Patent Publication Number: US-11639289-B2

Title: Fluid dispensing unit having a circulation system and a method for circulating a fluid in a fluid dispensing unit

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/448,620 filed on Jun. 21, 2019 and entitled, “Fluid Dispensing Unit Having a Circulation System and a Method for Circulating a Fluid in a Fluid Dispensing Unit, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/685,265 filed on Aug. 24, 2017 and entitled “Fluid Dispensing Unit Having a Circulation System and a Method for Circulating a Fluid in a Fluid Dispensing Unit,” which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/706,710 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,771,254) filed on May 7, 2015 and entitled “Fluid Dispensing Unit Having a Circulation System and a Method for Circulating a Fluid in a Fluid Dispensing Unit,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/508,364 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,038,856) filed on Aug. 27, 2012 and entitled “Fluid Dispensing Unit Having a Circulation System and a Method for Circulating a Fluid in a Fluid Dispensing Unit,” which is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371(c) of PCT patent application serial number PCT/EP2009/064814, filed on Nov. 9, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate to a dispensing unit capable of circulating a fluid and a method for circulating a fluid. 
     Today, diesel powered vehicles account for large emissions of nitrogen oxides, generally referred to as NO x . The NO x  emissions are harmful to the environment, implying that several techniques are used in order to try to reduce these emissions. 
     One technique used to reduce the amount of harmful NO x  emissions is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The basic idea of SCR is to convert NO x  into harmless diatomic nitrogen (N 2 ) and water (H 2 O). The reaction is enabled using a reductant which is added onto a catalyst. Several reductants may be used such as anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia or urea. 
     Today a standard is established for using a SCR reductant in diesel powered vehicles. The reductant used is an aqueous urea solution having a urea concentration of 32.5%. The solution is referred to as AUS32. In order to obtain the correct concentration the urea is mixed with demineralized water. 
     When the diesel engine is running AUS32 is added into the exhaust flow, before or in the catalytic converter, by an amount corresponding to 3-5% of the diesel consumption. When AUS32 is added to the exhaust flow of a diesel engine, the engine can be operated more intensely without generating more NO x  emissions. 
     In Europe AUS32 is generally sold under the trade mark of AdBiue® and in North America the trade name for AUS32 is Diesel Exhaust Fluid or DEF. 
     AUS32 is commonly available at service stations throughout the world. Various kinds of dispensers are used in order to refill AUS32 in the therefore intended tanks of diesel powered vehicles. 
     There are however several problems related to the refilling and storing of AUS32. For instance, the AUS32 fluid will easily crystallize when subjected to air i.e. when dried out. This implies that crystals will begin to build up at nozzles and other parts of the dispensers that are not tightly sealed from air. This means in practice that clogging leading to a reduced flow will become a problem. 
     Another even more severe problem encountered in dispensers for AUS32 is crystallization by freezing of the fluid. The AUS32 fluid will begin to crystallize at −7° C., forming a slush. At −11° C. the fluid will freeze forming a solid. Once the temperature drops below −7° C. it is critical to control the environment of the parts of the dispensers which are subjected to the AUS32 fluid. A common solution used to counteract the fluid from freezing is to place all parts of the dispenser subjected to the fluid in a controlled heated environment. This solution makes the refilling considerably more complicated for the user, since the refilling hose and nozzle must in practice be placed in a heated cabinet or similar. During a refilling process the user must thus open the cabinet before being able to refill the AUS32 tank of his/her vehicle. Once finished the user must close the cabinet in order to not risk that the fluid in the refilling hose will freeze. If the cabinet is not sufficiently closed after a refilling process the fluid in the refilling hose and nozzle might freeze, leaving the dispenser useless for the next user. The use of heated cabinets does also bring about considerable energy consumption, particularly when the cabinet is not sufficiently closed after a refilling process. 
     AUS32 is also often sold in cans. By providing AUS32 in cans, the fluid can be prevented from freezing during storage, by for example storing the cans in a controlled environment, such as inside a service station. The use of cans filled with AUS32 brings about different problems. The user will for example have to open the can manually and thereafter pour the AUS32 fluid into the therefore intended tank of a vehicle. This means that there is a significant risk of spilling AUS32 during the refilling. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a dispensing unit having a circulation system-for circulating a fluid in the dispensing unit is provided. The circulation system comprises a circulation circuit, and a mechanism configured to circulate the fluid in the circulation circuit, such that the fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for circulating a fluid in a dispensing unit having a circulation system is provided. The method comprises circulating the fluid in a circulation circuit of the circulation system with a pump, such that the fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. 
