Patent ID: 6370946
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus for testing the propensity of motor fuel to form deposits in an engine, said apparatus comprising:a first chamber having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit and containing a first heater, whereby a stream of air is heated when passing through said first chamber via said first chamber inlet conduit and said first chamber outlet conduit; a first temperature sensor in thermal communication with said stream of air passing through said first chamber outlet conduit; a first temperature controller connected to said first temperature sensor and to said first heater whereby the temperature of the air stream passing through said first chamber outlet conduit is maintained at an externally variable predetermined temperature; a second chamber having a plurality of inlet conduits and an outlet, at least one of said inlet conduits being a hot air inlet conduit and being connected to said outlet conduit of said first chamber, and at least one of said inlet conduits being a fuel inlet conduit connected to a source of a fuel composition to be tested, said second chamber being adapted to contain a substrate upon which deposits are formed such that said substrate is in thermal communication with the walls of said second chamber; an airflow meter interposed between said first chamber outlet conduit and said second chamber air inlet conduit, whereby the volume of air passing into said second chamber may be externally varied between zero and a maximum volume emerging from said first chamber outlet conduit; a fuel meter interposed between said second chamber fuel inlet conduit and said fuel source, whereby a measured amount of fuel composition is delivered into said second chamber; a second heater in thermal communication with the walls of said second chamber and the substrate contained therein; a second temperature sensor in thermal communication with substrate contained in said second chamber; a second temperature controller connected to said second temperature sensor and to said second heater, whereby the temperature of the substrate in said second chamber is maintained at an externally variable predetermined temperature; said first and second heaters are electric resistance heaters, first and second temperature sensor, and first and second temperature controllers are electrical devices, fuel meter and air flow meter are electrically actuated valves, and wherein said first and second temperature controllers and fuel and air flow meter are connected to a computer whereby the parameters of temperature and delivery volume are controlled by a suitable computer program; said second chamber comprises a hollow cylindrical member having two ends, said first end having an opening the width of the inner diameter of the chamber, said second end having a conical taper to an opening of less than the inner diameter of the chamber, and wherein said first end is attached to a first half of a flange sealing mechanism, said first half having an opening coaxial with said cylindrical member, first end of suitable size to permit insertion and removal of substrate material and said outlet opening being fitted with a perforated member of suitable configuration to retain said substrate material within said second chamber, and wherein a second half of a flange sealing material is a blank flange half and is mated to said first half of a flange sealing mechanism, thereby sealing said second chamber.