Service station leak detection and recovery system

• US 20050034508A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Ray J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,935,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/40.50R
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/746 by mixing different fuel grades or fuel and oil
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3209 relating to spillage or leakage, e.g. spill containments, leak detection leak detectors for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/2892
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/78 Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting

Abstract

A fueling environment distributes fuel from a fuel supply to fuel dispensers in a daisy chain arrangement with a double-walled piping system. Fuel leaks that occur within the double-walled piping system are returned to the underground storage tank or a sump proximate the submersible turbine pump by the outer wall of the double-walled piping. This preserves the fuel for later use and helps reduce the risk of environmental contamination. Leak detectors may also be positioned in to fuel dispensers detect leaks and provide alarms for the operator, and help pinpoint leak detection that has occurred in the piping system proximate to a particular fuel dispenser or in between two consecutive fuel dispensers.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a leak in a fueling distribution system in a retail fuel dispensing environment with a fuel dispenser, said method comprising:

dispensing fuel throughout the fueling environment in an inner conduit of a double-walled conduit;

capturing a leak from said inner conduit with an outer conduit of said double-walled conduit;

returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump positioned proximate a submersible turbine pump in the fueling environment; and

detecting the leak at said sump.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm when a leak is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting a plurality of fuel dispensers in a daisy chained arrangement when fuel is delivered to said plurality of fuel dispensers using said double-walled conduit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump comprises returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump comprises returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned proximate a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising positioning a pressure sensor within said sump chamber.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising positioning a pressure sensor within said external sump chamber.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing said fuel through a bypass line to said sump chamber.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising returning fuel leaked to an underground storage tank through a subset of said plurality of fuel dispensers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a leak condition to a site communicator.

11-32. -32. (Canceled).