     These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, given as non-limiting examples, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is schematic front view of a dispensing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a sectional view of a dispensing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the circulation of the fluid is controlled using a valve; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic detail view showing an embodiment of the present invention where the circulation of the fluid is controlled by the use of a gauge block; 
         FIG.  4    is a sectional view of a dispensing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the circulation of the fluid is controlled using a return tube; 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic detail view of an insulated hose according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic detail view illustrating how a heat cable is arranged in a reservoir according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  7    is a sectional view of a dispensing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, where fluid is extracted from an underground fluid reservoir; and 
         FIG.  8    is a block diagram illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide an improvement of the above techniques and prior art. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a dispensing unit that has a circulation system for counteracting the fluid from crystallizing. 
     These and other objects as well as advantages that will be apparent from the following description of the present invention are achieved by a dispensing unit and a method for circulating fluid in a dispensing unit according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG.  1    shows a dispensing unit  1 , having a plurality of hose storage spaces  2 , on each opposing side of the dispensing unit  1 . Different refilling hoses  3  are provided for different fluids such as gasoline, diesel and aqueous urea solution (AUS). An electrical cabinet  4  containing electronics for the dispensing unit  1  is provided on top of a hydraulic cabinet  5 . The hydraulic cabinet  5  contains fluid dispensing means (not shown) e.g. fluid metering means, valves, piping etc. The plurality of hose storage spaces are arranged in a column  6  extending vertically. The dispensing unit  1  is connected to a plurality of reservoirs (not shown) holding different fluids. The reservoirs holding different fuels, e.g. gasoline or diesel, are normally located underground. The reservoir holding AUS is normally located in the hydraulic cabinet  5 , but can also be located underground. When dispensing fluid, the fluid is drawn from one of the reservoirs by means of a pump, located in the hydraulic cabinet  5 , and from there to the column  6  and out to a nozzle via one of the refilling hoses  3 . When the dispensing unit  1  is not used for dispensing any fluid, all refilling hoses  3  are located in their respective hose storage spaces  2 . 
       FIG.  2    illustrates parts of the interior of a dispensing unit  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dispensing unit comprises a system  7  for dispensing and circulating AUS. The functionality and construction of the system  7  will now be described more in detail. Systems for dispensing other fluids then AUS are omitted in this description, although present in the dispensing unit  1 . 
     Fluid in form of AUS is stored in a reservoir  8  located in the hydraulic cabinet  5 . A pump  9  employed with measurement means (not shown) is used to draw fluid from the reservoir  8  transferring it into a tubing system comprising a hose  10 . The hose  10  is used to transfer the fluid to a nozzle  11 , which in turn is used for transferring the fluid into a tank of a vehicle, when refilling the tank. The nozzle  11  is placed in a nozzle boot  12  when not used for refilling the tank of a vehicle. A nozzle boot  12  is any means that can receive and/or hold a nozzle  11 . The size and shape of the nozzle boot  12  depends on the size and shape of the nozzle  11  in question. Further, the hose has a coaxially installed fluid channel  13  in form of a hose having a smaller diameter. The fluid channel  13  is used to return fluid to the suction side of the pump  9  when the nozzle  11  is not used for refilling the tank of a vehicle and thus placed in the nozzle boot  12 . In order to detect whether the nozzle  11  is placed in the nozzle boot  12  or not, a sensor  14  is used. When the sensor  14  detects that the nozzle  11  is properly placed in the nozzle boot  12  the sensor indicates that a circulation of the fluid can be allowed. 
     In order to perform the circulation of the fluid the valve  15  needs to switched from an open state to a closed state. The wording open state refers to a state where the valve  15  will let any fluid transferred from the pump  9  continue out of the nozzle  11 . The wording closed state refers to a state where the valve  15  will lead any fluid transferred from the pump  9  into the fluid channel  13  and thus return the fluid to the suction side of the pump  9 , when the pump is started. When the valve  15  is in the closed state, the pump  9  can be started, meaning that fluid will start to circulate form the pump  9 , through the hose  10  and back to the pump  9  in the fluid channel  13 . In other words, the hose  10  and the fluid channel  13  constitute a circulation circuit. The fluid is thus counteracted from crystallizing. 
