Mumbai: Three
enterprising students of Sandip Institute of Polytechnic (SIP), Sandip
University have devised a unique automated car fuel flap to reduce waiting time
at petrol pumps. Shubham Kothawade, Jayesh Sangapal and Ganesh Kumbhar students
of third year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at this institute took up the
task of modifying the flap of the vehicle fuel refilling system and making it automatic.
They received a patent for this project, as they are the first to make a
completely automatic fuel flap including the tank lid.
“We had to wait for a
long period of time when we were on a trip, as there were many vehicles waiting
in queue for fuel. This is when we noticed that they were wasting few minutes
in just opening and closing the flap of the vehicles to fill fuel. Shubham came
up with this idea to prepare an automated fuel flap that also opens the tank.
This was the first time such a system where the tank also opens automatically
was developed. All other vehicles including the imported ones do not have a
facility where even if the flap is automated the tank lid has to be opened
manually,” said Jayesh Sangapal.
“We conducted a few surveys before beginning the project, as per which
there are no other vehicles including amongst the imported ones. We visited
multiple showrooms and checked varied vehicles. We also observed at the petrol
stations that most vehicles waste around a minute to pull the lever by hand and
open the flap, and then they remove the lid of the tank by rotating it. The
whole process has to be repeated it after filling the fuel tank as well. But,
with our automated flap, the whole process will take only 28 seconds,” added Sangapal.
The project took six months to complete, and plans to launch the project will
happen within the next six months.
Along with the help of the faculty at
the institute, they have designed and fabricated a prototype of the automatic
Car Fuel flap. Their aim was to design a mechanism which helps in saving the
effort of the workers at the fuel station, save the valuable time of the user
and also gives the luxurious effect to the car with help of the automation
facility. Both, the opening and closing operation consumes only 1 per cent of
the car battery. They have included a software that will help bring in
improvisations to the project.
Dr Sandip N Jha, Chairman, Sandip
University, said “We are proud that our budding engineers are putting their
efforts in such innovative ways towards the betterment of our society. We
believe in encouraging them and providing support so that they are motivated
enough to accelerate their potentials. I congratulate the students and wish
them for their bright future.”
Source; DNA-16th March,2017
