Fuel delivery system with enhanced functionality and diagnostic capability

• US 7,260,499 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Franklin Fueling Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: FE Petro Incorporated
• Inventors: Kenney, Donald Patrick, Watzke, Donald Edward Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Carol S. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/224,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 702/62, 702/68, 702/90, 702/91, 702/93, 702/104, 702/116, 702/122, 702/138, 702/183, 702/184, 702/50, 702/51, 700/236, 700/282, 732/76, 733/01, 733/32
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/32 Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid
• 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

Abstract

A control system for a fuel delivery system provides enhanced functionality and diagnostic capabilities relative to known systems. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, enhanced functionality and diagnostic capability is provided by integrating the pump controller and the tank gauge by way of a control or integration unit. The control unit includes a microprocessor and communication hardware for communicating with the tank gauge and the pump controllers. In accordance with alternate embodiments of the invention, a control unit is included which provides additional functionality, such as automatic logging of controller faults.

Claims

1. A control system for a fuel delivery system which includes at least one storage tank and at least one storage tank gauge and at least one pump controller, the control system for monitoring the at least one storage tank gauge and the at least one pump controller, the control system comprising:

an integration unit which includes a processor, memory, said integration unit configured to communicate with said at least one pump controller and said at least one tank gauge, wherein said integration unit is configured to receive an empty tank signal from said at least one pump controller, said integration unit configured to detect whether said empty tank signal is false by polling said a least one tank gauge in order to detect the fuel level in said storage tanks after said empty tank signal is detected and reset said at least one pump controller and clear said empty tank signal when the fuel level in said at least one storage tank is above a predetermined level.

2. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said integration unit is configured to automatically determine a false empty tank condition resulting from one of said one or more pumps being located more than a predetermined distance from the bottom of the tank.

3. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein the integration unit is configured to provide an automated response to said false empty tank condition.

4. The control system as recited in claim 3, wherein the integration unit is configured to automatically reset said at least one pump controller the was tripped off as a result of said false empty tank signal.

5. The control system as recited in claim 4, wherein the integration unit is further configured to detect whether said tank gauge indicates a low-level alarm.

6. The control system as recited in claim 5, wherein said integration unit is further configured to automatically send error messages when a low level alarm has been generated after a false empty tank condition has been detected.

7. The control system as recited in claim 4, wherein said integration unit is configured to poll said one or more tank gauges and to automatically adjust the tank gauge low level alarm when an empty tank condition exists.

8. The control unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said integration unit is configured to poll the status of said one or more pump controllers and said one or more tank gauges.

9. The control unit as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more diagnostic messages are provided as a function of the status of said one or more pump controllers and said one or more tank gauges.

10. The control unit as recited in claim 9, wherein said one or more messages are provided as a function of at least one of said one or more tank gauges indicating a leak status and at least one of said pump controllers indicating a fault status.

11. A control system for a fuel delivery system having one or more tank gauges, and one or more pump controllers and a pressure transducer, the control system comprising:

an integration unit which includes a processor, memory, and a plurality of communication interfaces, said integration unit configured to communicate with said one or more pump controllers and said one or more tank gauges to provide diagnostics as a function of the status of said one or more tank gauges and the status of said one or more pump controllers, wherein said control unit is configured to test for a pressure transducer failure and wherein the determination of the pressure transducer failure includes polling the pump controllers and determining the status of faults of said pump controllers.

12. The control system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of said one or snore controllers is a variable frequency controller.

13. A control system for a fuel delivery system having one or more pump controllers and one or more tank gauges having a normal mode of operation and fault mode, the control system comprising:

an integration unit having a processor, memory including non-volatile memory, said integration unit configured to automatically monitor the fault mode of said one or more pump controllers and automatically log the fault mode of at least one of said pump to said non-volatile memory wherein said integration unit is configured to automatically detect if a controller fault is under load and to send a signal indicative that service is required if the controller fault is not under load.

14. A control system for a fuel delivery system including a storage tank one or more pump controllers, one or more tank gauges and a leak detection system having a solenoid valve, wherein said leak detection system is configured to provide a calibrated leak when said solenoid valve is open, the control system comprising;

an integration unit having a processor, and one or more communication interfaces, the control system configured to operate a said solenoid valve to enable calibration of said leak detection system and generate a line leak signal, wherein said integration unit is configured to open said solenoid to verify that said line leak detection system is operational.

15. A control system for a fuel delivery system having at least one tank gauge and at least one pump controller, the control system comprising:

an integration unit which includes a processor, processor and a memory and a plurality of second communication links between said integration unit and said one or more pump controllers for controlling one or more pumps and said one or more tank gauges located in one or more storage tanks, said integration unit configured to communicate with said one or more pump controllers and said one or more tank gauges to distinguish between a line leak condition and a pump controller fault condition by checking said at least one pump controller and determining that said link leak condition is false when a pump controller fault is detected.

16. A control system for a fuel delivery system having one or more tanks manifolded together, a pump and a leak detection system provided for each tank, said leak detection system including a valve, one or more valve tank gauges, one or more pumps and one or more pump controllers, the control system comprising:

an integration unit which includes a processor, memory for controlling one or more pumps and said one or more tank gauges located in one or more storage tanks, said integration unit configured to communicate with said one or more pump controllers and said one or more tank gauge, said integration wilt configured to detect a tank leak and to further detect whether said tank leak is due to a condition when said valve is leaky by polling said pump controllers and determining whether said pumps are on when said tank guage indicates a leak and generating a leaky valve signal as a function of said tank level and the status of said pumps.