Service station leak detection and recovery system

• US 6,935,161 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Ray J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FITZGERALD, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US10/890,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 73/405.R
• US Class Current: 73/40.50R
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/746 by mixing different fuel grades or fuel and oil
• 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: B67D 7/78 Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting

Abstract

A fueling environment distributes fuel from a fuel supply to fuel dispensers in a daisy chain arrangement with a double-walled piping system. Fuel leaks that occur within the double-walled piping system are returned to the underground storage tank or a sump proximate the submersible turbine pump by the outer wall of the double-walled piping. This preserves the fuel for later use and helps reduce the risk of environmental contamination. Leak detectors may also be positioned in to fuel dispensers detect leaks and provide alarms for the operator, and help pinpoint leak detection that has occurred in the piping system proximate to a particular fuel dispenser or in between two consecutive fuel dispensers.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a leak in a fueling distribution system in a retail fuel dispensing environment with a fuel dispenser, said method comprising:

dispensing fuel throughout the retail fuel dispensing environment in an inner conduit of a double-walled conduit;

capturing time leak from said inner conduit with an outer conduit of said double-walled conduit;

returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump positioned proximate a submersible turbine pump in the retail fuel dispensing environment;

detecting the leak at said sump; and

routing leaked fuel through a bypass line to said sump.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm when the leak is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, farther comprising communicating a leak condition to a site communicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to the sump comprises facilitating said returning via gravity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to the sump comprises facilitating said returning via a vacuum assist.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing fuel throughout the retail fuel dispensing environment comprises dispensing fuel throughout the retail fuel dispensing environment through a main and branch piping system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the outer conduit of said double-walled conduit proximate prior to reaching a distribution head of the submersible turbine pump.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising isolating said outer conduit from a sump associated with the fuel dispenser.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting a plurality of fuel dispensers in a daisy chained arrangement to dispense fuel throughout the retail fuel dispensing environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising returning the fuel leaked to the sump through a subset of said plurality of fuel dispensers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump comprises returning the fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising positioning a pressure sensor within said sump chamber.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump comprises returning the fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned proximate a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising positioning a pressure sensor within said sump chamber.

15. A method of detecting a leak in a fueling distribution system in a retail fuel dispensing environment with a fuel dispenser, said method comprising:

connecting a plurality of fuel dispensers in a daisy chained arrangement;

dispensing fuel throughout the retail fuel dispensing environment in an inner conduit of a double-walled conduit;

capturing the leak from said inner conduit with an outer conduit of said double-walled conduit;

returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump positioned proximate a submersible turbine pump in the retail fuel dispensing environment;

detecting the leak at said sump; and

returning the fuel leaked to an underground storage tank through a subset of said plurality of fuel dispensers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating an alarm when the leak is detected.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sunup comprises returning the fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump comprises returning the fuel leaked into said outer conduit to a sump chamber positioned proximate a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning a pressure sensor within said sump.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating a leak condition to a site communicator.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to the sump comprises facilitating said returning via gravity.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein returning fuel leaked into said outer conduit to the sump comprises facilitating said returning via a vacuum assist.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising terminating the outer conduit of said double-walled conduit proximate prior to reaching a distribution head of the submersible turbine pump.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising isolating said outer conduit from a sump associated with the fuel dispenser selected from said plurality of fuel dispensers.