Fuel supply apparatus and fuel supply method

Abstract

The temperatures of fuel oils stored in fuel tanks 12 a, 12 b, 12 c are separately detected by temperature sensors 52 a, 52 b, 52 c, respectively. Based on the detection results, a CPU 49 heats a heat resistant fuel oil among the fuel oils using a heat exchanger 54, such that the temperature of an oil mixture generated by mixing the fuel oils satisfies a predetermined temperature condition. After the fuel oils including the heated heat resistant fuel oil are mixed in a blender 13, the CPU 49 detects the viscosity of the generated oil mixture using a viscometer 33. Thereafter, based on the detection result, the CPU 49 controls the mixture ratio or a heating temperature of the heat resistant fuel oil, such that the viscosity of the oil mixture satisfies a predetermined viscosity condition.

1 . A fuel supply apparatus comprising:
 a blender, configured for generating an oil mixture by arbitrarily combining and mixing a plurality of types of fuel oils including a heat resistant fuel oil and a non-heat resistant oil;   a fuel oil temperature sensor, configured for separately detecting temperatures of the fuel oils before the blender mixes the fuel oils;   a heater, configured for heating only the heat resistant fuel oil among the fuel oils before the blender mixes the fuel oils; and   a controller, configured for controlling, based on a detection result of the fuel oil temperature sensor, the heater such that the temperature of the oil mixture obtained by mixing the fuel oils becomes a temperature that is set in advance.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a viscosity detector, configured for detecting a viscosity of the oil mixture generated by the blender,   wherein, based on a detection result of the viscosity detector, the controller controls a mixture ratio or a heating temperature of the heat resistant fuel oil that is heated by the heater, such that the viscosity of the oil mixture is kept in a viscosity range that is set in advance.   
     
     
         3 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 an oil mixture temperature sensor, configured for detecting a temperature of the oil mixture that is generated by mixing the fuel oils using the blender; and   a memory configured for storing fuel maps each defining the relationship between a viscosity of the oil mixture and mixture ratios of the fuel oils at each of different temperatures of the fuel oils,   wherein, based on a detection result of the oil mixture temperature sensor and the fuel maps stored in the memory, the controller controls the mixture ratio or a heating temperature of the heat resistant fuel oil, such that the viscosity of the oil mixture is kept in a viscosity range that is set in advance.   
     
     
         4 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of fuel tanks each storing different one of the fuel oils; and   a plurality of supply passages each connected to different one of the fuel tanks,   wherein the heater is provided in the fuel tank that stores only the heat resistant fuel oil or in the supply passage that supplies only the heat resistant fuel oil.   
     
     
         5 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the heat resistant fuel oil is selected from the group consisting of an A heavy oil, a B heavy oil, a C heavy oil, Kerosene, and a light oil, and wherein the non-heat resistant oil is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable oil and biodiesel fuel.   
     
     
         6 . A fuel supply method comprising:
 fuel oil temperature detecting step including separately detecting temperatures of a plurality of fuel including a heat resistant fuel oil and a non-heat resistant oil;   heating step including heating only the heat resistant fuel oil among the fuel oils based on a detection result of the fuel oil temperature detecting step such that the temperature of the oil mixture obtained by mixing the fuel oils becomes a temperature that is set in advance; and   mixing step including generating the oil mixture by arbitrarily combining and mixing the fuel oils including the heat resistant fuel oil.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising using a heat resistant fuel oil selected from the group consisting of an A heavy oil, a B heavy oil, a C heavy oil, Kerosene, and a light oil, and wherein the non-heat resistant oil is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable oil and biodiesel fuel. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the viscosity detector comprises a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the viscosity detector comprises a viscometer. 
     
     
         10 . A fuel supply apparatus comprising:
 mixing means for generating an oil mixture by arbitrarily combining and mixing a plurality of types of fuel oils including a heat resistant fuel oil and a non-heat resistant oil;   fuel temperature detecting means for separately detecting temperatures of the fuel oils before the mixing means mixes the fuel oils;   heating means for heating only the heat resistant fuel oil among the fuel oils before the mixing means mixes the fuel oils; and   control means for controlling, based on a detection result of the fuel oil temperature detecting means, the heating means such that the temperature of the oil mixture obtained by mixing the fuel oils becomes a temperature that is set in advance.   
     
     
         11 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 viscosity detecting means for detecting a viscosity of the oil mixture generated by the mixing means,   wherein, based on a detection result of the viscosity detecting means, the control means controls a mixture ratio or a heating temperature of the heat resistant fuel oil that is heated by the heating means, such that the viscosity of the oil mixture is kept in a viscosity range that is set in advance.   
     
     
         12 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 oil mixture temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the oil mixture that is generated by mixing the fuel oils using the mixing means; and   memory means for storing fuel maps each defining the relationship between a viscosity of the oil mixture and mixture ratios of the fuel oils at each of different temperatures of the fuel oils,   wherein, based on a detection result of the oil mixture temperature detecting means and the fuel maps stored in the memory means, the control means controls the mixture ratio or a heating temperature of the heat resistant fuel oil, such that the viscosity of the oil mixture is kept in a viscosity range that is set in advance.   
     
     
         13 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a plurality of fuel tanks each storing different one of the fuel oils; and   a plurality of supply passages each connected to different one of the fuel tanks,   wherein the heating means is provided in the fuel tank that stores only the heat resistant fuel oil or in the supply passage that supplies only the heat resistant fuel oil.   
     
     
         14 . The fuel supply apparatus according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the heat resistant fuel oil is selected from the group consisting of an A heavy oil, a B heavy oil, a C heavy oil, Kerosene, and a light oil, and wherein the non-heat resistant oil is selected from the group consisting of a vegetable oil and biodiesel fuel.