Stage II vapor recovery system

• US 5,213,142 A
• Filed: 03/04/1991
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Koch, Wolfgang H., Hartman, Harry B., Strock, Dennis J., Butkovich, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US07/664,326
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 141/44-46, 141/59, 141/206-210, 141/217, 141/218, 141/225-228, 141/94, 141/301, 141/302, 141/102, 141/103, 141/104, 141/99, 141/1, 141/4, 141/5, 141/7, 141/8, 141/98, 141/392 , 141/83, 137/234.6, 222/14-16, 222/2
• US Class Current: 141/59
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/545 Additional means for preventing dispensing of liquid by incorrect sealing engagement with the tank opening of the vapour recovering means, e.g. bellows, shrouds
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0476 Vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/44 automatically closing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/48 by making use of air suction through an opening closed by the rising liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/52 and provided with additional flow-controlling valve means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/54 with means for preventing escape of liquid or vapour or for recovering escaped liquid or vapour B67D7/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3802 With vehicle guide or support, e.g., service station

Abstract

A Stage II Vapor Recovery System is provided with a special array of storage tanks, dispensers, fuel pumps, vapor assist pumps, and flow control nozzles, to capture hydrocarbon emissions, prevent condensate from blocking vapor return lines, and dispense gasoline or other liquid fuel and condensate to customer tanks. Specifically, fuel lines connect storage tank to flow control nozzles via dispensers and are assisted by fuel pumps to pump gasoline into customers'"'"' tanks. The nozzles have vapor passageways to capture hydrocarbon vapors emitted during fueling. The captured vapors are pumped by vapor assist pumps from the vapor passageways through vapor return lines into the storage tanks. The nozzles are equipped with condensate liquid pickup tubes to remove condensed vapors blocking the vapor return lines. The condensate liquid tubes communicate with condensate venturi ports adjacent venturi sleeves in the nozzles. Liquid sensing tubes in the vapor return passageways activate automatic shutoff valves in the nozzles to shut off the flow of gasoline when the customer'"'"'s tank is filled.

Claims

1. A vapor recovery system, comprising:

a set of elongated underground storage tanks, each storage tank containing a different grade of gasoline;

vent pipes connected to said storage tanks for venting and pressure balancing of said storage tanks;

a series of dispensing units;

fuel flow lines extending between, connected to and communicating with said storage tanks and said dispensing units for conveying gasoline from said storage tanks to said dispensing units;

vapor return lines extending between, connected to and communicating with said storage tanks and said dispensing units for passing gasoline vapors from said dispensing units to said storage tanks;

an array of fuel pumps for pumping gasoline from said storage tanks to said dispenser units, said fuel pumps comprising pumps selected from the group consisting of submerged pumps in said underground storage tanks and suction pumps in said dispensing units;

each of said dispensing units comprising at least one;

upright dispenser;

fuel dispensing nozzle;

a fuel hose extending between and connected to said nozzle and said dispenser;

a vapor return hose extending between and connected to said nozzle and said dispenser;

a vapor pump operatively connected to said nozzle via said vapor return hose;

each of said nozzles comprising

a housing providing a body, said housing having a tubular handle containing an inlet conduit with a fuel inlet connected to and communicating with a fuel hose, said body having a spout-receiving socket, a venturi sleeve-receiving chamber, a flow control valve-receiving compartment positioned adjacent said handle, an automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment providing a vacuum chamber positioned between said venturi sleeve-receiving chamber and said automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment, and said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber defining orifices providing a condensate venturi port and an overfill sensing venturi port communicating with said vacuum chamber;

an elongated condensate liquid pickup tube connected to, communicating with and extending from said condensate venturi port of said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber through said inlet conduit into said vapor return hose for substantially removing condensed gasoline vapors forming condensate collecting in said vapor return hose;

an elongated inner spout providing a fuel conduit and having an outer tip defining a fuel outlet for discharging gasoline into a filler pipe of a motor vehicle tank during fueling;

