초록 ▼

A modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly for storing fuel in at least one fuel tank and for pumping the fuel to a group of fuel dispensers. The assembly has a reinforced concrete vault located underground which contains a fuel tank within its interior. The fuel tank is separated from the i

A modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly for storing fuel in at least one fuel tank and for pumping the fuel to a group of fuel dispensers. The assembly has a reinforced concrete vault located underground which contains a fuel tank within its interior. The fuel tank is separated from the interior walls of the vault. The fuel tank has a turbine corridor on its lid, which corridor has an interior volume which leads from the fuel tank to a series of piping corridors. The turbine corridor and the piping corridors are all underground and the piping corridors lead to dispensing modules which are located under the dispensers or gas pumps. The dispenser modules and piping corridors are all sufficiently large to permit the entry of service personnel to their interiors. The interiors of the various corridors and modules form a single interconnected air volume. The result is a fuel dispensing and containment assembly wherein the vault and corridors and dispensing modules act as a secondary containment against any contaminant leaking from the primary piping or tanks. It also permits complete visual inspection of the primary containment and physical access to all its parts at any time.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly for storing fuel in at least one fuel tank and pumping the fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers at locations remote from the at least one fuel tank, said assembly comprising:a vault located underground, said vault having a floor, end walls, sid

