Patent ID: 8359168

Claim:
A fuel identification system, comprising: a fuel heating resistor having a variable resistance value as a function of its temperature, connected to a power source that applies a voltage to the resistor, said resistor being in direct contact and exchanging heat with the fuel, and having its temperature varied during the fuel heating operation; a current measuring device that measures the current through the variable resistor; and an electronic control unit connected to the resistor, measuring the voltage applied to the resistor, and connected to the current measuring device so as to receive therefrom the values measured for the resistor current, said electronic control unit comprising data processing means with the aid of which said electronic control unit identifies fuel properties based on the resistor current and on the formula U×I=k×A× ( T q −T f ) wherein U is the voltage applied to the resistor, I is the resistor current, k is the fuel heat transfer coefficient, A is the contact surface area with the fuel, T q is the resistor temperature and T f is the fuel temperature.