Fluid overfill protection and product identification system
First Claim
1. A fluid transfer system for transferring a fluid from a first tank to a second tank through a transfer conduit using a flow controller to control the flow of fluid through the conduit, the system comprising:
- a level sensor which detects fluid level in the second tank and which outputs a first signal indicating whether the fluid level in the second tank is above a predetermined level, the first signal having a first time-varying characteristic which is indicative of a specific fluid for which the second tank is intended;
an overfill detector which detects the first signal and causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit when the first signal indicates that the fluid level in the second tank is above said predetermined level; and
an ID detector which detects the first signal and compares said first time-varying characteristic to a stored representation of a reference time-varying characteristic indicative of the specific fluid contained within the first tank, and which causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit if the two characteristics are not sufficiently similar.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid overfill and identification system uses a pulsed signal to both detect an overfill condition and identify a fluid product contained in a compartment. The pulsed signal is converted into an optical pulsed signal which is used with a retroreflective prism to detect when a fluid in the compartment has reached a desired capacity. Encoded in the pulse width of the same pulsed signal is the specific fluid product located in the compartment. Furthermore, different pulse frequencies are provided depending on whether the tanker truck is at a service station or at a loading terminal, thus allowing the system to distinguish between the two. At a marketing terminal, a new code is loaded into the system as a new fluid product is loaded into a compartment. A residue sensor may detect residual fluid in the compartment, and prevent the loading of a new fluid product and a new ID code.
80 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A fluid transfer system for transferring a fluid from a first tank to a second tank through a transfer conduit using a flow controller to control the flow of fluid through the conduit, the system comprising:
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a level sensor which detects fluid level in the second tank and which outputs a first signal indicating whether the fluid level in the second tank is above a predetermined level, the first signal having a first time-varying characteristic which is indicative of a specific fluid for which the second tank is intended; an overfill detector which detects the first signal and causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit when the first signal indicates that the fluid level in the second tank is above said predetermined level; and an ID detector which detects the first signal and compares said first time-varying characteristic to a stored representation of a reference time-varying characteristic indicative of the specific fluid contained within the first tank, and which causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit if the two characteristics are not sufficiently similar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A fluid transfer system for transferring fluid to and from a first tank, fluid transferred out of the first tank being transferred to a second tank via an output conduit and fluid being transferred into the first tank being received from a third tank via an input conduit, flow into and out of the first tank being controlled with a flow controller, the system comprising:
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a level sensor which detects fluid in the second tank and which outputs a first signal indicating whether the fluid level in the second tank is above a predetermined level, the first signal having a first time-varying characteristic which is indicative of a specific fluid for which the second tank is intended; an overfill detector which detects the first signal when the output conduit is arranged to allow fluid flow from the first tank to the second tank, and which causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the output conduit when the first signal indicates that the fluid level in the second tank is above said predetermined level; a signal generator which generates a second signal having a second time-varying characteristic which is indicative of a specific fluid contained within the third tank; an ID detector which detects the first signal when the output conduit is arranged to allow fluid flow from the first tank to the second tank, and which detects the second signal when the input conduit is arranged to allow fluid flow from the third tank to the first tank, the ID detector providing an output indicative of whether a detected signal has a time-varying characteristic which matches a stored representation of a reference time-varying characteristic indicative of a specific fluid type; and a disable device which receives the output from the ID detector and causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow into or out of the first tank if said output indicates that the time-varying characteristic of said detected signal does not match the reference time-varying characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of controlling fluid transfer from a first tank to a second tank through a transfer conduit using a flow controller to control the flow of fluid through the conduit, the method comprising:
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detecting fluid level in the second tank with a level sensor; outputting, from the level sensor, a first signal indicative of whether the fluid level in the second tank is below a predetermined level, the first signal having a first time-varying characteristic which is indicative of a specific fluid for which the second tank is intended; detecting the first signal with an overfill detector; generating, with the overfill detector, an overfill signal which causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit when the first signal indicates that the fluid level in the second tank is above said predetermined level; detecting the first signal with an ID detector; comparing the first time-varying characteristic to a stored representation of a reference time-varying characteristic with the ID detector; and generating, with the ID detector, an ID signal which causes the flow controller to inhibit fluid flow through the conduit when the two characteristics are not sufficiently similar. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification