System to monitor fuel level in a tank, and fuel dispensed from the tank, to determine fuel leakage and theft losses

• US 5,056,017 A
• Filed: 07/31/1989
• Issued: 10/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LMS Incorporated (Davey Tree Expert Company)
• Original Assignee: LMS Incorporated (Davey Tree Expert Company)
• Inventors: McGarvey, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Application Number:
  US07/386,813
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 364/403, 364/479, 364/571.04, 364/571.05, 73/40, 73/49.2, 73/290.2, 73/312-313
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• 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: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3245 using a level monitoring device G01M3/3272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Apparatus is provided to monitor fuel level in a tank, and to monitor fuel pumped from a dispenser or dispensers; and outputs from the monitoring equipment are processed to determine unwanted loss of fuel from the tank.

Claims

1. In apparatus to monitor liquid fuel inventory in a tank, and employing dispenser means to dispense liquid fuel from the tank, and including pulse producing means that produces electrical pulses corresponding to volumetric increments of liquid fuel dispensed, the combination comprising:

a) interface means operatively connected to said pulse producing means to sense said pulses from time t_o to time t_n and to convert said pulses into first volume indicating data values corresponding to amount of fuel dispensed from the tank between t_o and t_n,

b) sensor means at the tank to sense liquid level in the tank at t_o and at t_n and said interface means operatively connected to said sensor means, to provide second volume indicating data values corresponding to the amount of fuel leaving the tank by said dispensing and also by any theft or leakage, between t_o and t_n,

c) and computer means operatively connected to said interface means to receive said first and second data values and to process said first and second data values for providing an output indicative of non-dispensed loss from the tank.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pulse producing means and interface unit include a pulse detector unit attachable to the dispenser means, and means including a pulse counter operatively connected with the detector unit to accumulate a pulse count indicative of said first volume indicating data values.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means connected with said pulse detector unit for operatively coupling said unit to a rotary part associated with the dispenser, said part rotating as a function of liquid fuel dispensed by the dispenser means.

4. The combination of claim 2 including a processor unit coupled between said pulse counter and said interface means.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said interface means and said computer means are spaced from said tank and said dispenser means.

6. In apparatus to maintain liquid loss from a tank, in a system wherein liquid is dispensed from the tank via dispenser means which has an associated dispenser fluid accumulative output, the combination comprising

a) first means to monitor liquid fuel level in the tank and to provide a first output indicative of liquid volume loss from the tank, over a time interval t_o --t_n,

b) second means to monitor liquid dispensed by said dispenser means to provide a second output indicative of liquid volume dispensed, over said time interval t_o --t_n,

c) and processor means to process said first and second outputs and to detect any difference therebetween.

7. In the method of monitoring liquid fuel inventory in a tank, and employing dispenser means to dispense liquid fuel from the tank, and pulse producing means that produce electrical pulses corresponding to volumetric increments of liquid fuel dispensed, the steps comprising:

a) providing interface means operatively connected to said pulse producing means for sensing said pulses, said interface means converting said pulses into first volume indicating data values,

b) providing sensor means at the tank to sense liquid level in the tank and connecting said sensor means to said interface means to provide second volume indicating data values,

c) and providing computer means operatively connected to said interface means to receive said first and second data values over the same time interval and to process same for providing an output indicative of loss from the tank during said interval.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said pulse producing means and said interface means include a pulse detector unit, and means including a pulse counter connected with the detector means, and attaching said pulse producing means to the dispenser means, and operating said pulse counter to accumulate a pulse count indicative of said first volume indicating data values.