Secondary containment leak prevention and detection system and method
First Claim
1. A system for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising:
- a pressure sensor that is coupled to the outer annular space to detect a vacuum level in the outer annular space;
a sensing unit controller that is coupled to said pressure sensor to determine the vacuum level in the outer annular space;
a submersible turbine pump that is fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank wherein said submersible turbine pump is also coupled to the outer annular space;
said submersible turbine pump creates a vacuum level in the outer annular space wherein said sensing unit controller determines the vacuum level in the outer annular space using said pressure sensor; and
a monitor that is electrically coupled to said submersible turbine pump wherein said submersible turbine pump creates a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space after receiving a test initiation signal from said monitor;
said monitor is electrically coupled to said sensing unit controller to receive the vacuum level in the outer annular space;
said monitor determines if the vacuum level in the outer annular space has decayed to a threshold vacuum level from said defined initial threshold vacuum level; and
wherein said monitor activates said submersible turbine pump to attempt to lower the vacuum level in the outer annular space back down to said defined initial threshold vacuum level if the vacuum level in the outer annular space decays to said threshold vacuum level.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pump housing that contains a pump that draws fuel from an underground storage tank containing fuel to deliver to fuel dispensers in a service station environment. The pump is coupled to a double-walled fuel pipe that carries the fuel from the pump to the fuel dispensers. The double-walled fuel piping contains an inner annular space that carries the fuel and an outer annular space that captures any leaked fuel from the inner annular space. The outer annular space is maintained through the fuel piping from the pump to the fuel dispensers so that the outer annular space can be pressurized by a pump to determine if a leak exists in the outer annular space or so that fuel leaked from the inner annular space can be captured by a leak containment chamber in the pump housing.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A system for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising:
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a pressure sensor that is coupled to the outer annular space to detect a vacuum level in the outer annular space; a sensing unit controller that is coupled to said pressure sensor to determine the vacuum level in the outer annular space; a submersible turbine pump that is fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank wherein said submersible turbine pump is also coupled to the outer annular space; said submersible turbine pump creates a vacuum level in the outer annular space wherein said sensing unit controller determines the vacuum level in the outer annular space using said pressure sensor; and a monitor that is electrically coupled to said submersible turbine pump wherein said submersible turbine pump creates a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space after receiving a test initiation signal from said monitor; said monitor is electrically coupled to said sensing unit controller to receive the vacuum level in the outer annular space; said monitor determines if the vacuum level in the outer annular space has decayed to a threshold vacuum level from said defined initial threshold vacuum level; and wherein said monitor activates said submersible turbine pump to attempt to lower the vacuum level in the outer annular space back down to said defined initial threshold vacuum level if the vacuum level in the outer annular space decays to said threshold vacuum level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; communicating the vacuum level in the outer annular space to a monitor; and monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; sending a test initiation signal to said submersible turbine pump before performing said step of creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level; wherein said step of monitoring further comprises determining if the vacuum level in the outer annular space has decayed to a threshold vacuum level from said defined initial threshold vacuum level; and wherein said step of monitoring further comprises activating said submersible turbine pump to attempt to lower the vacuum level in the outer annular space back down to said defined initial threshold vacuum level if the vacuum level in the outer annular space decays to said threshold vacuum level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; communicating the vacuum level in the outer annular space to a monitor; monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; and closing a vacuum control valve to isolate said submersible turbine pump from the outer annular space before performing said step of monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space.
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15. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; communicating the vacuum level in the outer annular space to a monitor; monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; and verifying a leak in the outer annular space by closing an isolation valve coupled to the outer annular space that isolates the outer annular space from said submersible turbine pump.
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16. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; communicating the vacuum level in the outer annular space to a monitor; monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; and preventing ingress from the outer annular space to said submersible turbine pump.
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17. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; communicating the vacuum level in the outer annular space to a monitor; monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; and determining if said submersible turbine pump is drawing a sufficient vacuum level in the outer annular space. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising:
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a pressure sensor that is coupled to the outer annular space to detect a vacuum level in the outer annular space; a sensing unit controller that is coupled to said pressure sensor to detennine the vacuum level in the outer annular space; a submersible turbine pump that is fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank wherein said submersible turbine pump is also coupled to the outer annular space; said submersible turbine pump creates a vacuum level in the outer annular space wherein said sensing unit controller determines the vacuum level in the outer annular space using said pressure sensor; and a monitor that is electrically coupled to said submersible turbine pump wherein said submersible turbine pump creates a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space; said monitor electrically coupled to said sensing unit controller to receive the vacuum level in the outer annular space; wherein said monitor causes said submersible turbine pump to activate to attempt to lower the vacuum level in the outer annular space back down to said defined initial threshold vacuum level if the vacuum level in the outer annular space decays to a threshold vacuum level. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel piping having an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank in a service station environment, comprising the steps of:
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creating a defined initial threshold vacuum level in the outer annular space using a submersible turbine pump that is also fluidly coupled to the fuel in the underground storage tank to draw the fuel out of the underground storage tank; sensing a vacuum level in the outer annular space using a pressure sensor; and monitoring the vacuum level in the outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in the fuel piping; wherein said step of monitoring further comprises determining if the vacuum level in the outer annular space has decayed to a threshold vacuum level from said defined initial threshold vacuum level; and wherein said step of monitoring further comprises activating said submersible turbine pump to attempt to lower the vacuum level in the outer annular space back down to said defined initial threshold vacuum level if the vacuum level in the outer annular space decays to said threshold vacuum level. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification