Products and processes for analyzing octane content
Products and processes are provided herewith for analyzing octane content in a fuel sample that include the step or steps of receiving an octane measurement of a fuel sample from a octane analyzer, rounding the octane measurement to a nearest recognized octane rating, comparing the rounded octane measurement with a listed octane rating for the fuel sample, and communicating results of the comparison to a user of the octane analyzer. The octane analyzer may be incorporated into a fuel pump or a vehicle. The results of the comparison may also be used to adjust the vehicle operating parameters to account for the actual octane rating of the fuel dispensed into the vehicle.
1. A method comprising:
computing an octane measurement at a nozzle of a fueling station fuel pump, using a portable octane analyzer, in which the octane measurement measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the fueling station fuel pump, and in which the portable octane analyzer is removably attachable to a plurality of locations on the fueling station fuel pump;
comparing, using the portable octane analyzer, the octane measurement with a pre-determined octane rating of the fuel sample;
determining, using the portable octane analyzer, whether the octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating;
transmitting, via the portable octane analyzer to an user, an indication of whether the octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating; and
displaying, on a display, the indication of whether the octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
adjusting a price of the fuel sample based in part on the indication of whether the octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying on the display a message comprising a status of the octane measurement.
4. The method of claim 3 , in which the status comprises at least one of:
an indication of a pass,
an indication of a fail, and
an indication that a threshold has been exceeded.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
re-measuring the octane measurement of the fuel sample, in response to a determination that the octane measurement deviates from the standard octane rating.
6. The method of claim 1 , in which the octane analyzer comprises a collar that is removably disposed over the nozzle; and
in which the collar comprises:
at least one infrared (IR) emitter that is disposed circumferentially about the collar, in which the at least one IR emitter transmits octane measurements to at least one IR receiver.
7. The method of claim 1 , in which the octane analyzer comprises a power supply that is portable.
8. The method of claim 1 , in which the octane analyzer does not share a power supply with the fueling station fuel pump.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fueling station fuel pump comprises a first fueling station fuel pump and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, using the portable octane analyzer, a second octane measurement at a nozzle of a second fueling station fuel pump that is different from the first fueling station fuel pump, in which the second octane measurement measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the second fueling station fuel pump.
10. The method of claim 9 , in which the nozzle of the second fueling station fuel pump is separate from the nozzle of the first fueling station fuel pump.
11. The method of claim 9 , in which the nozzle of the second fueling station fuel pump is at a location that is different from the location of the nozzle of the first fueling station fuel pump.
12. A method comprising:
attaching a portable octane analyzer to a nozzle of a fueling station fuel pump, in which the portable octane analyzer measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the fueling station fuel pump;
receiving, via the portable octane analyzer, an octane measurement of the fuel sample that is being dispensed from the fueling station fuel pump;
receiving, via the portable octane analyzer, an indication that the octane measurement deviates from a pre-determined octane rating by a quantity of deviation;
transmitting to the portable octane analyzer a request for a price adjustment based on the quantity of deviation; and
receiving, via the portable octane analyzer, a quantity of the price adjustment.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a message comprising a status of the octane measurement.
14. The method of claim 13 , in which the status comprises at least one of:
an indication of a pass,
an indication of a fail, and
an indication that a threshold has been exceeded.
15. The method of claim 12 , in which the octane analyzer comprises a collar that is removably disposed over the nozzle; and
in which the collar comprises:
at least one infrared (IR) emitter that is disposed circumferentially about the collar, in which the at least one IR emitter transmits octane measurements to at least one IR receiver.
16. The method of claim 12 , in which the octane analyzer comprises a power supply that is portable.
17. The method of claim 12 , in which the octane analyzer does not share a power supply with the fueling station fuel pump.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fueling station fuel pump comprises a first fueling station fuel pump and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, via the portable octane analyzer, a second octane measurement at a nozzle of a second fueling station fuel pump that is different from the first fueling station fuel pump, in which the second octane measurement measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the second fueling station fuel pump.
19. The method of claim 18 , in which the nozzle of the second fueling station fuel pump is separate from the nozzle of the first fueling station fuel pump.
20. The method of claim 18 , in which the nozzle of the second fueling station fuel pump is at a location that is different from the location of the nozzle of the first fueling station fuel pump.
21. A method comprising:
computing a first octane measurement at a first nozzle of a first fueling station fuel pump, using a portable octane analyzer, in which the octane measurement measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the first fueling station fuel pump, and in which the portable octane analyzer is removably attachable to a plurality of locations on the first fueling station fuel pump;
computing, using the portable octane analyzer, a second octane measurement at a second nozzle of a second fueling station fuel pump that is different from the first fueling station fuel pump, in which the second octane measurement measures a fuel sample that is being dispensed from the second fueling station fuel pump;
comparing, using the portable octane analyzer, the first octane measurement and the second octane measurement with a pre-determined octane rating of each respective fuel sample;
determining, using the portable octane analyzer, whether the first octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating;
transmitting, via the portable octane analyzer to an user, an indication of whether the first octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating; and
displaying, on a display, the indication of whether the first octane measurement deviates from the pre-determined octane rating.