1. A modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly for storing fuel in at least one fuel tank and pumping the fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers at locations remote from the at least one fuel tank, said assembly comprising:a vault located underground, said vault having a floor, end walls, side walls, a top supporting a lid, and an interior, said vault being fluid tight and said floor, end walls, side walls and lid having exposed inner surfaces;a fuel tank held within said vault, said fuel tank being separated from said exposed inner surfaces, said fuel tank having a fuel filling line and a fuel outlet line, said fuel tank being separated from at least one of said end walls and side walls a sufficient distance to permit service personnel to enter an interior of said vault for inspection purposes;a turbine corridor positioned with a bottom above said lid of said vault, said turbine corridor having an interior turbine corridor passageway leading from an area over said fuel tank where said fuel filling line and said fuel outlet line communicate with said fuel tank, said turbine corridor also being positioned underground and at least one of said side and end walls of said turbine corridor being open at at least one connection passageway for connection to at least one piping corridor and said turbine corridor passageway being sufficiently large for service personnel to enter said turbine corridor passageway;a plurality of piping corridors at least one of which being sealingly affixed onto said connection passageway of said turbine corridor, said piping corridor having a floor, side walls forming a piping corridor passageway, a supply end sealed to said connection passageway of said turbine corridor, an exit end and being both underground and fluid tight and said piping corridor passageway being sufficiently large for service personnel to enter, said piping corridor having an opening at said supply end and at said exit end;a dispensing module sealingly affixed onto one of said piping corridors, said dispensing module having a floor, side walls, end walls and a cover, said dispensing module being fluid tight and said side walls of said dispensing module being underground being accessible through a dispensing module passageway and said dispensing module passageway being sufficiently large to permit the entry of service personnel, said piping corridor passageway, said dispensing module passageway and said turbine corridor passageway forming a single interconnected air volume;means for passing air through said single interconnected air volume; anda fuel dispenser mounted above said dispensing module.2. The module fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said piping corridors is a piping interconnect corridor affixed between said turbine corridor and a plurality of piping corridors.3. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim, 2 wherein said piping interconnect corridor is connected to said connection passageway of said turbine corridor on an input side of a first side wall of said interconnect corridor and a first and a second piping corridor are connected at a supply end to a first and a second opening located on an output side of a second side wall.4. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 3 wherein said first and second piping corridors have an exit end and a first dispensing module is connected to the exit end of said first piping corridor and a second dispensing module is connected to the exit end of said second piping corridor.5. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 1 wherein said fuel tank is spaced from at least one end wall of said vault, said at least one end wall being an inspection end wall spaced a sufficient distance to permit a person to enter said interior of said vault and said vault has at least one upwardly extending turret extending upwardly from said lid adjacent said inspection end wall of said vault, said upwardly extending turret having an interior pedestrian rated access passageway leading into the interior of said vault, said upwardly extending turret having an upper opening about at a ground level.6. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 5 wherein both end walls of said vault are inspection end walls and both inspection end walls have an upwardly extending turret extending upwardly from said lid.7. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly includes an air passageway in at least one dispensing module and an air passageway in at least one turbine corridor and includes means for passing air along a continuous air passageway from one of said air passageways and passing air out of the other air passageway.8. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 1 wherein said lid of said vault has three parts, a first lid extending from a first end wall in the direction of a second end wall to a first lid inner end, a bottom of said turbine corridor contacting said first lid inner end on a first side of said bottom of said turbine corridor and said bottom extending to a second side of said bottom of turbine corridor, and a second lid extending from an interior end contacting said second side of said bottom of said turbine corridor to an exterior end contacting said second end wall.9. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly includes a plurality of vaults, fuel tanks and turbine corridors.10. A modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly for storing fuel in at least one fuel tank and pumping the fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers at locations remote from the at least one fuel tank, said assembly comprising:a vault located underground, said vault having a floor, end walls, sidewalls, a lid, and an interior passageway, said vault being fluid tight and said floor, end walls, side walls, and lid having exposed inner surfaces;a fuel tank held within said vault, said fuel tank being separated from said exposed inner surfaces, said fuel tank having a fuel filling line and a fuel outlet line, said fuel tank being separated from at least one of said end walls and side walls a sufficient distance to permit service personnel to enter said interior passageway of said vault for inspection purposes;a plurality of piping corridors each having an interior passageway containing at least one fuel outlet line said piping corridor having a floor, side walls, a supply end, an exit end and being both underground and fluid tight and said interior passageway being sufficiently large for service personnel to enter, said piping corridor having an opening at said supply end and at said exit end;a dispensing module sealingly affixed onto said exit end of one of said piping corridors, said dispensing module having a floor, sidewalls, end walls and a cover, said dispensing module being fluid tight and said side walls of said dispensing module being underground and said dispensing module having an interior passageway sufficiently large to permit the entry of service personnel, the interior passageways of said piping corridors and said dispensing module forming a single interconnected air volume and a single passageway leading from one end at said interior passageway of said piping corridor to a second end at said interior passageway of said dispensing module;means for passing air from one end of said single interconnected air volume to the second end; anda fuel dispenser mounted above said dispensing module.11. The modular fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 10 wherein said dispensing module has a pedestrian rated access door in said cover of said dispensing module whereby service personnel can enter the interior passageway of said dispensing module for servicing or inspection of piping and electrical circuit elements located below said cover of said dispensing module.12. A module fuel dispensing and containment assembly for conveying fuel from at least one fuel tank having an upwardly extending turbine collar, said fuel tank being confined in an underground vault having a lid and transporting the fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers at locations remote from the at least one fuel tank, said assembly comprising:a turbine corridor forming an interior turbine corridor/passageway and positioned with a bottom contacting said lid of said vault, said turbine corridor also being positioned underground and having a bottom floor with a tank access opening sealingly connected to the turbine collar of said fuel tank in a fluid tight manner and at least one of said side and end walls of said turbine corridor/passageway being open at a connection passageway for connection to a piping corridor and said turbine corridor being sufficiently large for service personnel to enter an interior of said turbine corridor/passageway;a plurality of piping corridors at least one of which being sealingly affixed onto said connection passageway of said turbine corridor, said piping corridor having a floor, side walls forming a piping corridor/passageway, a supply end sealed to said connection passageway of said turbine corridor, an exit end and being both underground and fluid tight and said piping corridor/passageway being sufficiently large for service personnel to enter, said piping corridor having an opening at said supply end and at said exit end;a dispensing module sealingly affixed onto said exit end of one of said piping corridors, said dispensing module having a floor, side walls, end walls and a cover forming a dispensing module passageway, said dispensing module being fluid tight and said side walls of said dispensing module being underground and said dispensing module passageway being sufficiently large to permit the entry of service personnel, the interior of said turbine corridor, said piping and said dispensing module passageway and said turbine corridor/passageway forming a single interconnected air volume;means for passing air through said single interconnected air volume;a fuel dispenser mounted above said dispensing module; andpiping connecting said fuel dispenser to said at least one fuel tank.13. A fuel dispensing and containment assembly having a fuel tank and piping for conveying fuel to a fuel dispenser, said fuel dispenser being at a location remote from said fuel tank wherein the improvement comprises:a fuel tank vault containing at least one fuel tank;fuel piping leading from said at least one fuel tank and passing out of said fuel tank and passing out of said fuel tank vault;a dispensing module vault positioned below a fuel dispenser, said piping leading into dispensing vault and said dispensing module containing no fuel tank, said dispensing module being of sufficient size to permit the entry of personnel into an inner space of said dispensing module, said said dispensing module having pedestrian access with an entryway in proximity to the said dispensing module for providing access to the inner space of said dispensing module without the necessity of entering the fuel tank vault whereby personnel can enter the inner space below a fuel dispenser to inspect or service any piping associated with said dispenser.14. The fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 13 said fuel piping passing out of said fuel tank vault leads into a corridor adjacent said fuel tank vault and passing into said dispensing module which provides an air flow passageway within said corridor from an interior of said corridor to said inner space of said dispensing module.15. The fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 13 wherein said fuel dispenser is supported on a cover sealed over a top of said dispensing module and said cover has a pedestrian access door formed therein.16. The fuel dispensing and containment assembly of claim 13 further including a turbine corridor connected to said fuel tank vault and containing an interior turbine corridor passageway and said interior turbine corridor passageway containing fuel piping, at least one piping corridor having a corridor interior volume, said corridor interior volume being connected to the interior turbine corridor passageway of said turbine corridor and said corridor interior volume containing fuel piping and said piping corridor being connected to said dispensing module so that the corridor interior volume is connected to said inner space of said dispensing module.