     In order to control the circulation of the fluid in a more sophisticated way, the system  7  of the dispensing unit  1  comprises additional components. A heating element  16  is provided at the hose  10 . The heating element  16  is an electrically powered heat cable which is wrapped around the hose  10 . Further, the heating element  16  is controlled by a control unit  17 , connected to a temperature sensor  18 . The temperature of the fluid in the hose  10  is measured by the temperature sensor  18 . When the temperature drops below a predefined level, the control unit  17  will activate the heating element  16 . The fluid is then circulated during the heating process, meaning that the fluid is counteracted from freezing. Also the pump  9  is controlled by the control unit  17 . The power fed to the heating element  16  is controlled by the control unit  17 , such that the fluid is maintained at an elevated predefined temperature during the circulation process. In order to counteract the fluid in the reservoir  8  from freezing, the hydraulic cabinet  5  is maintained at an elevated temperature using a separate heating element (not shown). 
     A flow meter  19  is used during the circulation process in order to detect the amount of the fluid being returned in the fluid channel  13 . Since the pump  9  is employed with measurement means the signal from the flow meter  19  can be used to detect leaks during the circulation process. In order to detect leaks, the fluid flow detected by the measurement means of the pump  9  is compared to the fluid flow detected by the flow meter  19 . If there is a difference in the measured flows, this is an indication of a leak. Once a leak is detected the circulation of the fluid is stopped. By doing this fluid can be hindered from flowing out in case of a leak. 
     Now referring to  FIG.  3   . In order to make the fuel return from the nozzle  11  to the fluid channel  13  a gauge block  20  is placed in the nozzle boot. When the gauge block  20  is used the valve  15  of  FIG.  2    is omitted. The gauge block  20  is specifically designed to attain a leak proof fit around the outer periphery of the nozzle  11 , enabling fluid communication between the hose  10  and the fluid channel  11 . When the pump  9  is operated, fluid will flow from the hose  10 , via the nozzle  11  and back into the fluid channel  13  by means of the gauge block  20 , meaning that the hose  10  and the fluid channel  13  constitutes a circulation circuit. Also when using a gauge block, a sensor  14  is used to detect that the nozzle  11  is placed in the nozzle boot  12 . The circulation process is then carried out in the same way as described above in conjunction with  FIG.  2   , i.e. when the pump  9  is operated, fluid will flow in the hose  10  and return to the pump  9  in the fluid channel  13  by means of the gauge block  20 . 
       FIG.  4   , illustrates how fluid is lead back to the suction side of the pump  9 , using a separate tube  21 . The nozzle  11  used in  FIG.  4    is specifically designed to attain a leak proof connection with the nozzle boot  12 , enabling fuel communication between the hose  10  and the tube  21  via the nozzle boot  12 . In this embodiment, the hose  10  and the tube  21  constitutes the circulation circuit. The circulation process is carried out in the same way as described above in conjunction with  FIG.  2   . 
       FIG.  5   . shows a hose  10  according to an alternative embodiment. The hose  10  is covered by an insulation material  22 . The purpose for introducing an insulation material  22  is a reduction of energy consumption. The insulated hose will leak less heat to the surrounding, meaning that less power needs to be used in order to maintain the fluid at a predefined temperature. 
       FIG.  6    shows an alternative embodiment where the heating element  16  is placed in the reservoir  8 . By placing the heating element  16  in the reservoir  8 , no additional heating may be needed to be applied to the hydraulic cabinet  5 . In this embodiment the return of the fluid from the fluid channel  13  or the tube  21  needs to be fed back to the reservoir  8 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates an alternative embodiment where the fluid is stored in an underground reservoir (not shown). By storing the fluid in an underground reservoir the fluid in the reservoir is normally prevented from freezing. Only the fluid circulating in the hose  10  and the fluid channel  13  via the nozzle  11  and the pump  9  needs to be heated and maintained at an elevated temperature in order to be counteracted from freezing. 
     In the following a method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The method is schematically illustrated in  FIG.  8   . In a first step of the method  100 , fluid is circulated in a circulation circuit using a pump. 
     By circulating the fluid in the circulation circuit, the fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. 
     In the second optional step  200  of the method in  FIG.  8   , the fluid is heated using a heating element. By heating the fluid during circulation, the fluid is counteracted from freezing. 
     A person skilled in the art will realize that a large number of modifications of the here described embodiments of the present invention are conceivable within the scope of the present invention, which is defined in the appended claims. 
