Service station leak detection with recovery system

• US 6,974,054 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• 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): Nicolas, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US10/288,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20030230593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 222108-110, 222/385, 222/318, 137/312, 137/565.17, 138/114, 340/605, 141/86, 141/37, 141/59, 73/37, 73/40, 73/405, 73/491, 73/495
• US Class Current: 222/109
• 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 fueling environment, comprising:

a plurality of fuel dispensers;

a submersible turbine pump; and

a double-walled piping system adapted to connect fluidly said plurality of fuel dispensers such that fuel is delivered to each of said plurality of fuel dispensers from underground storage tank by an inner conduit, and leaks within said double-walled piping system are returned to a sump chamber outside said underground storage tank by an outer conduit;

wherein said leaks within said double-walled piping system are returned to said sump chamber at least in part via vacuum assistance;

wherein said submersible turbine pump is associated with the underground storage tank and said sump chamber is positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

2. The fueling environment of claim 1, wherein said leaks within said double-walled piping system are returned to said sump chamber at least in part via gravity.

3. The fueling environment of claim 1, further comprising at least one leak probe associated with at least one of said plurality of fuel dispensers, said at least one leak probe positioned in said outer conduit.

4. The fueling environment of claim 1, wherein said double-walled piping system is arranged in a daisy chained configuration.

5. The fueling environment of claim 1, wherein said double-walled piping system comprises a main and branch configuration.

6. The fueling environment of claim 3, further comprising an alarm, said alarm activated when a leak is detected.

7. The fueling environment of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor positioned within said sump chamber.

8. The fueling environment of claim 1, further comprising a bypass line, wherein leaked fuel is presented to said sump chamber through said bypass line.

9. The fueling environment of claim 3, further comprising a site communicator and wherein a leak condition is reported to the site communicator upon detection of a leak by the at least one leak probe.

10. The fading environment of claim 1, wherein said outer conduit is isolated from sumps associated with any of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

11. A piping system for a fueling environment comprising:

a double-walled pipe comprising an inner conduit and an outer conduit;

a daisy chain arrangement wherein said inner conduit delivers fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers in turn and said outer conduit catches leaked fuel; and

a plurality of leak detectors positioned in said outer conduit, each of said plurality of leak detectors associated with at least one of said plurality of fuel dispensers and adapted to detect leaks as fuel returns in said outer conduit, wherein said plurality of leak detectors comprises a subset of said plurality of leak detectors, each of said subset positioned downstream of another leak detector, each of said subset detects a leak in said inner conduit.

12. The piping system of claim 11, further comprising an alarm, said alarm activated when a leak is detected by any of said plurality of leak detectors.

13. The piping system of claim 11, wherein the outer conduit is fluidly isolated from sumps associated with any of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

14. A piping system for a fueling environment, comprising:

a double-walled pipe comprising an inner conduit and an outer conduit, wherein said inner conduit delivers fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers and said outer conduit catches leaked fuel;

a sump chamber fluidly connected to said double-walled pipe, such leaked fuel is returned to said sump chamber at least in part with vacuum assistance;

a submersible turbine pump fluidly connected to at least said inner conduit, wherein said sump chamber is positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump; and

a leak detection sensor associated with said sump chamber.

15. The piping system of claim 14, wherein leaks within said piping system are returned to said sump chamber at least in part via gravity.

16. The piping system of claim 14, wherein said double-walled pipe comprises a daisy chained arrangement that delivers fuel to each of the plurality of fuel dispensers in turn.

17. The piping system of claim 14, wherein said double-walled pipe comprises a main and branch configuration.

18. The piping system of claim 14, further comprising an alarm, said alarm activated when the leak detection sensor detects a leak.

19. The piping system of claim 14, further comprising a pressure sensor positioned within said sump chamber.

20. The piping system of claim 14, further comprising a bypass line, wherein leaked fuel is presented to said sump chamber through said bypass line.

21. The piping system of claim 14, further comprising a site communicator communicatively coupled to the leak detection sensor such that a leak condition is reported to the site communicator.

22. The piping system of claim 14, wherein the outer conduit is fluidly isolated from sumps associated with any of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

23. A fueling environment, comprising:

an underground storage tank adapted to store fuel for the fueling environment;

a plurality of fuel dispensers;

a piping network of double-walled pipe comprising an inner conduit and an outer conduit, said piping network of double-walled pipe fluidly connecting said plurality of fuel dispensers, wherein fuel is delivered to said plurality of fuel dispensers via said inner conduit and leaks in said inner conduit are captured by said outer conduit;

a plurality of leak detectors, each of said plurality of leak detectors associated with a different one of said plurality of fuel dispensers and positioned in said outer conduit;

a sump chamber fluidly connected to said piping network of double-walled pipe, wherein leaked fuel is returned to said sump chamber at least in part with vacuum assistance; and

a submersible turbine pump fluidly connected to at least said inner conduit, wherein said sump chamber is positioned within a distribution head of said submersible turbine pump.

24. The fueling environment of claim 23, further comprising:

a leak detection sensor associated with said sump chamber.

25. The fueling environment of claim 23, wherein leaks within said piping network of double-walled pipe are returned to said sump chamber at least in part via gravity.

26. The fueling environment of claim 23, wherein said piping network of double-walled pipe connects said plurality of fuel dispensers one to another in a main and branch arrangement.

27. The fueling environment of claim 23, wherein said piping network of double-walled pipe connects said plurality of fuel dispensers one to another in a daisy chain arrangement.

28. The fueling environment of claim 23, further comprising an alarm, said alarm activated when one of said plurality of leak detectors detects a leak.

29. The fueling environment of claim 23, further comprising a pressure sensor positioned within said sump chamber.

30. The fueling environment of claim 23, further comprising a bypass line, wherein leaked fuel is presented to said sump chamber through said bypass line.

31. The fueling environment of claim 23, wherein the outer conduit is fluidly isolated from sumps associated with any of the plurality of fuel dispensers.