and provides a couple of safety advantages as well. Pure methanol burns with an invisible flame, increasing the danger of an undetected fire resulting from an accident or a fuel spill; the addition of gasoline produces a combustion with a visible flame. Also, the gasoline smell of M85 discourages people from drinking the substance and encourages them to wash up after handling it. T h e infrastructure needed to store, transport, and distribute methanol or M85, however, will probably not be in place for many years. In the interim, automakers are developing flexible-fuel vehicles, or FFVs, with engines that will operate on M85, ethanol, gasoline, or any combination thereof. T h e driver

need not specify a choice, and a single fuel tank would accommodate whatever is selected. FFVs could be run on M85 for cleaner urban operation, and on gasoline for long-distance travel and easiei'cold weather starting. One essential component of an FFV system is the sensor that detects alcohol concentration levels in the fuel tank. This information is supplied to the engine electronic unit, which automatically adjusts the fuel flow rate, exhaust gas recirculation, and spark timing to achieve the best results with the particular fuel in use. These adjustments correct for the different air/fuel ratios required by various fuels. For example, the stoichiometric aidfuel ratio for gasoline is 14.7:l; for methanol it is -6.5:l.

SENSORS September 1992 47

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CONDUIT TO INNER E L E C T R O D E 2
OUTER CYLINDER

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FORMS ONE ELECTRO

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changes in the index of refraction of the fuel blend.

T h e relative dielectric constants of pure gasoline and pure methanol are an order of magnitude apart (see Table 1). Gasoline's low dielectric constant as compared to that of methanol allows Figure 1. The capacitance-type dielectric sensor is placed in the fuel line. (Courtesy of Siemans AG.) variations due to different brands or types to be ignored. Indeed, there is only Oxygen sensors are used for final trim- dielectric constant, or sonic velocity. about a 2% variation in dielectric conming on gasoline engines to achieve the There are also measurable differences in stant over the range of current commerbest aidfuel ratios and could, in princi- optical properties, e.g., indexes of refrac- cial gasolines including those that conple, determine fuel composition as well. tion and absorption in the visual, tain oxygenates like MTBE and ethanol. For accurate readings, however, the 0, microwave, or IR wavelengths. T h e While the dielectric constant is affected sensor must reach normal operating high-volume nature of auto production by both fuel temperature and conductivtemperatures. Most automakers there- makes some of these techniques too ity changes caused by impurities, these fore use both 0, detectors and alcohol expensive or too complicated to imple- effects can be measured and compensensors in their FFV designs. ment. Other methods are overly sensi- sated for. Several types of sensors can be used to tive to fuel impurities, fuel system comALCOHOL ponent aging, and even fuel product measure differences in dielectric constant. Siemens AG has developed a simMEASUREMENT variations among suppliers. An alcohol concentration sensor could Two types of alcohol sensor are cur- ple device that creates a capacitor out of theoretically be used to distinguish gaso- rently being tried out in FFVs: capaci- the fuel as it flows between two elecline from alcohol-based fuels by measur- tance-type detectors that measure trodes; the capacitance depends on the ing any of a number of properties, changes in the dielectric constant of the fuel's dielectric constant and thus its including differences in conductivity, fuel, and optical sensors that measure alcohol concentration. Figure 1 shows a

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Figure 2. In a single-capacitor circuit (A), the ratio of input to output voltage is a function of frequency for different alcohol concentrations (B).(Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.)

cylinder capacitor designed to be housed in the fuel line. One electrode is formed by the central element and the other one by the surrounding cylinder. The fuel mixture, i t . , the dielectric medium, fills the area between the center and the outer electrode. There are also various ways to convert capacitance measurements related to the dielectric constant to an output signal that can be supplied to the fuel injection system. Figure 2 shows a simple, singlecapacitor circuit with a high-frequency AC voltage and a resistive load. The ratio of input to output voltage is used to discern the composition of the fuel; in the example in Figure 2, the device operates

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Photo 1. Chryslers smart sensor determines methanol concentration by using a capacitor to measure the dielectric constant of the fuel. The sensor also relays the information to the engine computer. (Courtesy of Chrysler Motors.)
Circle 172 on Sensors RS Card See us at Sensors Expo, booth #369