an outer spout assembly extending into and engaging said spout-receiving socket, said outer spout assembly comprising an outer spout providing a vapor return conduit and defining apertures providing a vapor inlet spaced from said fuel outlet for withdrawing, removing, and returning a substantial amount of gasoline vapors emitted during said fueling, said vapor return conduit annularly surrounding said fuel conduit and having coaxial portions coaxially positioned about said fuel conduit, said vapor return conduit being shorter than said fuel conduit and being spaced outwardly from and cooperating with said fuel conduit to define an annular vapor return passageway in communication with said vapor return hose;

an elongated liquid sensing tube positioned in said annular vapor return passageway and extending from adjacent said vapor inlet into said spout-receiving socket, said liquid sensing tube communicating with said overfill sensing venturi port in said venturi-sleeve receiving chamber for sensing the presence of a full condition of liquid gasoline in the filler pipe of the motor vehicle tank;

a manually operable level positioned below said handle for manually controlling the flow of gasoline being discharged through said fuel conduit, said lever being moveable from a downward closed position to an upward position, and a lever guard positioned partially about said lever and connected to said handle and body of said housing;

a flow control valve assembly disposed in said flow control valve-receiving compartment and being actuated by said lever for regulating the flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit, said flow control valve assembly having a flow control poppet valve, an elongated valve stem engaging said lever, and a flow control valve-compression spring for urging said lever and poppet valve in a normally closed position blocking the flow of gasoline;

an automatic shutoff valve assembly disposed in said automatic shutoff valve-receiving compartment, said automatic shutoff valve assembly having a diaphragm positioned adjacent said vacuum chamber and communicating with said overfill sensing venturi port for automatically shutting off the flow of gasoline to said fuel conduit in said full condition, a compression diaphragm-spring positioned above said diaphragm for exerting a spring force against said diaphragm, a plunger positioned below said diaphragm and having a lower end pivotally connected to said lever, a reciprocatable latch pin slidably positioned in said plunger, a tapered head connected to and positioned above said pin, balls seated in said plunger for engaging said head, and a plunger spring for urging said plunger upwardly; and

a venturi sleeve assembly positioned in said venturi sleeve-receiving chamber, said venturi sleeve assembly comprising an annular venturi sleeve having a valve seat disposed adjacent said venturi ports, a venturi check valve with a frustroconical throat plug and a plug stem, a venturi check valve coil spring disposed about said plug stem for urging said throat plug in a normally closed seated position against said valve seat for blocking the flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit during said full condition and when said latch is in a closed position, said throat plug being movable to an open forward position to permit the discharge of gasoline and condensate from said condensate pickup tube into said fuel conduit during fueling and being spaced from and cooperating with said venturi sleeve to form a venturi throat communicating with said vapor passageway for return passage of gasoline vapors to said vapor return hose.

2. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said storage tanks comprise three underground storage tanks for three different grades of gasoline.

3. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 including a vapor return manifold with a pipeline extending between, communicating with and connecting said storage tanks and said vapor return line for conveying gasoline vapors to said underground tanks.

4. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzle includes an attitude shutoff assembly positioned between said plug stem and said liquid sensing tube, said attitude shutoff assembly having a ball valve and passageway communicating with said liquid sensing tube, said ball valve being moveable from an open position spaced from said passageway for permitting flow of gasoline into said fuel conduit, to a closed position substantially blocking said passageway communicating with the outlet of said liquid sensing tube to simulate said full condition when said spout assembly of said nozzle is orientated in an upward attitude so as to substantially prevent the discharge of gasoline through said fuel conduit when said spouts of said nozzle are oriented in an upwardly attitude.

5. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vapor return hose annularly surrounds and cooperates with said fuel hose to provide a coaxial hose assembly between said nozzle and said dispenser.

6. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzle is operatively connected to a control valve for dispensing different grades of gasoline.

7. A vapor recovery system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each dispensing unit comprises an individual dispenser, nozzle, fuel hose, vapor return hose, and vapor pump for each grade of gasoline.