FLUID DISPENSING UNIT HAVING A CIRCULATION SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR CIRCULATING A FLUID IN A FLUID DISPENSING UNIT

• US 20190308870A1
• Filed: 06/21/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dover Fueling Solutions UK Ltd. (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Larsson, Bengt I.
• Granted Patent: US 11,027,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/02 for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• 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 7/42 Filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/428 for delivering at least two different liquids into separate containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/62 power operated
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/80 Arrangements of heating or cooling devices for liquids to be transferred
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/82 Heating only
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/38 using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

A dispensing unit having a circulation system for circulating a fluid in the dispensing unit is provided. The circulation system comprises, a circulation circuit, and a mechanism configured to circulate the fluid in the circulation circuit. By circulating the fluid, the fluid is counteracted from crystallizing. A method for circulating a fluid in a dispensing unit is also provided.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser configured to detect leaks, comprising:

a circulation system with a pump that directs fluid from a reservoir through a hose to a nozzle coupled to a terminal end of the hose, and from the nozzle through a return pathway back to the pump;

a flow meter in fluid communication with the return pathway; and

a control unit coupled to the pump and the flow meter, the control unit being configured to compare a fluid flow measured by the pump to a fluid flow measured by a flow meter to detect the presence of a leak.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a heating configured to heat fluid circulating through the circulation system.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to terminate fluid flow through the return pathway when a leak is detected.

4. A hose and nozzle assembly for use with a fuel dispenser, comprising:

an elongate tube having first and second pathways extending therethrough between first and second ends thereof, the first end of the elongate tube being configured to couple to a pump for receiving fluid from a fluid reservoir;

a nozzle coupled to the second end of the elongate tube and configured to deliver fluid to a vehicle; and

a valve having

an open state in which fluid flowing through the first pathway can flow through and exit the nozzle to be delivered to a vehicle, and

a closed state in which fluid flowing through the first pathway is prevented from exiting the nozzle;

wherein, in response to the valve moving to the closed state, the fluid is directed through the second pathway to flow back toward the first end of the elongate tube.

5. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising a heating element disposed around the hose and configured to heat fluid flowing through the hose.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the heating element comprises an electrically powered heat cable wrapped around the hose.

7. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second pathways are coaxial.

8. A method for dispensing fuel, comprising:

activating a fuel dispenser unit to cause a pump to deliver fluid from a reservoir through a hose and to a nozzle coupled to a terminal end of the hose such that fluid can flow from the nozzle into a vehicle;

wherein, in response to the nozzle being seated in a nozzle boot of the fuel dispensing unit, fluid flowing through the hose to the nozzle is directed through a return fluid pathway such that fluid flows from the nozzle back to the pump and thereby circulates within the fuel dispenser.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the nozzle includes a valve that is in an open state when the nozzle is removed from the nozzle boot so as to allow fluid to be delivered to a vehicle, and that moves to a closed state when the nozzle is seated in the nozzle boot such that fluid is forced to flow through the return fluid pathway.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the nozzle boot includes a gauge block that receives fluid from the nozzle and directs fluid into the return fluid pathway.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the nozzle boot includes a sensor that senses when the nozzle is seated within the nozzle boot, and wherein fluid is directed through the return fluid path only when the sensor detects that the nozzle is seated in the nozzle boot.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the fuel dispensing unit includes a heating element configured to heat fluid circulating through the fuel dispensing unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the heating element is activated to heat fluid only when a temperature of the fluid is below a predefined temperature.