Cross contamination control systems with fluid product ID sensors

• US 10,534,374 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knappco, LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knappco, LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Finnell, Scott A., Gramling, Steven D., Dudley, Mark William, Mixon, Claude W., Stemporzewski, Jr., Francis V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad, Md
• Application Number:
  US15/787,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20180039289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 700283
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0428 having devices to avoid a mix up of different fuels
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0446 measuring physical properties of the fluid to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0453 recognising the fuel to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/32 Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/342 by discriminating the kind of liquid by analysis or by physical properties, e.g. vapour-pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/344 by checking a correct coupling or coded information
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0629 characterised by the type of regulator means

Abstract

A crossover protection system including a product transport vehicle having a tank compartment for containing a liquid product, a fluid property sensor positioned to contact liquid product stored in the tank compartment, a system controller, and a valve coupled to the tank compartment. The valve regulates a flow of liquid product from the tank compartment and has a normally locked state. The system controller may compare a received transported liquid type signal from the fuel property sensor indicative of the type of liquid product in the tank compartment and compare the type of liquid product to a stored liquid product type. If the two types match, the crossover protection controller transitions the valve to an unlocked state to allow the liquid product to unload from the tank compartment. If the two types do not match, the crossover protection controller will disable the valve from transitioning to the unlocked state.

Claims

1. A crossover protection system, comprising:

a product transport vehicle comprising a tank compartment for containing a liquid product;

a valve coupled to the tank compartment, the valve regulating a flow of liquid product from the tank compartment and having a normally locked state;

a tank delivery connector fluidly coupled to a distribution side of the valve;

a tank tag reader for interrogating a tank tag coupled to a distribution tank separate from the product transport vehicle, wherein the tank tag reader;

interrogates the tank tag to retrieve a stored liquid type encoded on the tank tag, wherein the stored liquid type is indicative of a type of the liquid product in the distribution tank; and

transmits a stored liquid type signal indicative of the stored liquid type and a tank delivery connector ID signal indicative of an identity of the tank delivery connector; and

a system controller communicatively coupled to the valve and the tank tag reader, the system controller comprising a processor and a storage medium containing computer readable and executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system controller to automatically;

receive the tank delivery connector ID signal from the tank tag reader;

pair the tank delivery connector having the tank delivery connector ID to the system controller;

receive the stored liquid type signal;

determine the stored liquid type based on the stored liquid type signal;

compare a transported liquid type to the stored liquid type;

maintain the valve in the normally locked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type do not match to prevent the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment; and

transition the valve from the normally locked state to an unlocked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type match, thereby permitting the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment.

2. The crossover protection system of claim 1, further comprising a delivery hose fluidly coupling a hose adaptor to the tank delivery connector, wherein the tank delivery connector is fluidly coupled to the delivery hose and fluidly coupled to the distribution tank.

3. The crossover protection system of claim 1, wherein the tank tag reader is coupled to the tank delivery connector.

4. The crossover protection system of claim 1, further comprising a display communicatively coupled to the system controller and operable to display an unloading status of the tank compartment.

5. The crossover protection system of claim 1, wherein the tank delivery connector comprises a lock mechanism coupled to the tank delivery connector, the lock mechanism comprising a locking lever with a locked position and an unlocked position, the lock mechanism mechanically securing the tank delivery connector to the distribution tank when the locking lever is in the locked position.

6. The crossover protection system of claim 5, wherein the tank delivery connector comprises a lock sensor for sensing whether the locking lever is in the locked position or the unlocked position, wherein the lock sensor is mechanically coupled to the lock mechanism and electrically coupled to the tank tag reader, wherein the lock sensor provides a delivery connector locked signal when the locking lever is in the locked position and the tank tag reader transmits the delivery connector locked signal to the system controller when the tank delivery connector is secured to the distribution tank.

