Storage tank and line leakage detection and inventory reconciliation method
First Claim
1. A method for accurately detecting and quantifying changes in a quantity of liquid and gaseous product present in a storage tank over a period of time comprising the steps of:
- dispensing a portion of said product from said tank through a dispensing means;
measuring a temperature corrected volume of said product dispensed from said tank through said dispensing means by means of flow meters operatively connected to said dispensing means;
sensing and measuring a positive or negative change in a temperature corrected volume of said product remaining within said tank by means of a sensor within said tank;
comparing said temperature corrected volume of said portion of said product dispensed as measured by said flow meters with said positive or negative change in said temperature corrected volume of product remaining within said tank as measured by said sensor; and
identifying a source of difference between said temperature corrected volume of said portion of said product dispensed and said positive or negative change in said temperature corrected volume of product remaining within said tank.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for inventory maintenance and leak detection in liquid storage tanks and dispensing lines, that combines tank level measurements, tank product temperature measurements, output flow measurements, liquid product characteristics data, initial product delivery volume data, and redundantly calculates changes in the quantity of liquid product within the tank and compares these calculations to determine abnormalities in the changes in the quantities of product within the tank. Changes in the quantity of product within the tank are verified as either the delivery of additional product into the tank or the dispensing of product from the tank as with a customer sale. Changes that cannot be verified as either delivery into or dispensing from the tank are appropriately characterized as possible leak conditions in the tank or lines. The system additionally incorporates an accuracy improving process of restrapping or recharacterizing the physical conditions within the tank and recalibrating the flow meters associated with dispensing product from the tank. The combination of redundant measurements of volume changes and continuous recalibration of system measurements, along with the incorporation of product temperature measurements and product liquid/vapor state determinations, allows the system to detect with greater accuracy anomalies in the quantity of product within the tank.
99 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for accurately detecting and quantifying changes in a quantity of liquid and gaseous product present in a storage tank over a period of time comprising the steps of:
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dispensing a portion of said product from said tank through a dispensing means; measuring a temperature corrected volume of said product dispensed from said tank through said dispensing means by means of flow meters operatively connected to said dispensing means; sensing and measuring a positive or negative change in a temperature corrected volume of said product remaining within said tank by means of a sensor within said tank; comparing said temperature corrected volume of said portion of said product dispensed as measured by said flow meters with said positive or negative change in said temperature corrected volume of product remaining within said tank as measured by said sensor; and identifying a source of difference between said temperature corrected volume of said portion of said product dispensed and said positive or negative change in said temperature corrected volume of product remaining within said tank. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for accurately detecting and quantifying a temperature corrected volume of liquid product delivered into a storage tank over a period of time comprising the steps of:
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delivering a first portion of liquid product into said storage tank; sensing and measuring a positive change in a temperature corrected volume of a second portion of liquid product within said tank during said delivery step; dispensing a third portion of liquid product from said tank through a dispensing means; sensing and measuring a temperature corrected volume of said third portion of liquid product dispensed from said tank through dispensing means by means of flow meters operatively corrected to said dispensing means during a positive liquid level rise in said tank; and identifying a difference between said measured positive change in said temperature corrected volume of said second portion of liquid product within said tank and said measured temperature corrected volume of said third portion of liquid product dispensed from said tank through said dispensing means by means of said flow meters operatively to said dispensing means during said positive rise in said tank. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification