Programmable multiple blender

Claim 1

A system for blending low and high octane gasoline, comprising: nozzle means for dispensing the blended gasoline, said nozzle means including blend manifold means having a first port for receiving low octane gasoline, a second port for receiving high octane gasoline, and a mixing chamber for blending received high and low octane gasoline together just prior to dispensing; a first flow path for delivery of said low octane gasoline from a source thereof to said first port; a second flow path, wholly independent of and isolated from said first flow path, for delivery of said high gasoline fuel from a source thereof to said second port; first flow control means responsive to a first control signal for controlling the rate of flow of gasoline in said first flow path; second flow control means responsive to a second control signal for controlling the rate of flow of gasoline in said second flow path; blend selection means for producing a blend set point signal indicative of a desired blend ratio of said low and high octane gasoline; and processor means responsive to the flow of said low and high octane gasolines for producing, after a predetermined initial volume of gasoline has been dispensed, said first and second control signals at any given time as a function of a comparision of the ratio of the actual accumulated volume of said low octane gasoline to said high octane gasoline, relative to a statistically determined ratio of the ideal volume of said low octane gasoline to said high octane gasoline for the total actual accumulated volume of the sum of the low and high octane gasoline at a given time, said processor means including means responsive to said blend set point signal for producing an idealized ratio equivalent to at a given time what the accumulated volumes of said low and high octane gasolines must be for providing said selected blend.

Claim 2

A system for blending low and high octane gasoline, comprising: nozzle means for dispensing the blended gasoline, said nozzle means including blend manifold means having a first port for receiving low octane gasoline, a second port for receiving high octane gasoline, and a mixing chamber for blending received high and low octane gasoline together just prior to dispensing; a first flow path for delivery of said low octane gasoline from a source thereof to said first port; a second flow path, wholly independent of and isolated from said first flow path, for delivery of said high gasoline fuel from a source thereof to said second port; first flow control means responsive to a first control signal for controlling the rate of flow of gasoline in said first flow path; second flow control means responsive to a second control signal for controlling the rate of flow of gasoline in said second flow path; blend selection means for producing a blend set point signal indicative of a desired blend ratio of said low and high octane gasoline; and processor means responsive to the flow of said low and high octane gasolines for producing, after a predetermined initial volume of gasoline has been dispensed, said first and second control signals at any given time as a function of a comparision of the ratio of the actual accumulated volume of said low octane gasoline to said high octane gasoline, relative to a statistically determined ratio of the ideal volume of said low octane gasoline to said high octane gasoline for the total actual accumulated volume of the sum of the low and high octane gasoline at a given time, said processor means including means responsive to said blend set point signal for producing an idealized ratio equivalent to at a given time what the accumulated volumes of said low and high octane gasolines must be for providing said selected blend.

Claim 14

A system for blending first and second fluids together in desired ratio prior to dispensing, comprising: manifold means having a first port for receiving said first fluid, a second port for receiving said second fluid, a chamber for mixing said first and second fluids, and an outlet port for discharging therefrom the resultant blend of said first and second fluids; first valve means responsive to a first control signal for controlling the rate of flow of said first fluid from a source thereof to said first port of said manifold means; second valve means responsive to a second control signal for controlling the rate of flow of said second fluid from a source thereof to said second port of said manifold means; first flow meter means connected in series with said first valve means between said source of said first fluid and said first port of said manifold means, for producing first flow rate pulses proportional to the actual rate of flow of said first fluid; second flow meter means connected in series with said second valve means between said source of said second fluid and said second port of said manifold means, for producing second flow rate pulses proportional to the actual rate of flow of said second fluid; ratio tracker means responsive to the desired blend ratio, said first flow rate pulses, and said second flow rate pulses, for producing idealized first and second flow rate signals, for providing said desired blend of said first and second products relative to the sum of the total accumulated volume thereof at a given time; calculating means for determining the errors both between the actual and ideal first flow rate pulses, and between the actual and ideal second flow rate pulses; and control signal producing means responsive to said errors for changing said first and second control signals to compensate for the errors in the rates of flow of first and second fluids for obtaining the desired blend ratio thereof.

Claim 15

A system for blending first and second fluids together in desired ratio prior to dispensing, comprising: manifold means having a first port for receiving said first fluid, a second port for receiving said second fluid, a chamber for mixing said first and second fluids, and an outlet port for discharging therefrom the resultant blend of said first and second fluids; first valve means responsive to a first control signal for controlling the rate of flow of said first fluid from a source thereof to said first port of said manifold means; second valve means responsive to a second control signal for controlling the rate of flow of said second fluid from a source thereof to said second port of said manifold means; first flow meter means connected in series with said first valve means between said source of said first fluid and said first port of said manifold means, for producing first flow rate pulses proportional to the actual rate of flow of said first fluid; second flow meter means connected in series with said second valve means between said source of said second fluid and said second port of said manifold means, for producing second flow rate pulses proportional to the actual rate of flow of said second fluid; ratio tracker means responsive to the desired blend ratio, said first flow rate pulses, and said second flow rate pulses, for producing idealized first and second flow rate signals, for providing said desired blend of said first and second products relative to the sum of the total accumulated volume thereof at a given time; calculating means for determining the errors both between the actual and ideal first flow rate pulses, and between the actual and ideal second flow rate pulses; and control signal producing means responsive to said errors for changing said first and second control signals to compensate for the errors in the rates of flow of first and second fluids for obtaining the desired blend ratio thereof.

