Secondary containment system and method

• US 7,251,983 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Veeder-Root Co (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Ray J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Samir M.
• Application Number:
  US10/238,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20040045343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 73/405, 73/491, 73/495, 73/405.R
• US Class Current: 73/40.50R
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/76 for use underground manholes, inspection openings, covers therefor B65D90/105; special vessels for collecting or storing rain-water for use in the household E03B3/03; cesspools E03F11/00
• 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 7/66 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/78 Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines

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.

Claims

1. A device for drawing fuel out of an underground storage tank and delivering the fuel to a fuel dispenser in a service station environment, comprising:

a submersible turbine pump, comprising;

an electronics; and

a boom inside the underground storage tank that is coupled to a turbine housing containing a turbine;

said electronics electrically coupled to said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate to generate a pressure in said boom to draw fuel from the underground storage tank; and

a submersible turbine pump housing that contains said electronics, wherein the submersible turbine pump housing comprises;

an input orifice fluidly coupled to said boom; and

an output orifice that is adapted to couple to a double-walled fuel pipe having an inner annular space and an outer annular space wherein said inner annular space is fluidly coupled to said input orifice and wherein the inner annular space and the outer annular space are run into the inside of said submersible turbine pump housing when the double-walled fuel pipe is coupled to the output orifice.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said submersible turbine pump contains a siphon system that generates a pressure in said outer annular space to pressurize said outer annular space.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said submersible turbine pump housing contains a pressure sensor coupled to said outer annular space that senses the pressure inside said outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said submersible turbine pump housing contains a leak chamber that collects fuel that is leaked from said inner annular space to said outer annular space.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said outer annular space extends to the fuel dispenser.

6. A system for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel pipe that carries fuel from an underground storage tank to a fuel dispenser in a service station environment, comprising:

a submersible turbine pump, comprising;

an electronics; and

a boom inside the underground storage tank that is coupled to a turbine housing containing a turbine;

said electronics electrically coupled to said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate to generate a pressure in said boom to draw fuel from the underground storage tank; and

a submersible turbine pump housing that contains said electronics, wherein the submersible turbine pump housing comprises;

an input orifice fluidly coupled to said boom; and

an output orifice that is adapted to couple to a double-walled fuel pipe having an inner annular space and an outer annular space wherein said inner annular space is fluidly coupled to said input orifice and wherein the inner annular space and the outer annular space are run into the inside of said submersible turbine pump housing when the double-walled fuel pipe is coupled to the output orifice; and

a pressure generating device that generates a pressure in said outer annular space to pressurize said outer annular space.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said pressure generating device is said submersible turbine pump.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said submersible turbine pump contains a siphon system that generates the pressure in said outer annular space to pressurize said outer annular space.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a pressure sensor coupled to said outer annular space wherein a controller coupled to said pressure sensor monitors the pressure in said outer annular space using said pressure sensor to determine if there is a leak in said double-walled fuel pipe.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said pressure sensor is inside said outer annular space.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said pressure sensor is located in said submersible turbine pump housing.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space is within a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller generates an alarm if the pressure in said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure in a repeatable fashion.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller shuts down the submersible turbine pump if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller generates a catastrophic alarm if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller communicates an alarm to a site controller if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller communicates an alarm to a remote system if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller is provided as a part of the group consisting of a site controller and a tank monitor.

21. The system of claim 6, further comprising a leak containment chamber within said submersible turbine pump housing that collects fuel that leaks from said inner annular space to said outer annular space.

22. A device for drawing fuel out of an underground storage tank and delivering the fuel to a fuel dispenser in a service station environment, comprising:

a submersible turbine pump, comprising;

an electronics; and

a boom inside the underground storage tank that is coupled to a turbine housing containing a turbine;

said electronics electrically coupled to said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate to generate a pressure in said boom to draw fuel from the underground storage tank; and

a submersible turbine pump housing that contains said electronics, wherein the submersible turbine pump housing comprises;

an input orifice fluidly coupled to said boom;

an output orifice that is adapted to couple to an inner annular space of a double-walled fuel pipe wherein said inner annular space is fluidly coupled to said input orifice when the double-walled fuel pipe is coupled to the output orifice; and

a second orifice coupled to a bypass tube that is coupled to an outer annular space of said double-walled fuel pipe;

said submersible turbine pump generates a pressure in said bypass tube to pressurize said outer annular space; and

said submersible turbine pump housing contains a pressure sensor coupled to said bypass tube that senses the pressure inside said outer annular space to determine if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein said submersible turbine pump contains a siphon system that generates the pressure in said outer annular space to pressurize said outer annular space.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein said submersible turbine pump housing contains a leak chamber that collects fuel that is leaked from said inner annular housing to said outer annular housing.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein said outer annular space extends to the fuel dispenser.

26. A system for detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel pipe that carries fuel from an underground storage tank to a fuel dispenser in a service station environment, comprising:

a submersible turbine pump, comprising;

an electronics; and

a boom inside the underground storage tank that is coupled to a turbine housing containing a turbine;

said electronics electrically coupled to said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate to generate a pressure in said boom to draw fuel from the underground storage tank; and

a submersible turbine pump housing that contains said electronics, wherein the submersible turbine pump housing comprises;

an input orifice fluidly coupled to said boom;

an output orifice that is adapted to couple to an inner annular space of a double-walled fuel pipe wherein said inner annular space is fluidly coupled to said input orifice when the double-walled fuel pipe is coupled to the output orifice; and

a second orifice coupled to a bypass tube that is coupled to an outer annular space of said double-walled fuel pipe; and

a pressure generating device that generates a pressure in said bypass tube to pressurize said outer annular space; and

a pressure sensor coupled to said bypass tube wherein a controller coupled to said pressure sensor monitors the pressure in said outer annular space using said pressure sensor to determine if there is a leak in said double-walled fuel pipe;

said pressure sensor is located in said submersible turbine pump housing.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said submersible turbine pump is said pressure generating device.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said submersible turbine pump contains a siphon system that generates the pressure in said outer annular space to pressurize said outer annular space.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said pressure sensor is inside said outer annular space.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space is within a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller generates an alarm if the pressure in said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure in a repeatable fashion.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller determines if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said controller shuts down the submersible turbine pump if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said controller generates a catastrophic alarm if the pressure in said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a predefined threshold pressure within a predefined threshold time.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller communicates an alarm to a site controller if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller communicates an alarm to a remote system if a leak exists in said double-walled fuel pipe.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein said controller is provided as a part of the group consisting of a site controller and a tank monitor.

39. The system of claim 26, further comprising a leak containment chamber within said submersible turbine pump housing that collects fuel that leaks from said inner annular space to said outer annular space.

40. A method of collecting leaked fuel in fuel pipe that carries fuel from an underground storage tank to a fuel dispenser, comprising the steps of:

extending a double-walled fuel pipe having an inner annular space and an outer annular space into the inside of a submersible turbine pump housing;

coupling said inner annular space of said double-walled fuel pipe to a turbine that extends into the underground storage tank;

coupling said outer annular space of said double-walled fuel pipe to a leaked fuel collection chamber; and

slanting said double-walled fuel pipe so that fuel that leaks from said inner annular space captured by said outer annular space is directed into said fuel collection chamber.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said leaked fuel collection chamber is inside said submersible turbine pump housing.

42. A method of detecting a leak in a double-walled fuel pipe having an inner annular space and an outer annular space that carries fuel from an underground storage tank to a fuel dispenser, comprising the steps of:

providing a pump in a pump housing that draws fuel out of the underground storage tank into the inner annular space wherein the inner annular space and the outer annular space are coupled to the inside of said pump housing;

generating a pressure in the outer annular space of the double-walled fuel pipe using said pump;

sensing the pressure inside said outer annular space; and

determining if the pressure inside said outer annular space is within a tolerance of a threshold pressure value.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of generating an alarm if the pressure inside said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a threshold pressure value.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of communicating said alarm to a remote system.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of communicating said alarm to a user.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of shutting down said pump if the pressure inside said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a threshold pressure value.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of determining further comprises determining if the pressure inside said outer annular space goes beyond a tolerance of a threshold pressure value within a predefined time.

48. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of generating an alarm if the pressure inside said outer annular space is outside a tolerance of a threshold pressure value in a repeatable fashion.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of removing the pressure in said outer annular space before said step of determining.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising the step of reapplying the pressure in said outer annular space after said step of determining to monitor the pressure in said outer annular space to determine if the pressure falls outside said tolerance in a repeatable fashion.

51. A system for capturing a leak in a double-walled fuel pipe that carries fuel from an underground storage tank to a fuel dispenser in a service station environment, comprising:

a submersible turbine pump, comprising;

an electronics; and

a boom inside the underground storage tank that is coupled to a turbine housing containing a turbine;

said electronics electrically coupled to said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate to generate a pressure in said boom to draw fuel from the underground storage tank; and

a submersible turbine pump housing that contains said electronics, comprising;

an input orifice fluidly coupled to said boom; and

an output orifice adapted to couple to a slanted double-walled fuel pipe having an inner annular space and an outer annular space wherein said inner annular space is fluidly coupled to said input orifice and wherein the inner annular space and the outer annular space are coupled to the inside of said submersible turbine pump housing; and

a leak containment chamber coupled to said outer annular space such that said leak containment chamber is located equal to or lower than said outer annular space.