     For example, any fluid can be dispensed using the dispensing unit according to embodiments of the present invention. It is naturally possible to dispense other reductants than AUS, such as anhydrous ammonia or aqueous ammonia. 
     For instance, the system  7  for dispensing and circulating AUS can be embodied in many different ways, using various components. The hose  10  can at least partly be replaced by a duct arrangement comprising ducts or pipes outside or within the hydraulic cabinet  5 , some of which ducts or pipes may be rigid where flexibility is not necessary. These ducts or pipes can be made out of any suitable material, such as metal, plastics, rubber or ceramics. 
     Several circulation circuits for circulating fluids for different refilling hoses  3  can be used within the same dispensing unit  1 . A dispensing unit  1  only having one or several systems for dispensing and circulating AUS can for example be provided. This means that there are no means for dispensing other fluids such as petrol or diesel present in the dispensing unit  1  in this specific embodiment. 
     The size and shape of the hydraulic cabinet  5  can for example be altered and adapted to be able to hold a reservoir  8  having a different size and shape. For instance, the hydraulic cabinet  5  can be wider for holding a larger reservoir  8 , without having to change the design of the dispensing unit  1  significantly. 
     Any type of pump  9  being capable of dispensing and circulating fluid can be used in the dispensing unit  1 . Suitable pump types include displacement, buoyancy, impulse and velocity pumps. 
     For instance, any type of suitable sensor  14  can be used in order to detect whether the nozzle  11  is placed in the nozzle boot  12  or not. Suitable sensor types include, optical, capacitive, magnetic and hall effect sensors. It is for example also possible to mechanically detect whether the nozzle  11  is placed in the nozzle boot  12  or not. The nozzle  11  can include mechanical switching means which switches the valve  15 , when the nozzle  11  is inserted in the nozzle boot  12 . This can for instance be carried out by connecting a lever to the valve  15 , which lever is pressed upon, when the nozzle  11  is inserted in the nozzle boot  12 . 
     The heating element  16  can for example be any kind of element producing a sufficient amount of heat, for heating the fluid. Various kinds of immersion heaters and electrical radiators can for example be successfully used. Any kind of fuel powered heating element  16  may for example be used to heat the fluid. Further, the heat produced by the heating element  16  may for instance be transferred using heated air or gas. To improve the heat transfer, one or several fans creating a forced flow can for instance be used. 
     For instance, the heating element  16  can be placed in various positions, in addition to the positions described above. The heating element can be placed within the hose  10 , the fluid channel  13 , the tube  21  or the pump  9 . It is also possible to place the heating element  16  in proximity to any component of the circulation circuit. In other words, it is possible to place the heating element in proximity to or inside any of the components, being used during the circulation process. 
     For example, the heating element  16  can be controlled using several different strategies. It is possible to switch the power to the heating element  16 , meaning that the heating element  16  is operated in intervals. By controlling the timing of the intervals, the mean power fed to the heating element  16  can be controlled. It is for instance also possible to control the voltage fed to the heating element, meaning that the power may be controlled. 
     The fluid in the reservoir  8  can also be counteracted from freezing when the heating element  16  is placed at the hose  10  as illustrated in  FIG.  2  or  4   . In order to achieve the desired anti-freeze effect in this case, the fluid channel  13  or tube  21  need to be fed back to the reservoir  8  as described above in conjunction with  FIG.  6   . 
     It is also possible to lead the fluid from fluid channel  13  or the tube  21  directly back to an underground reservoir. Also, the use of an underground reservoir can naturally be employed to the embodiments of the present invention, for example, as shown in  FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  4   . 
     Also, the temperature sensor  18  can be placed at any suitable location, where it is possible the measure the temperature of the fluid. This means that the temperature sensor can be placed in proximity to or inside any of the parts that are in contact with the fluid during the circulation process. 
     For instance, it is possible to use various types of flow meters  19 , to measure the flow in the fluid channel  13  or the tube  21 . The flow meters  19  include mechanical, pressure based, optical, thermal mass, vortex, coriolis, magnetic and ultrasonic flow meters. 
     For example, the gauge block  20  can be crafted in various shapes using different materials. 
     The circulation process can for example be carried out using different strategies. The circulation process can be performed continuously when the dispensing unit  1  is not used to fill the tank of a vehicle. It is also possible to run the circulation process at predefined intervals, or intervals depending on outer conditions, such as temperature, humidity and wind speed. Another approach is to use measure the time since the last use of the dispensing unit  1  and initiate the circulation process if the time exceeds a predefined time limit. Also the time limit can be adapted with respect to outer conditions. 
