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FUEL ALERT

ARCTIC INNOVATION COMPETITION

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ANY FUEL SPILL THAT CAUSES A OIL SHEEN HAS TO BE REPORTED TO THE COAST GUARD

BY CREATING A SHEEN YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND OPENING YOURSELF UP TO PROSECUTION…ASK ANY BOAT OWNER IF THEY HAVE SPILLED A LITTLE FUEL….

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Boat Fuel Systems

  • Not pressurized
  • Fuel Gauges on boats are not accurate
  • Overfilling will vent fuel overboard into ocean
  • Auto-stop fuel nozzle stop only when fuel is already coming out of vent
  • No commercial product or tank redesign has changed this

fuel vent

fuel fill

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FUEL ALERT

INTELLIGENT GAS CAP THAT DETERMINES WHEN YOUR TANK IS FULL

BATTERY OPERATED, SEALED-WATERPROOFED ELECTRONICS AND ADJUSTABLE TO TANKS ON MOST BOATS

COMPATIBLE WITH DIESEL OR GAS OR ANY LIQUID

GIVES AUDIBLE ALERT TO ADJUSTABLE FUEL STOP

LEVEL

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PRIOR ART

FILL WHISTLE —ATTACHES TO VENT LINE NO-SPILL—ATTACHES TO VENT LINE TO CATCH OVERFLOW FUEL/AIR SEPARATOR—TO VENT

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How it works

  • A tiny pressure sensor that is able to measure small differences in air pressure is connected to a long silicon tube that goes to a preset depth in your fuel fill port
  • When turned on a small microcontroller measures the current air pressure in both the cap and the silicon tube
  • When fluid hits the tube to a preselected depth it changes the air pressure enough to cause the computer to turn on a buzzer
  • As the fluid climbs up the silicon tube the pressure goes higher causing the buzzer to beep more frequently

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The build

  • Custom printed circuit board
  • Battery is Coin Cell 2025
  • ATTiny 85 microcontroller
  • IP67 Waterproof on/off switch
  • MP3V5004GP-ND differential pressure sensor—(0 to 400 mm H2O)

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THE DESIGN

FUSION360 DESIGN SOFTWARE

EPOXY SEALED DOME

WATERPROOF O-RING ATTACHMENT

COIN CELL REPLACEMENT ACCESS

3D PRINTED PET-G

ORIGINAL DECK FILL THREADS COPIED

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Practicalities

  • Cheap to manufacture—parts cost less than $20
  • Most fuel openings on boats are standardized making the caps fairly easy to replace/configure
  • Coin cell battery may last 1 to 2 years depending on frequency of use
  • Isolation of electronics as possible ignition source done with epoxy encasement—flammable vapor contact is minimized
  • PLA and PET-G both seemed to hold up well to Gas and Diesel vapors
  • Pressure sense tube can be made out of any material and can be of any length
  • Sense level and depth of signal can be software adjust for various fluids

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