초록 ▼

An in-dispenser leak pan provided inside the housing of a fuel dispenser. The leak collection chamber collects any fuel that leaks from fuel-handling components located inside the fuel dispenser above the pan. The pan is secondarily contained by an outer pan or container such that an interstitial sp

An in-dispenser leak pan provided inside the housing of a fuel dispenser. The leak collection chamber collects any fuel that leaks from fuel-handling components located inside the fuel dispenser above the pan. The pan is secondarily contained by an outer pan or container such that an interstitial space is formed therebetween. If a breach exists in the top part of the pan, the captured leaked fuel will be contained in by the outer pan in the interstitial space. The interstitial space of the pan is drawn under a vacuum level using a vacuum-generating source to monitor for leaks. If a leak is detected, a control system may generate an alarm and/or cause the submersible turbine pump to stop supplying fuel, or cause the dispenser product line shear valves to close, thereby only stopping fuel flow to the individual fuel dispenser containing the leak.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A fuel dispenser that dispenses fuel received from a main fuel piping fluidly coupled to a fuel storage tank, comprising: a housing containing a fuel-handling component area that contains at least one fuel-handling component; an internal fuel dispenser piping that is fluidly coupled to

We claim: 1. A fuel dispenser that dispenses fuel received from a main fuel piping fluidly coupled to a fuel storage tank, comprising: a housing containing a fuel-handling component area that contains at least one fuel-handling component; an internal fuel dispenser piping that is fluidly coupled to the main fuel piping to receive fuel from the fuel storage tank; a double-walled in-dispenser sump located inside the housing and below the at least one fuel-handling component, comprising: a main plate that captures leaks from the at least one fuel handing-component; and a secondary plate coupled to and below the main plate such that an in-dispenser sump interstitial space is formed between the main plate and the secondary plate. 2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the in-dispenser sump interstitial space contains a port to allow a vacuum-generating source to generate a vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to monitor the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space for leaks. 3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a liquid sensor coupled to the main plate to detect the presence of liquid fuel that leaks from the at least one fuel-handling component to the main plate. 4. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a liquid level sensor coupled to the main plate to detect a level of liquid fuel that leaks from the at least one fuel-handling component to the main plate. 5. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an interstitial liquid sensor coupled to the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to detect a leak in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space indicative of a breach of the main plate. 6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the main plate is coupled to a catchment container where leaked fuel will collect when captured by the main plate. 7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the main plate is sealed to internal walls of the housing. 8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the main plate and secondary plate contains one or more aligned orifices that receive the internal fuel dispenser piping to allow the internal fuel dispenser piping to carry fuel to the at least one fuel-handling component. 9. The fuel dispenser of claim 8, wherein the one or more aligned orifices are sealed around the internal fuel dispenser piping to prevent leaks of fuel captured by the main plate from leaking below the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 10. A fuel dispenser fuel-handling component leak capture and detection system, comprising: a fuel dispenser containing a double-walled in-dispenser sump having an in-dispenser sump interstitial space, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump is located in the fuel dispenser below at least one fuel-handling component in the fuel dispenser that receives fuel from an internal fuel dispenser piping coupled to a main fuel piping that carries fuel from a fuel storage tank, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump captures leaks from the least one fuel-handling component; a vacuum-generating source that is fluidly coupled to the in-dispenser interstitial space that generates a vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space; a pressure sensor coupled to the in-dispenser interstitial space; and a control system coupled to the pressure sensor to monitor pressure variations in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to detect a loss in vacuum in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space indicative of a leak. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a liquid sensor coupled to the in-dispenser sump and the control system, wherein the liquid sensor is adapted to detect the presence of liquid fuel that leaked from the at least one fuel-handling component and communicate the presence of liquid fuel to the control system. 12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a liquid level sensor coupled to the double-walled in-dispenser sump and the control system, wherein the liquid level sensor is adapted to detect a level of fuel that leaked from the at least one fuel-handling component and communicate the level to the control system. 13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an interstitial liquid sensor coupled to the in-dispenser sump interstitial space and the control system, wherein the interstitial liquid sensor is adapted to detect a leak in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space indicative of a leak in the double-walled in-dispenser sump and communicate the leak to the control system. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the vacuum-generating source is a submersible turbine pump, wherein a siphon on the submersible turbine pump is fluidly coupled to the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the control system generates an alarm or report in response to detecting a leak in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the in-dispenser sump interstitial space is coupled to at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space is either a main fuel piping interstitial space, a branch fuel piping interstitial space, a shear valve interstitial space, an internal fuel dispenser piping interstitial space, a vapor return piping interstitial space, a fuel storage tank interstitial space, a submersible turbine pump sump interstitial space, a submersible turbine pump riser pipe interstitial space, or a submersible turbine pump container interstitial space. 18. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control valve under control of the control system coupled between the in-dispenser sump interstitial space and the vacuum-generating source, wherein the control system controls the control valve to couple the vacuum-generating source to generate a vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control system closes the control valve to cut off the vacuum-generating source from the in-dispenser sump interstitial space once the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space reaches a threshold vacuum level. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control system opens the control valve to allow the vacuum-generating source to replenish the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space if the control system determines that the vacuum level has fallen below the threshold vacuum level. 21. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space is a double-walled shear valve having a shear valve interstitial space. 22. The system of claim 10, wherein the control system actuates a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps the fuel flow path of a shear valve coupling the main fuel piping to the internal fuel dispenser piping open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to detecting a leak in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 23. The system of claim 10, wherein the control system actuates a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps the fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to detecting a leak in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 24. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system actuates a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps a fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to receiving a signal from the liquid sensor indicating a presence of liquid in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 25. The system of claim 12, wherein the control system actuates a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps the fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to receiving a signal from the interstitial liquid sensor indicating a level of fuel present in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 26. A method of monitoring an in-dispenser sump that captures leaked fuel from at least one fuel-handling component, comprising the steps of: generating a vacuum level in an in-dispenser sump interstitial space formed by a double-walled in-dispenser sump, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump is located in the fuel dispenser below the at least one fuel-handling component in the fuel dispenser that receives fuel from an internal fuel dispenser piping coupled to a main fuel piping that carries fuel from a fuel storage tank, wherein the double-walled in-dispenser sump captures leaks from the at least one fuel-handling component; and monitoring the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to determine if a leak exists in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising detecting the presence of fuel captured by the double-walled in-dispenser sump suing a liquid sensor. 28. The method of claim 26, further comprising detecting a level of fuel captured by the double-walled in-dispenser sump using a liquid level sensor. 29. The method of claim 26, further comprising detecting leaked fuel in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space using an interstitial liquid sensor. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of generating a vacuum level comprises a submersible turbine pump generating a vacuum level in a siphon that is coupled to the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 31. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating an alarm or report in response to detecting a leak in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 32. The method of claim 26, wherein the in-dispenser sump interstitial space is coupled to at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space is either a main fuel piping interstitial space, a branch fuel piping interstitial space, a shear valve interstitial space, an internal fuel dispenser piping interstitial space, a vapor return piping interstitial space, a fuel storage tank interstitial space, a submersible turbine pump sump interstitial space, a submersible turbine pump riser pipe interstitial space, or a submersible turbine pump container interstitial space. 34. The method of claim 26, further comprising controlling a control valve coupled between the in-dispenser sump interstitial space and the vacuum-generating source to control the coupling of the vacuum-generating source to the in-dispenser sump interstitial space to generate a vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space. 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising closing the control valve to cut off the vacuum-generating source from the in-dispenser sump interstitial space once the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space reaches a threshold vacuum level. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising opening the control valve after the step of closing the control valve to allow the vacuum-generating source to replenish the vacuum level in the in-dispenser sump interstitial space after the vacuum level has fallen below the threshold vacuum level. 37. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one service station fuel-handling component interstitial space is a double-walled shear valve having a shear valve interstitial space. 38. The method of claim 26, further comprising actuating a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps a fuel flow path of a shear valve coupling the main fuel piping to the internal fuel dispenser piping open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to detecting a leak in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 39. The method of claim 27, further comprising actuating a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps a fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to detecting the presence of fuel in the double-walled in-dispenser sump. 40. The method of claim 28, further comprising actuating a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps a fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to receiving a signal from the liquid sensor indicating the level of fuel in the in-dispenser sump. 41. The method of claim 29, further comprising actuating a pilot valve coupled to a vacuum actuator that keeps the fuel flow path of a shear valve open when a vacuum level is applied to the vacuum actuator, to create a loss of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator to close the shear valve in response to receiving a signal from the interstitial liquid sensor indicating leaked fuel present in the in-dispenser sump.