Spill containment system and method

• US 6,308,728 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Environmental Compliance Solutions L L C
• Original Assignee: Douglas Frazier
• Inventors: Frazier, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US09/428,192
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 137/255, 137/259, 137/260, 137/312, 137/15.11, 141/86, 141/88, 220/571, 220/573, 222/108, 414/276, 131/375, 206/524.1, 206/524.3, 206/524.4, 206/524.6, 211/59.2, 211/184, 312/42
• US Class Current: 137/312
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/04 by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/186 for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0452 Detecting or repairing leak
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/598 With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7036 Jacketed

Abstract

A spill containment system and method that contain leaks and spills from devices including but not limited to batteries. The system neutralizes and absorbs leaks and spills to prevent the leaks and spills from spreading. The system not only detects leaks, but also indicates whether a leak has occurred. The system can communicate with personnel or devices to raise an alarm or cause corrective measures to occur.

Claims

1. A spill containment system for containing a hazardous spilled substance from a battery, the spill containment system comprising:

a rack of a plurality of containment rail systems, each containment rail system defining an area for housing at least one battery;

a flexible liner placed within the area defined by cach of the plurality of containment rail systems to make each containment rail system resistant to damage from spilled substance; and

a material placed within the area of the containment rail system, the material absorbing and chemically neutralizing the spilled substance from the battery so that the hazardous nature of the spilled substance to humans or material structures is reduced.

2. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of containment rail systems are coated with a material that is resistant to damage from the spilled substance.

3. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of containment rail systems are coated with polyvinylchloride.

4. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein the liner is coated with polyvinylchloride.

5. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein the liner is fabricated out of polyvinylchloride.

6. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein the dimensions of each of the containment rail systems are adjustable.

7. The spill containment system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the containment rail systems is invertable between a first and second configuration such that in the first configuration, the exterior surfaces of the containment rail system have no protruding structures and in the second configuration, the exterior surfaces of the containment rail system have protruding structures.

8. The spill containment system of claim 1 further comprising a protective member that separates the material from direct contact with the battery.

9. The spill containment system of claim 8 wherein the protective member is a grid placed between the battery and the material.

10. The spill containment system of claim 1 further comprising a spill detector that detects whether a spill has occurred.

11. The spill containment system of claim 10 wherein the spill detector indicates whether a spill has occurred.

12. The spill containment system system of claim 10 wherein when the spill detector detects that a spill has occured, the spill detector alerts a device.

13. The spill containment system of claim 10 wherein the spill detector communicates with a device when the spill detector detects that a spill has occurred such that the device performs an act to remedy the spill.

14. The spill containment system of claim 10 wherein the spill detector includes a circuit having an electrical characteristic and a circuit monitor that monitors the electrical characteristic of the circuit and when the electrical characteristic changes appropriately, the circuit monitor determines that a spill has occurred.

15. The spill containment system of claim 14 wherein the circuit includes a plurality of conductors and the electrical characteristic is the amount of current flowing through the plurality of conductors.

16. The spill containment system of claim 10 wherein the spill detector includes:

a permeable membrane through which the spilled substance may pass to contact the circuit; and

a circuit monitor that monitors whether the spilled substance has passed through the permeable membrane.

17. A battery storage system comprising the spill containment system of claim 1 and a battery rack positioned within the area of at least one of the containment rail systems of the spill containment system and holding a battery.

18. A battery storage system comprising the spill containment system of claim 10 and a battery rack positioned within the area of at least one of the containment rail systems of the spill containment system and holding a battery.

19. A method for containing a hazardous spilled substance from a battery, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of containment rails;

building a containment system by connecting the plurality of containment rails to form an area of containment on a floor, the area of containment being adapted for housing at least one battery, the containment system having walls rising vertically from the floor;

stacking a plurality of containment systems on top of one another to form a rack of containment systems;

providing a flexible insert within the area of containment of each of the plurality of containment systems, the flexible insert being resistant to damage from the spilled substance and making the containment system resistant to damage from the spilled substance;

providing a material that is capable of absorbing and chemically neutralizing the spilled substance from the battery so that the hazardous nature of the spilled substance to humans or material structures is reduced; and

placing the material within the area of containment of each of the plurality of containment systems.

20. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 further comprising the step of placing a liner that is resistant to damage from the spilled substance in the area of containment before the step of placing the material in the area of containment.

21. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 wherein the step of providing a plurality of containment rails includes the step of coating the plurality of containment rails with a material that is resistant to damage form the spilled substance.

22. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 21 wherein the coating step includes coating the plurality of containment rails with polyvinylchloride.

23. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 20 wherein the step of placing a insert includes the step of coating the insert with polyvinylchloride.

24. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 20 wherein the step of placing a insert includes the step of fabricating the insert out of polyvinylchloride.

25. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 wherein the building step includes the step of adjusting the plurality of containment rails to build a containment system having desired dimensions.

26. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 wherein the plurality of containment rails are invertable between a first and second configuration such that the building step includes the step of building a containment system such that in the first configuration, the exterior surfaces of the containment system have no protruding structures and in the second configuration, the exterior surfaces of the containment rail system have protruding structures.

27. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 wherein the step of placing the material within the area of containment includes the step placing a protective member between the material and the battery where the protective member protects the material from the battery.

28. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 19 further comprising the step of detecting whether a spill has occurred.

29. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 28 further comprising the step of indicating whether a spill has occurred.

30. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 28 further comprising the step of alerting a device when the step of detecting whether a spill has occurred detects a spill.

31. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 30 further comprising the steps of:

communicating with a device when a spill is detected; and

remedying the spill.

32. The method for containing a spilled substance of claim 28 wherein the step of detecting a spill includes the steps of:

providing a circuit having an electrical characteristic; and

monitoring whether the electrical characteristic changes.