SENSORS September 1992 49

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I1

OPTICAL SENSOR SCHEMATIC This sensor circuity results in better resLIGHT olution, i.e., it produces a larger change FUEL OUT RECEIVER in output signal as the fuel changes from gasoline to methanol. LIGHT PATH WITH METHANOL Another detector, based on a resonantcavity design, consists of two cylindrical Figure 3. A more advanced capacitance-type device conductors forming a coaxial RF transuses three capacitors in a K filter network. (Courtesy mission line. Although resonant-cavity of Ford Motor Co.) sensors usually operate at several hunat a fixed frequency of 10 MHz. A ther- dred MHz, the high relative dielectric mocouple or thermistor could be added constant of methanol allows this device to the circuit to measure fluid tempera- to be used in the 20-100 MHz frequenture, and one of several methods could cy range, allowing it to be short enough be used to measure conductivity. A for practical fuel systems. Among the microprocessor uses the three measure- advantages the design offers are that ments, Vout,conductivity, and tempera- both conductors can be at D C ground ture, to produce an output signal cor- potential, and that they exhibit relatively LIGHTPATHJ L WITH GASOLINE [ rected for temperature and fuel conduc- low sensitivity to conductivity variations tivity. The smart sensor in Photo 1 uses a due to impurities in the fuel. I I FUEL IN LIGHT capacitor to measure dielectric constant, EMITTER and instantaneously relays to the engine OPTICAL SENSORS Optical sensors designed for FFVs Figure 4. The received light increases with increased the exact fuel concentration detected. measure differences in the index of re- methanol in this optical fuel composition sensor. Investigations have been conducted on fraction. The sensor shown in Figure 4 (Courtesy o f Ford Motor Co.) other, more complex capacitance-type sensors that could provide greater accu- discerns methanol concentration by Mitsubishi Electric's optical fuel-comracy. Ford engineers have developed a measuring the amount of reflected light couple of these. One (see Figure 3) uses reaching a receiver. The light path, and position sensor uses parallel light beams three capacitors and two inductors con- thus the amount of light, depend on the emitted by an IR LED (see Figure 5). The collimated light passes through an nected in an electrical K filter network. index of refraction of the fuel blend.

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optical-glass rod prism and is refracted at an angle proportional to the fuels index of refraction. The light is reflected by a mirror and refracted again as it passes through the same boundary surface before traveling back through the prism at a different angle from the first passage. A condensing lens converges the beam onto a position-sensitive detector. The light beams position on the detector is a function of the refractive index and, therefore, of the alcohol concentration. A high-response thermistor is used for

temperature compensation. One of the from the other side of the column. A advantages of this device is its resistance photodiode on the other side of the column generates an output that is a functo contamination in the optical system. Another optical sensor design devel- tion of the amount of light received. oped by NGK Spark Plug places the bot- T h e amount of light received depends tom of a transparent column into con- on the critical angle, which in turn detact with the fuel flow. An LED light pends on the index of refraction of the beam strikes the interface between the fluid; the fuel alcohol concentration in bottom of the column and the liquid. the fuel can be thus determined. Light impinging on the interface at less Optical techniques present certain than the critical angle is refracted, while challenges to sensor designers. The optilight impinging at greater than the criti- cal surfaces are susceptible to film decal angle is totally reflected and escapes posits. Errors can be introduced when the fuel undergoes a phase separation, e.g., at lower temperatures, and when small amounts of water in the fuel cause it to cloud, making detection difficult. In addition, the index of refraction of commercial gasolines can vary by 25 %.

FLEXIBLE FUEL DEMONSTRATORS

The Big Three US.automakers are actively pursuing FFV technology. Within the next year or so, Chrysler plans to build as many as 2000 Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim FFVs, to be supplied to federal government fleets in California, Washington, DC, and Chicago, in addition to fleet and retail customers in California. Chevrolets plans include up to 4000 Lumina sedans that can run on M85, and Ford will manufacture 2500 Taurus-based FFVs. (A sidenote of interest is that after several years of testing optical sensors in a fleet of 200 FFVs, Ford intends to switch to a capacitance sensor for reasons of increased accuPSD-, ,--LEE

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Figure 5. This optical fuel comparison sensor detects changes in the index of refraction. (Courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric.)

52 SENSORS September 1992

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Saab Does it Differently

Saab does not use a methanol/gasoline concentration sensor in its environmentally friendly Saab 9000 prototype FFV; instead, the standard 0, sensor located in the exhaust system identifies the fuel blend being burned. Information from the 0, sensor is supplied to the fuel injection system to supply the optimum air/fuel ratio for each blend. Two requirements must be satisfied for this arrangement to work: the fuel must blend very slowly during operation, and provisions must be made for cold-start conditions while the 0, sensor warms up to operating temperatures. Saab uses an additional 6-liter "blending tank" in conjunction with the main fuel tank; the blender ensures the slow, carefully controlled mixing of gasoline, methanol, or ethanol that allows the 0, sensor to measure exhaust products from an essentially constant a i r h e 1 mixture. While the 0, sensor is warming up, the fuel blend is taken from the "slave tank," containing a known mixture detected during the engine's previous run and stored in computer memory. Once the 0, sensor reaches the proper operating temperature, new fuel is pumped from the main tank.

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racy.) As might be expected, most of the Chrysler and Ford products are destined for California, Finally, European manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Volvo, and Volkswagen, and Japanese automakers such as Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and Mitsubishi, have all demonstrated FFVs that are aimed at the U.S. market.
William D. Siuru, Jr., Ph.D., PE, is an automotive and aviation journalist. He can be reached at 6341 Galway Dr., Colorado Springs, C O 80918; 719-528-1980.

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