7. The crossover protection system of claim 6, wherein the computer readable and executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to:

receive the delivery connector locked signal, and

enable the valve to transition from the normally locked state to the unlocked state.

8. The crossover protection system of claim 1, further comprising:

a delivery hose fluidly coupling the tank compartment to the tank delivery connector, the delivery hose comprising a lock tag at a lock end of the delivery hose and a connector hose tag at a connector end of the delivery hose, wherein the lock tag and the connector hose tag are encoded with a first hose ID;

wherein the processor of the system controller executes the computer readable and executable instructions to further;

receive the first hose ID encoded on the lock tag and on the connector hose tag;

confirm that the delivery hose is coupled to both the tank delivery connector the tank compartment;

after confirming that the delivery hose is coupled to both the tank delivery connector and the tank compartment, enable the valve to transition from the normally locked state to the unlocked state, subject to a determination that the transported liquid product type in the corresponding compartment matches the stored liquid product type of the distribution tank.

9. The crossover protection system of claim 8, further comprising:

an adaptor tag reader communicatively coupled to the system controller and positioned on a hose adaptor coupled to the tank compartment, the adaptor tag reader interrogating the lock tag of the delivery hose at the lock end and sending an adaptor signal indicative of the first hose ID to the system controller when the delivery hose is coupled to the hose adaptor; and

a hose tag reader communicatively coupled to the system controller and positioned on the tank delivery connector, the hose tag reader interrogating the connector hose tag at the connector end of the delivery hose and sending a hose signal indicative of the first hose ID to the system controller when the delivery hose is coupled to the tank delivery connector.

10. The crossover protection system of claim 1, further comprising a product grade indicator (PGI) controller communicatively coupled to the system controller, the PGI controller comprising an input device for inputting a loaded liquid type into the PGI controller.

11. The crossover protection system of claim 10, wherein the computer readable and executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to automatically:

prevent the flow of loaded liquid product into the tank compartment with the valve when the loaded liquid type and the transported liquid type do not match; and

allow the flow of loaded liquid product into the tank compartment with the valve when the loaded liquid type and the transported liquid type match.

12. The crossover protection system of claim 1, wherein the product transport vehicle comprises a plurality of tank compartments for containing liquid products, each of the plurality of tank compartments having a plurality of valves, individual ones of the plurality of valves being coupled to one of the plurality of tank compartments and regulating a flow of liquid product from the one of the plurality of tank compartments and having a normally locked state, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the crossover protection system to perform the following:

compare a transported liquid type in each of the plurality of tank compartments to the stored liquid type;

maintain individual ones of the plurality of valves in the normally locked state when the transported liquid type in the corresponding tank compartment is not the same as the stored liquid type to prevent the flow of liquid product from the corresponding tank compartment; and

transitioning individual ones of the plurality of valves from the normally locked state to an unlocked state when the transported liquid type in the corresponding tank compartment is the same as the stored liquid type, thereby allowing the flow of liquid product from the corresponding tank compartment.

13. A crossover protection system, comprising:

a product transport vehicle comprising a tank compartment for containing a liquid product;

a valve coupled to the tank compartment, the valve regulating a flow of liquid product into the tank compartment and having a normally locked state;

a fluid property sensor positioned to contact the liquid product stored in the tank compartment; and

a system controller communicatively coupled to the valve and the fluid property sensor, the system controller comprising a processor and a storage medium containing computer readable and executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system controller to automatically;

receive a loaded liquid type;

receive a transported fluid property signal from the fluid property sensor, the transported fluid property signal being indicative of at least one of a viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and temperature of the liquid product in the tank compartment;

determine a transported liquid type of the liquid product in the tank compartment based on the transported fluid property signal;

compare the transported liquid type to the loaded liquid type;

maintain the valve in the normally locked state or transition the valve from the unlocked state to the locked state when the loaded liquid type and the transported liquid type do not match to prevent the flow of liquid product into the tank compartment; and

transition the valve from the normally locked state to an unlocked state or maintain the valve in the unlocked state when the loaded liquid type and the transported liquid type match, thereby permitting the flow of liquid product into the tank compartment.

