US 11,867,141 B1
Ethanol detection with heated fuel injector in flexible fuel vehicles
Roberto Gothardo Krenus, Piracicaba (BR)
Assigned to DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED, St. Michael (BB)
Filed by DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED, St. Michael (BB)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/119,395.
Int. Cl. F02D 19/06 (2006.01); F02M 53/06 (2006.01); F02M 31/125 (2006.01)
CPC F02M 53/06 (2013.01) [F02D 19/0605 (2013.01); F02D 19/0655 (2013.01); F02M 31/125 (2013.01); F02D 2200/0612 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting a percentage of ethanol in fuel used by an engine, the method comprising:
initiating a heating cycle in a component of a fuel delivery system of the engine, the component including a heater;
monitoring the temperature of the heater as a function of time, the heater being operated during the heating cycle;
obtaining the heater temperature at a first time t1 at which a slope of the heater temperature as a function of time reaches a predetermined threshold value indicative of fuel boiling;
obtaining the heater temperature at a subsequent time t2 at which the slope of the heater temperature approaches a value of the slope prior to the time t1 and which is greater than the predetermined threshold value indicative of fuel boiling;
calculating a difference ΔT between the heater temperature at time t2 and the heater temperature at the first time t1; and
determining the percentage of ethanol in the fuel as a function of the calculated temperature difference ΔT and the first time t1.