Fuel pump, fuel supply device, and fuel supply control system
A fuel pump has a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel, and a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel pump includes a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function, a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank, and an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank. A gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance.
1. A fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank, the fuel pump comprising:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank, wherein a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance.
2. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , wherein the housing electrode and the outside electrode are arranged in a double-cylindrical shape in the fuel tank.
3. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a spacer that separates the housing electrode from the outside electrode to secure the gap.
4. The fuel pump according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter casing, and a filter element disposed in the filter casing to filter the discharged fuel, wherein:
the pump main body is held by the filter casing; and
the outside electrode is covered by the filter casing.
5. A fuel supply device comprising:
a fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank; and
a fuel filter that includes a filter casing and a filter element in the filter casing and filters the fuel discharged by the fuel pump through the filter element, wherein:
the fuel pump includes:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank;
a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance; and
the filter casing includes:
a holding part that holds the pump main body; and
a covering part that covers the outside electrode.
6. A fuel supply control system comprising:
a fuel pump that has:
a pump function of sucking fuel in a fuel tank and discharging fuel; and
a detection function of detecting a capacitance correlated to a concentration of alcohol in fuel in the fuel tank; and
a control system that controls the fuel pump, wherein:
the fuel pump includes:
a pump main body that is received in the fuel tank to perform the pump function;
a housing electrode that covers the pump main body in the fuel tank; and
an outside electrode that is located outside of the housing electrode in the fuel tank;
a gap is formed between the outside electrode and the housing electrode to give the capacitance; and
the control system, which is connected to the housing electrode and the outside electrode, includes:
an estimation block that estimates the concentration of alcohol based on the capacitance detected by the detection function; and
a setting block that sets a pressure of the fuel discharged by the pump function based on the concentration of alcohol estimated by the estimation block.