EMERGENCY SHUTOFF VALVE FOR USE IN A FUEL DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 20080099704A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OPW Fueling Components, LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Kesterman, James E., Lauber, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/73
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3218 relating to emergency shut-off means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/40 with a fracturing member, e.g. fracturing diaphragm, glass, fusible joint valves opening on surplus pressure F16K17/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1654 Separable valve coupling or conduit

Abstract

An emergency shutoff valve is provided that includes a housing defining a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a fluid flow passage extending therebetween. The valve includes a valve element disposed within the housing and releasably latched in an open position by a latching mechanism. An expansible member defines at least a portion of a sealed expansible chamber that is sealed at locations downstream and upstream of a weakened portion of the housing. The valve includes an access port in fluid communication with the chamber. The access port may be used to test the integrity of the expansible member. An expandable material may also be disposed in the chamber and used to shut off the valve on the occasion the housing is compromised to an extent wherein fuel can flow into the expansible chamber.

Claims

1. An emergency shutoff valve for use in a fuel dispensing system comprising:

a housing defining a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a fluid flow passage extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said fluid flow passage being suitable for the flow of fuel therein;

a valve element movable between an open position and a closed position, said closed position preventing fuel flow from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet;

a latching mechanism coupled to said valve element, said latching mechanism releasably latching said valve element in said open position;

an expansible member defining at least a portion of a sealed expansible chamber external of said housing; and

an access port having an inlet, an outlet, and a channel extending between said inlet and outlet, said outlet in fluid communication with said expansible chamber, wherein

said housing comprises a weakened portion disposed downstream of said valve element, said expansible member being sealed to said housing at a first location upstream of said weakened portion and at a second location downstream of said weakened portion;

said emergency shutoff valve defines a failure mode wherein the structural integrity of said housing is compromised to an extent wherein fuel can escape from said housing through said weakened portion and into said expansible chamber when a predetermined load is applied to said housing; and

said expansible member is operable, upon occurrence of said failure mode, for releasing said latching mechanism so that said valve element moves from said open position to said closed position.

2. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a removable plug insertable into said inlet for sealing off the access port.

3. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an expandable material disposed in the expansible chamber.

4. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 3, wherein said expandable material is an alkylstyrene copolymer.

5. An emergency shutoff valve comprising:

a fluid conduit;

a frangible area defined in said conduit;

a valve member operably connected to said conduit upstream of said frangible area;

an expansible chamber, said frangible area being disposed in said expansible chamber;

a movable member defining at least a portion of said expansible chamber;

an access port having an inlet, an outlet, and a channel extending between said inlet and outlet, said outlet in fluid communication with said expansible chamber; and

a linkage operably coupled to said movable member and said valve member for shutting said valve upon movement of said movable member in response to leakage of fluid through said frangible area.

6. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a removable plug insertable into said inlet for sealing off the access port.

7. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

an expandable material disposed in the expansible chamber.

8. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 7, wherein said expandable material is an alkylstyrene copolymer.

9. An emergency shutoff valve comprising:

a housing having a weakened portion to define a predetermined failure site; and

an expandable material disposed about the weakened portion, wherein the expandable material is capable of expanding from a first volume to a second volume greater than the first volume.

10. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

an expansible member at least partially surrounding said weakened portion to define an expansible chamber therebetween, wherein the expandable material is disposed in the expansible chamber.

11. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a valve member, wherein said expandable material is operatively coupled to said valve member to close the valve member when said expandable material is expanded to the second volume.

12. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 9, wherein the expandable material expands from the first volume to the second volume when at least a portion of the material is contacted by a liquid.

13. An emergency shutoff valve as recited in claim 9, wherein said expandable material is an alkylstyrene copolymer

14. A method for testing an emergency shutoff valve, comprising:

providing an emergency shutoff valve for use in a fuel dispensing system, the valve comprising a housing with a weakened portion therein, an expansible member at least partially surrounding the weakened portion to define an expansible chamber therebetween, and an access port in fluid communication with the expansible chamber;

pressurizing the expansible chamber using the access port; and

monitoring the pressure in the chamber after being pressurized.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the step of pressurizing the expansible chamber includes positively or negatively pressurizing the chamber.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

determining the change in pressure within the chamber over a specified period of time.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

replacing the expansible member if the change in pressure from the determining step exceeds a threshold value.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the recited steps are performed manually.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the recited steps are performed by a control system.

20. A method of shutting off fuel flowing through a conduit defining a frangible area therein, said method comprising:

defining an expansible chamber about the frangible area for capturing fuel leaking through said area;

disposing an expandable material at least partially within the chamber, the expandable material capable of expanding upon contact with fuel; and

shutting off a fuel valve in response to leaking fuel using at least in part the expansion of said expandable material.

21. A method of shutting off fuel flowing through a conduit defining a frangible area therein, said method comprising:

defining a chamber about the frangible area having an expansible member forming at least a portion of the chamber; and

using the expansion of an expandable material disposed in the chamber to shut off fuel flow through the conduit.

22. An emergency fuel flow shut-off valve apparatus for shutting off the flow of fuel in a passage passing through the valve apparatus upon an application of force to a housing of the valve apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

an expansible chamber disposed bout an area of the housing predisposed to leak fuel upon the force application to the housing, the leaking fuel changing the pressure acting on the chamber; and

access means for monitoring the condition of the chamber.