US-12626545-B2 - Systems and methods of detecting fluid release

Abstract

Fluid release detection is provided. A vehicle can determine, via a first sensor, a flow rate of a first fluid, such as a headspace gas, between an environment and a reservoir of the vehicle. The vehicle can receive a fluid consumption rate for a second fluid, such as a hydrocarbon fuel associated with the reservoir. The vehicle can detect, based on the flow rate and the fluid consumption rate, a fluid release of the reservoir. The vehicle can execute an action responsive to the detection of the fluid release.

Inventors

• Joseph FOX-RABINOVITZ
• Walter GRIGG

Assignees

• TORC ROBOTICS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230629

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A vehicle, comprising: one or more processors configured to: determine, via a first sensor, a flow rate of a first fluid between an environment and a reservoir of the vehicle; receive a fluid consumption rate for a second fluid associated with the reservoir; detect, based on the flow rate and the fluid consumption rate, a fluid release of the reservoir; and execute an action responsive to the detection of the fluid release by controlling operation of the vehicle in response to the detection of the fluid release, wherein the first fluid is a headspace gas including air, and the second fluid is a liquid hydrocarbon fuel of the vehicle.
2. 2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein: the first sensor is a pressure sensor; and to detect the flow rate of the first fluid, the one or more processors configured to: receive, from the pressure sensor, a first indication of a pressure of the reservoir at a first time; receive, from the pressure sensor, a second indication of the pressure of the reservoir at a second time; and determine, based on a time interval between the first time and the second time, and a difference between the first indication and the second indication, the flow rate.
3. 3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is configured to determine an airflow through a vent of the reservoir, the vent intermediating a headspace of the reservoir and an ambient environment.
4. 4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive an indication of fluid flow rates corresponding to a plurality of points of a fluidic circuit; and determine, based on the fluid flow rates, a fluid release point.
5. 5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determine a first portion of the fluid consumption rate received from another reservoir for the second fluid; and determine a second portion of the fluid consumption rate received from the reservoir, wherein the detection is based on the second portion of the fluid consumption rate.
6. 6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive at least one of a temperature or a pressure associated with the environment; determine a density of the first fluid based on at least one of the temperature or the pressure; and determine the flow rate based on the density.
7. 7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust a confidence based on: a detection of spillage received from a rear facing sensor; a detection of foreign objects or debris from a front facing sensor; and an indication of an impact from an auditory system.
8. 8 . A method, comprising: determining, by one or more processors, a flow rate of a first fluid between an environment and a reservoir of a vehicle via a first sensor; receiving, by the one or more processors, a fluid consumption rate for a second fluid associated with the reservoir; receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of fluid flow rates corresponding to a plurality of points of a fluidic circuit; determining, by the one or more processors, based on the fluid flow rates, a fluid release point; detecting, by the one or more processors, a fluid release of the reservoir based on the flow rate and the fluid consumption rate; and executing, by the one or more processors, an action responsive to the detection of the fluid release by controlling operation of the vehicle in response to the detection of the fluid release.
9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor is a pressure sensor, and detecting the flow rate of the first fluid comprises: receiving, from the pressure sensor, a first indication of a pressure of the reservoir at a first time; receiving, from the pressure sensor, a second indication of the pressure of the reservoir at a second time; and determining, based on a time interval between the first time and the second time, and a difference between the first indication and the second indication, the flow rate.
10. 10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor is configured to determine an airflow through a vent of the reservoir, the vent intermediating a headspace of the reservoir and an ambient environment.
11. 11 . The method of claim 8 , comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, a first portion of the fluid consumption rate received from another reservoir for the second fluid; and determining, by the one or more processors, a second portion of the fluid consumption rate received from the reservoir, wherein the detection is based on the second portion of the fluid consumption rate.
12. 12 . The method of claim 8 , comprising: receiving, by the one or more processors, at least one of a temperature or a pressure associated with the environment; determining, by the one or more processors, a density of the first fluid based on at least one of the temperature or the pressure; and determining, by the one or more processors, the flow rate based on the density.
13. 13 . A system comprising one or more processors configured to: determine, via a first sensor, a flow rate of a first fluid between an environment and a reservoir of a vehicle; receive a fluid consumption rate for a second fluid associated with the reservoir; detect, based on the flow rate and the fluid consumption rate, a fluid release of the reservoir; and execute an action responsive to the detection of the first fluid by controlling operation of the vehicle in response to the detection of the fluid release, wherein the first sensor is configured to determine an airflow through a vent of the reservoir, the vent intermediating a headspace of the reservoir and an ambient environment.
14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein: the first sensor is a pressure sensor; and to detect the flow rate of the first fluid, the one or more processors configured to: receive, from the pressure sensor, a first indication of a pressure of the reservoir at a first time; receive, from the pressure sensor, a second indication of the pressure of the reservoir at a second time; and determine, based on a time interval between the first time and the second time, and a difference between the first indication and the second indication, the flow rate.
15. 15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive an indication of fluid flow rates corresponding to a plurality of points of a fluidic circuit; and determine, based on the fluid flow rates, a fluid release point.
16. 16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determine a first portion of the fluid consumption rate received from another reservoir for the second fluid; and determine a second portion of the fluid consumption rate received from the reservoir, wherein the detection is based on the second portion of the fluid consumption rate.
17. 17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive at least one of a temperature or a pressure associated with the environment; determine a density of the first fluid based on at least one of the temperature or the pressure; and determine the flow rate based on the density.
18. 18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to: detect spillage received from a rear facing sensor; detect foreign objects or debris from a front facing sensor; or receive an indication of an impact from an auditory system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle control systems and, more specifically, detections of fluid egress. BACKGROUND The use of autonomous vehicles has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with the potential for numerous benefits. However, autonomous vehicles face many of the road hazards faced by human piloted vehicles. For example, road debris or corrosion may interfere with a vehicle, such as by perforating fuel tanks, oil pans, coolant systems, and the like. Human operators may detect such perforations according to a sound, smell, or other indication of the vehicle condition. However, sensors which are present in current autonomy systems, such as forward or rear facing cameras, time of flight sensors, and the like, may not be positioned, specified, or otherwise configured to detect such conditions. Moreover, perforations, un-seated fluidic connectors, or other sources of fluid release can originate from various portions of the vehicle. SUMMARY The detection of unplanned releases from vehicle fluid reservoirs can reduce environmental discharge, increase vehicle availability, and increase vehicle reliability. For example, the vehicle can be flagged for service. In some instances, a release may be indicative of an unplanned siding for the vehicle (e.g., due to an impending inoperability of the vehicle, or to avoid discharging fluids over a roadway). Systems and methods of the present disclosure can compare a rate of fluid consumption (e.g., diesel) to a rate of discharge from a fluid reservoir to determine a deviation therebetween or detect a visual indication of fluid loss from a moving vehicle. The vehicle can determine a confidence level for a fluid release based on one or more instances of the systems described herein. For example, a vehicle can include a vision system disposed within a fluid reservoir, a vision system disposed exterior to a fluid reservoir to detect a reflectivity profile of a released fluid, a pressure system to determine a flow rate between a fluid reservoir and an environment, and components of a perception system to determine a presence of road debris corresponding to fluid releases. The vehicle can determine a confidence of a release based on indications from one or more of the vehicle systems. According to the systems and methods disclosed herein, a vehicle can detect a reflectivity profile of a fluid in a field of view of a sensor. The vehicle can compare the reflectivity profile to one or more predefined reflectivity profiles. For example, the predefined reflectivity profiles can include rain, tire spray of water (e.g., water containing oil or other spillage). In some embodiments, the reflectivity profiles can include vehicle fluids such as brake fluid, oils, engine or battery coolant, or hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel or gasoline. The vehicle can determine a match between a reflectivity profile and a fluid to determine a release of that fluid, or that the fluid is indicative of a benign condition such as rain. As indicated above, the vehicle can determine the fluid release based on further vehicle systems. For example, forward or rearward looking cameras can observe foreign objects or debris (FOD) over a roadway, or an auditory system can detect an indication of a collision between FOD and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle can impose a time-series or other filter to increase a confidence of a fuel release prior to taking an action. According to the systems and methods disclosed herein, a vehicle can detect an interior surface of a fluid reservoir such as a fuel tank. For example, a vision system can detect a fluid line separating a headspace from a fluid, or a depth of the fluid. In some embodiments, the fluid line may be detected with known features of a reservoir such as the location of the sensor, or makings integral to or disposed over the interior surface of the reservoir. The vehicle can detect a change in the volume which is greater than a threshold. For example, the threshold can be a single predefined threshold, indicative of a breach of the fuel tank, or can be based on a rate of fluid consumption (e.g., fuel). Based on the rate of change (e.g., a difference between a rate of change of the fluid and a consumption of the fluid), the vehicle can determine a release. Likewise, a pressure system can monitor a flow rate of a headspace gas to determine a change in fluid volume, and determine the breach based on such sensor data. The systems and methods herein can cause a vehicle to take an action responsive to a fluid release based on a fluid amount, type, vehicle location, and so forth. For example, the systems and methods herein can interface with a vehicle autonomy system to shutoff or reduce loading to an engine, cause the vehicle to exit from a roadway, or flag the vehicle for service. An embodiment of the present is directed to a vehicle. The vehicle can include one or more processors. The one or more processors