Secondarily contained in-dispenser sump/pan system and method for capturing and monitoring leaks
First Claim
1. A fuel dispenser that dispenses fuel received from a main fuel piping fluidly coupled to a fuel storage tank, comprising:
- a housing containing a fuel-handling component area that contains at least one fuel-handling component;
an internal fuel dispenser piping that is fluidly coupled to the main fuel piping to receive fuel from the fuel storage tank;
a double-walled in-dispenser sump located inside the housing and below the at least one fuel-handling component, comprising;
a main plate that captures leaks from the at least one fuel handing-component; and
a secondary plate coupled to and below the main plate such that an in-dispenser sump interstitial space is formed between the main plate and the secondary plate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An in-dispenser leak pan provided inside the housing of a fuel dispenser. The leak collection chamber collects any fuel that leaks from fuel-handling components located inside the fuel dispenser above the pan. The pan is secondarily contained by an outer pan or container such that an interstitial space is formed therebetween. If a breach exists in the top part of the pan, the captured leaked fuel will be contained in by the outer pan in the interstitial space. The interstitial space of the pan is drawn under a vacuum level using a vacuum-generating source to monitor for leaks. If a leak is detected, a control system may generate an alarm and/or cause the submersible turbine pump to stop supplying fuel, or cause the dispenser product line shear valves to close, thereby only stopping fuel flow to the individual fuel dispenser containing the leak.
57 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A fuel dispenser that dispenses fuel received from a main fuel piping fluidly coupled to a fuel storage tank, comprising:
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a housing containing a fuel-handling component area that contains at least one fuel-handling component;
an internal fuel dispenser piping that is fluidly coupled to the main fuel piping to receive fuel from the fuel storage tank;
a double-walled in-dispenser sump located inside the housing and below the at least one fuel-handling component, comprising;
a main plate that captures leaks from the at least one fuel handing-component; and
a secondary plate coupled to and below the main plate such that an in-dispenser sump interstitial space is formed between the main plate and the secondary plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A fuel dispenser fuel-handling component leak capture and detection system, comprising:
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a fuel dispenser containing a double-walled in-dispenser sump having an in-dispenser sump interstitial space, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump is located in the fuel dispenser below at least one fuel-handling component in the fuel dispenser that receives fuel from an internal fuel dispenser piping coupled to a main fuel piping that carries fuel from a fuel storage tank, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump captures leaks from the least one fuel-handling component;
a vacuum-generating source that is fluidly coupled to the in-dispenser interstitial space that generates a vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space;
a pressure sensor coupled to the in-dispenser interstitial space; and
a control system coupled to the pressure sensor to monitor pressure variations in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to detect a loss in vacuum in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space indicative of a leak. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of monitoring an in-dispenser sump that captures leaked fuel from at least one fuel-handling component, comprising the steps of:
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generating a vacuum level in an in-dispenser sump interstitial space formed by a double-walled in-dispenser sump, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump is located in the fuel dispenser below the at least one fuel-handling component in the fuel dispenser that receives fuel from an internal fuel dispenser piping coupled to a main fuel piping that carries fuel from a fuel storage tank, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump captures leaks from the at least one fuel-handling component; and
monitoring the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to determine if a leak exists in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification