System and method for storage system leak detection

• US 5,767,390 A
• Filed: 06/14/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Environmental Fuel Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Environmental Fuel Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Chapman, Calvin C. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): BROCK, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/664,111
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 73/49.2 T, 73/40.7, 73/864.71, 73/863.21
• US Class Current: 73/40.7
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/226 for containers, e.g. radiators

Abstract

A leak detection system and method for detecting leaks from a storage system containing a liquid, the leak detection method includes mixing one or more tracers soluble in the liquid to provide a liquid-tracer mixture within the storage system. The tracer provides a detectable component in the liquid-tracer mixture if the liquid-tracer mixture escapes the storage system through a leak. A subsurface sampling device is positioned near the storage system. The sampling device contains an adsorption material for adsorbing tracer from the liquid-tracer mixture that leaks from the system. The adsorption material is a hydrophobic, porous material. In one embodiment, a plurality of sampling devices are contained within a plurality of subsurface monitoring wells positioned around the storage system.

Claims

1. A leak detection system for detecting leaks from a storage system containing a liquid less dense than water in which water has collected at the bottom of the storage system to form a water level and a separate liquid level, comprising:

a tracer, the tracer comprising a substance soluble in the liquid to provide a liquid-tracer mixture upon introduction into the liquid, the tracer operable to provide a detectable component in the liquid-tracer mixture;

a second detectable tracer, soluble in water, operable to mix with water and escape with the water through a leak in the storage system within the water level;

a tracer introduction mechanism for introducing the tracers into the liquid; and

a sampling device positioned near the storage system, the sampling device containing adsorption material for adsorbing tracer from the liquid-tracer mixture and the water-tracer mixture.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tracer and the second tracer comprise a relatively volatile compounds capable of adsorption by the synthetic polymer adsorption material.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of subsurface monitoring wells positioned near the storage system, each monitoring well containing a sampling device, wherein each monitoring well further comprises;

a casing having a generally cylindrical cross section;

a surface outlet through which the sampling device can enter and exit the monitoring well;

a plurality of slots formed along the vertical extent of the casing to allow tracer to more easily migrate into the monitoring well to contact sampling device; and

wherein the plurality of subsurface monitoring wells are distributed about the storage system such that each monitoring well monitors less than a twenty foot radius about that monitoring well and further distributed in relatively close proximity to the storage system, and further wherein the plurality of monitoring wells are sunk in the backfill to a depth equal to the depth of the excavation; and

wherein the sampling device further comprises a removable stainless steel mesh cylindrical container suspended within monitoring well below grade for holding the adsorption material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid is a hydrocarbon fuel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of halogenated compounds, sulfur hexafluoride, chlorotrifluoromethane, and carbon tetrafluoride.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracer comprises relatively volatile compounds having boiling points in the range of approximately -73 degrees Celsius to -128 decrees Celsius and greater than 150 degrees Celsius.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracer introduction system further comprises;

a tracer container operable to hold the tracer prior to introduction into the storage system;

a plurality of transfer lines, each transfer line coupled at a first end to the container, each transfer line operable to provide a path for the tracer to flow from the container to the storage system, the transfer lines having a second end placed within the liquid near the bottom of the storage system;

a plurality of metal diffusers, each metal diffuser coupled to the second end of a transfer line to diffuse the tracer, thereby providing more uniform and rapid mixing of the tracer with the liquid; and

a purge container operable to hold an inert purge gas, the purge container operable to connect to the plurality of transfer lines, the purge gas operable to flow through the transfer lines after the tracer has been introduced to force approximately all of the tracer out of the transfer lines and into the storage system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the adsorption material comprises a synthetic, hydrophobic, porous polymer material containing at least 50% divinyl benzene.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analysis system for analyzing the adsorption material, the analysis system comprising a detector to detect the presence of tracer in the adsorption material.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises an electron capture detector, and wherein the electron capture detector can detect the tracer without having to first perform a water purge operation.

11. A method for detecting a leak from a storage system containing a liquid less dense than water in which water has collected at the bottom of the storage system to form a water level and a separate liquid level, the method comprising;

mixing a first tracer with the liquid in the storage system to form a liquid-tracer mixture;

mixing a second tracer, the second tracer being soluble in water, with the water to form a water-tracer mixture at the bottom of the storage system;

placing a sampling device containing an adsorption material near the storage system;

adsorbing the first tracer vapor onto the adsorption material within the sampling device;

adsorbing the second tracer vapor from the water-tracer mixture on the adsorption material; and

analyzing the adsorption material for the presence of the second tracer to determine if a leak is present in the storage system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein sealing the sampling device within a container further comprises sealing the container with a wrap, the wrap operable to form a hermetic seal to contain the vapors from the adsorption material within the container.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein obtaining a sample further comprises obtaining a sample of headspace vapor from the adsorption material contained within the sealed container.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein analyzing the sample further comprises analyzing the headspace vapor contained within sealed container, the analyzing further comprising;

loading the sealed container into a headspace autosampler coupled to a gas chromatograph;

injecting headspace vapors within the sealed container into gas chromatograph;

separating the headspace vapors on an analytical column in the chromatograph; and

detecting tracer contained within the headspace vapors with a detector.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein detecting tracer in the headspace vapors further comprises using an electron capture detector to detect tracer contained within the headspace vapors.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein obtaining a sample further comprises washing the adsorption material with an organic solvent to form a liquid aliquot sample.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising;

placing a plurality of subsurface monitoring wells around the storage system in relatively close proximity to the storage system and distributing the plurality of monitoring wells about the storage system such that each monitoring well monitors less than a twenty foot radius about that monitoring well;

suspending a sampling device within each of the plurality of monitoring wells at between two and four feet below grade; and

forming the plurality of monitoring wells to have a casing with a generally cylindrical cross section, a surface outlet through which the sampling device can enter and exit the monitoring well, and a plurality of slots along the vertical extent of the casing to allow tracer vapor from the liquid-tracer mixture to more easily migrate into the monitoring well to contact adsorption material within the sampling device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising purging the transfer lines with an inert gas by flowing the inert gas through the transfer lines after the tracer has been introduced to force approximately all of the tracer out of the transfer lines and into the storage system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein mixing a soluble tracer with the liquid further comprises mixing a tracer compound having a boiling point in a range of approximately -73 degrees Celsius to -128 degrees Celsius with a hydrocarbon fuel in a hydrocarbon fuel storage system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein mixing a soluble tracer with the liquid further comprises mixing a tracer compound having boiling points greater than 150 degrees Celsius with a hydrocarbon fuel in a hydrocarbon fuel storage system.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein placing a sampling device containing an adsorption material further comprises placing a hydrophobic, porous, synthetic polymer material containing at least 50% divinyl benzene within the sampling device.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the analyzing further comprises analyzing the adsorption material for the presence of the first tracer to determine if a leak is present in the storage system.