The proper technology selection, depending on the application environment, will be discussed and exemplified in this paper through the analysis of the fuel level sensor technology selection applied to the Latin America environment.
Commercial vehicles have a very particular requirement when it comes to fuel tanks configuration, depending on usage (autonomy), road conditions, weight distribution and application. The most common layout is the dual tank configuration where two tanks are connected to each other by means of communication vessels.
After the selection of the fuel tank layout, the challenge is to correctly select the level sensor system, which provides useful information to the vehicle driver. If this measurement is not correctly performed, a significant logistic issue is raised, as usually, a commercial vehicle with full load carries up to 1200 liters of diesel (it will depend on the desired range).
Even though the selection of the sensor technology is sometimes neglected during the product development, in this particular case its wrong choice can lead to errors and, as mentioned before, logistics issues.
This paper will describe the system characteristics, simulation / experimental test results and available solutions in order to propose the best combination selection based on engineering criteria.