14. The crossover protection system of claim 13, further comprising an adaptor tag reader coupled communicatively coupled to the system controller and positioned on a hose adaptor coupled to the valve, the adaptor tag reader operable to interrogate a loading arm tag on a loading arm of a loading station and to transmit a signal indicative of the loaded liquid type to the system controller, wherein the processor of the system controller executes the computer readable and executable instructions to further receive the loaded liquid type from the adaptor tag reader.

15. The crossover protection system of claim 13, further comprising a display electrically coupled to the system controller, wherein the computer readable and executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to indicate on the display at least one of the loaded liquid type and the transported liquid type of the liquid product in the tank compartment.

16. The crossover protection system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable and executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to automatically:

receive a reading from the fluid property sensor or a pressure sensor coupled to the tank compartment, the reading indicative of liquid product retained in the tank compartment; and

indicate on the display a message indicative of liquid product retained in the tank compartment.

17. The crossover protection system of claim 13, wherein the computer readable and executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to set the loaded liquid type for the tank compartment to empty when there is no liquid product in the tank compartment as indicated by readings received from the fluid property sensor or a pressure sensor coupled to the tank compartment.

18. The crossover protection system of claim 13, wherein the system controller is communicatively coupled to a braking system of the product transport vehicle, and wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to automatically:

receive a brake signal from the braking system, the brake signal indicative of whether a brake of the product transport vehicle is engaged or released; and

maintaining the valve in the normally locked state when the brake signal indicates that the brake of the product transport vehicle is released.

19. The crossover protection system of claim 13, wherein the system controller is communicatively coupled to an accelerometer of the product transport vehicle, and wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to automatically:

receive an accelerometer signal from the accelerometer of the product transport vehicle, the accelerometer signal indicative of whether the product transport vehicle is moving; and

maintaining the valve in the normally locked state when the accelerometer signal indicates the product transport vehicle is moving.

20. The crossover protection system of claim 13, further comprising an overfill detection system communicatively coupled to the system controller, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system controller to transmit an overfill condition signal to the overfill detection system when the system controller determines that the transported liquid type does not match the loaded liquid type.

21. The crossover protection system of claim 13, further comprising an input device operable to input a loaded liquid type, wherein the system controller receives the loaded liquid type from the input device.

22. A method for preventing the mixing of dissimilar liquid products, comprising:

coupling a tank delivery connector to a distribution side of a valve coupled to a tank compartment of a product transport vehicle;

interrogating a tank tag coupled to a distribution tank with a tank tag reader to retrieve a stored liquid type encoded on the tank tag, wherein the stored liquid type is indicative of a type of liquid product stored in the distribution tank;

transmitting to the system controller a tank delivery connector ID signal indicative of an identity of the tank delivery connector;

pairing the tank delivery connector to the system controller;

transmitting to a system controller the stored liquid type signal indicative of the stored liquid type of the distribution tank;

receiving at the system controller the stored liquid type signal;

determining the stored liquid type based on the stored liquid type signal;

comparing the transported liquid type to the stored liquid type;

maintaining the valve in a normally locked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type do not match to prevent the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment; and

transitioning the valve from the normally locked state to an unlocked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type match, thereby permitting the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising sensing when a lock mechanism of the tank delivery connector secures the tank delivery connector to a distribution tank with a lock sensor, wherein interrogating the tank tag is performed when the lock mechanism secures the tank delivery connector to the distribution tank as indicated by the lock sensor.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising:

receiving at the system controller a transported fluid property signal from a fluid property sensor positioned to contact liquid product stored in the tank compartment, the transported fluid property signal being indicative of at least one of a viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and temperature of the liquid product in the tank compartment; and

determining the transported liquid type in the tank compartment based on the transported fluid property signal.