     The return tube  21  can for example be made out of any suitable material, such as metals, plastics or ceramics. 
     Further, the nozzle  11  and nozzle boot  12  used in combination with the tube  21  can for example be employed with self closing valves, meaning that a spill free system is obtained. In other words, valves in the nozzle  11  and nozzle boot  12  will close once the nozzle  11  is removed from the nozzle boot, meaning that no spill will occur at the nozzle  11  or nozzle boot  12 . 
     For instance, the insulation material  22  may be made of any suitable material, such as glass wool, rock wool, fibre glass, cellular plastic or EPDM foam. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a dispensing unit is provided. The dispensing unit comprises a circulation system for circulating a fluid in the dispensing unit. The circulation system comprises a circulation circuit and means for circulating the fluid in the circulation circuit, such that said fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. 
     The dispensing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention may circulate the fluid in the dispensing unit, meaning that crystallization of the fluid is counteracted. This in turn means that the user will not encounter any or at least reduced problems with contaminated or clogged nozzles. Further, the risk of a reduced flow, due to clogging, from the dispenser is eliminated. 
     In one embodiment, the circulation system of the dispensing unit may comprise a heating element for heating the fluid, which the fluid is counteracted from freezing. 
     The circulation circuit of the dispensing unit may comprise a hose having a coaxially installed fluid channel. This means that the fluid can be circulated in the hose and the coaxially installed fluid channel using a standard hose arrangement. 
     The circulation system may further comprise a valve controlling the fluid when circulating through the hose and the fluid channel, thus the circulation of the fluid can be controlled by switching the valve. 
     The circulation system may further comprise a gauge block controlling said fluid when circulating through said hose and said fluid channel, which results in that the circulation in the hose and the fluid channel can be performed in a simple and effective manner. 
     The circulation system may comprise a hose having a nozzle and a nozzle boot, so the nozzle can be placed in the nozzle boot when circulating the fluid. 
     The nozzle of the dispensing unit may be adapted to attain a leak proof connection for fluid communication with the nozzle boot, when inserted in the nozzle boot. This is a simple way of achieving a leak proof fluid communication between the nozzle and the nozzle boot. 
     The circulation circuit may further comprise a tube connected to the nozzle boot, so fluid can be circulated through the nozzle boot and the tube. 
     The circulation system may further comprises a reservoir adapted to hold the fluid, the reservoir may be connected to the circulation circuit, so fluid can be extracted from the reservoir and returned to the reservoir after being circulated. 
     The heating element may be located in the circulation system, which results in that the fluid can be heated during circulation. This means that the fluid easily can be heated and/or maintained at an elevated temperature during circulation. 
     The heating element may be located in the reservoir, so the fluid in the reservoir can be heated, which brings about that a fluid having an elevated temperature may be circulated in the circulation system. 
     The heating element may comprise a heat cable, which results in that the fluid can be heated in a simple and cost effective way, using standard components. 
     The means for circulating the fluid of the dispensing unit may comprise a pump, so the fluid can be effectively circulated using a cost effective standard solution. 
     The circulation system may further comprise a temperature sensor connected to a control unit controlling the means for circulating the fluid, so the fluid may only be circulated under certain temperature conditions. 
     The control unit may further control the heating element, which results in that the fluid may only be heated under certain temperature conditions. 
     The circulation system of the dispensing unit may further comprise means for measuring the amount of circulated fluid, so leaks and other operational disturbances can be easily detected. 
     The fluid of the dispensing unit may be aqueous urea solution, which results in that the dispensing unit can be utilized for refilling vehicles having a tank dedicated for aqueous urea solution. 
     At least a portion of the circulation system may be insulated, so the energy consumption can be significantly reduced when heating the fluid. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for circulating a fluid in a dispensing unit having a circulation system. The method comprises circulating the fluid in a circulation circuit of the circulation system by means of a pump. By doing this the fluid can be counteracted from crystallizing. 
     The method may further comprise the step of heating the fluid by means of a heating element in the circulation system, so the fluid can be heated and/or maintained at an elevated temperature. 
     It should be noted that the method may incorporate any of the features described above in association with the dispensing unit according to embodiments of the present invention, and has the same advantages. 
     Thus, while there has been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.