Claim 17

A system for selective fluid blending and dispensing first and second products, comprising: first and second flow control valve means for individually controlling the rate of flow of said first and second products in response to first and second control signals, respectively; first and second flow meter means, connected in series with said first and second flow control valve means, respectively, for producing first and second flow rate signals indicating the rate of flow of said first and second products, respectively; dispensing means having first and second ports for receiving said first and second products, respectively, from said series connected first and second flow control valve means and first and second flow meter means, respectively, for both (1) blending together said first and second products, and (2) dispensing the resultant blend; and closed loop control means including blend selection means for selectively producing a blend signal indicative of a desired blend or mixture ratio of said first and second products for dispensing, blended product flow rate selection means for selectively changing at any given time as demanded by a user product flown rate for dispensing and processing means responsive to said blend signal, a total flow rate signal produced by said blended product flow rate selection means, and said first and second flow rate signals, for producing said first and second control signals for operating said flow control valve means to jointly change the rates of flow of said first and second products at the same time in a first mode of operation, respectively, over a given dispensing cycle, prior to actual blending of said first and second products, for both maintaining the desired blend, and desired blended product flow rate at any given time.

Claim 18

A system for selective fluid blending and dispensing first and second products, comprising: first and second flow control valve means for individually controlling the rate of flow of said first and second products in response to first and second control signals, respectively; first and second flow meter means, connected in series with said first and second flow control valve means, respectively, for producing first and second flow rate signals indicating the rate of flow of said first and second products, respectively; dispensing means having first and second ports for receiving said first and second products, respectively, from said series connected first and second flow control valve means and first and second flow meter means, respectively, for both (1) blending together said first and second products, and (2) dispensing the resultant blend; and closed loop control means including blend selection means for selectively producing a blend signal indicative of a desired blend or mixture ratio of said first and second products for dispensing, blended product flow rate selection means for selectively changing at any given time as demanded by a user product flown rate for dispensing and processing means responsive to said blend signal, a total flow rate signal produced by said blended product flow rate selection means, and said first and second flow rate signals, for producing said first and second control signals for operating said flow control valve means to jointly change the rates of flow of said first and second products at the same time in a first mode of operation, respectively, over a given dispensing cycle, prior to actual blending of said first and second products, for both maintaining the desired blend, and desired blended product flow rate at any given time.

Claim 28

A system for selectively blending and dispensing fluid products, comprising: first flow control valve means, responsive to a first control signal, for directly controlling the flow rate of a second product; second flow control valve means, responsive to a second control signal, for directly controlling the flow rate of a second product; first positive displacement flow meter means connected in series with said first flow control valve means, for producing a first flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate of said first product; second positive displacement flow meter means connected in series with said second flow control valve means, for producing a second flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate of said second product; dispensing means connected for receiving said first and second products from said series connected first flow control valve means and first flow meter means, and said series connected second flow control valve means and second flow meter means, respectively, for sequentially blending and selectively dispensing the blended said first and second products, the flow rates thereof determining the ratio of the first product to the second product in the resilient blend of the two being dispensed; control means including blend selection means for producing a blend signal indicative of a desired blend of said first and second products, and processing means responsive to said blend signal, and said first and second flow rate signals, for producing said first and second control signals for simultaneously controlling in a closed loop manner said first and second flow control valve means for changing the relative rates of flow of said first and second products for maintaining the mixture ratio of the blend of the first and second products being dispensed prior to the actual blending thereof; and said dispensing means including blend manifold means for blending or mixing said first and second products together, and nozzle means connected to said blend manifold means for receiving the blended product therefrom and providing selective dispensing of the blended fuel.

Claim 29

A system for selectively blending and dispensing fluid products, comprising: first flow control valve means, responsive to a first control signal, for directly controlling the flow rate of a second product; second flow control valve means, responsive to a second control signal, for directly controlling the flow rate of a second product; first positive displacement flow meter means connected in series with said first flow control valve means, for producing a first flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate of said first product; second positive displacement flow meter means connected in series with said second flow control valve means, for producing a second flow rate signal indicative of the flow rate of said second product; dispensing means connected for receiving said first and second products from said series connected first flow control valve means and first flow meter means, and said series connected second flow control valve means and second flow meter means, respectively, for sequentially blending and selectively dispensing the blended said first and second products, the flow rates thereof determining the ratio of the first product to the second product in the resilient blend of the two being dispensed; control means including blend selection means for producing a blend signal indicative of a desired blend of said first and second products, and processing means responsive to said blend signal, and said first and second flow rate signals, for producing said first and second control signals for simultaneously controlling in a closed loop manner said first and second flow control valve means for changing the relative rates of flow of said first and second products for maintaining the mixture ratio of the blend of the first and second products being dispensed prior to the actual blending thereof; and said dispensing means including blend manifold means for blending or mixing said first and second products together, and nozzle means connected to said blend manifold means for receiving the blended product therefrom and providing selective dispensing of the blended fuel.