Veeder-root Company Inc.

Other

Gilbarco Inc.

Cormorant Engineering, LLC

David J Bolt

Kent Reid

Dale Ewing

Shane Reese

Ray Hutchinson

Jeremy Robert Baillargeon

Richard Fricke

Robert P Hart

John S McSpadden

Kenneth Ray Newman

Niranjan Srinivasan

Lindsay Bruce Dalziel

Dale Spence

James C Little

Donald Reichler

John Layne

David Jonathan Hassell

A wellbore pumping system for pumping fluid, the system with a retrievable reciprocating pump selectively disposable in inner tubing (which may be e.g. production tubing or coiled tubing) movable to and from a landing structure of a bottom hole assembly ('BHA'), the BHA connected to another tubular which is an outer tubular, such as production tubing or casing, which encompasses the inner tubing.

Retrievable pump systems for wells and methods of use

Deliquefication systems with an upper pumping section for discharging fluid pumped to it by a lower pumping section; in one aspect, for providing liquid from a wellbore to the upper section for removal of the liquid from the wellbore; and, in one aspect, such systems for dewatering a gas well. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Wellbore fluid removal systems and methods

A method of operating a vapor recovery system that recovers vapors expelled from a vehicle during refueling at a fuel dispensing point and returns the vapors to an underground storage tank through a vapor flow path that is in fluid communication with an air to liquid regulator valve and a vapor pump. The method includes dispensing fuel into the vehicle through the fuel dispensing point, regulating an amount of vapor that is recovered through the fuel dispensing point with the air to liquid regulator valve in proportion to the fuel dispensed into the vehicle, detecting a parameter of the vapor recovery system, and maintaining a substantially constant pressure level in a first portion of the vapor return path that is disposed between the vapor pump and the air to liquid regulator valve.

Vapor recovery pump regulation of pressure to maintain air to liquid ratio

An air to liquid regulator valve for use with a vapor recovery system that recovers vapors expelled from a vehicle receiving fuel through a fuel supply passage and returns the vapors to an underground storage tank through a vapor return passage in a service station environment. The regulator valve includes a housing defining a fuel flow path in fluid communication with the fuel supply passage and a vapor return path in fluid communication with the vapor return passage, a vapor return orifice defined by the housing and disposed between a first portion and a second portion of the vapor return path, and a vapor flow bypass in fluid communication with the first portion and the second portion of the vapor return path such that the flow of vapors through both the vapor flow bypass and the vapor return orifice is possible.

Method for adjusting air to liquid ratio in vapor recovery system

A double-walled shear valve that carries fuel from a branch or main fuel piping to fuel dispenser piping. The double-walled shear valve comprises a containment housing defining a shear groove on the outside circumference of the containment housing and an inner housing defining an inner housing orifice therein forming a fuel flow path. The inner housing is coupled to the containment housing, and at least partially surrounded by the containment housing, such that an interstitial space is formed separate from the fuel flow path between the containment housing and the inner housing. The double-walled shear valve further comprises a main poppet valve coupled to the inner housing that is adapted to close the fuel flow path to prevent flow of fuel.

Double-walled contained shear valve, particularly for fueling environments

A vacuum-actuated shear valve coupled between piping from a storage tank and piping internal to a fuel dispenser that automatically opens and closes in response to a vacuum level. A vacuum actuator is provided to control a fuel flow valve inside the shear valve. When a sufficient vacuum level is generated to the vacuum actuator, the actuator keeps the flow path valve inside the shear valve open. When the vacuum is lost, the vacuum actuator releases the flow path valve inside the shear valve, which closes it. The vacuum actuator is coupled to a secondary containment space of a fuel-handling component that is drawn under a vacuum level by a vacuum-generating source to monitor for leaks. Thus, if a leak occurs in the monitored secondarily contained space, the shear valve is automatically closed to prevent the flow of fuel from continuing to be supplied to the source of the leak.

Vacuum-actuated shear valve device, system, and method, particularly for use in service station environments

A double-walled contained shear valve comprises of an inner housing forming a fuel flow path, and a containment housing surrounding the inner housing, either partially or wholly, to provide a secondary containment. An interstitial space is formed between the inner housing and the containment housing as a result, and may be placed under a vacuum or pressure level to monitor for leaks. A vacuum actuator coupled to the interstitial space automatically opens and closes the fuel flow path of the shear valve in response to the vacuum level in the interstitial space to prevent leaks to the environment. The shear valve may contain a flange for connection to internal fuel dispenser piping that either does or does not includes interstitial space orifices to couple the shear valve interstitial space to the fuel dispenser piping interstitial space to monitor the vacuum or pressure level in these interstitial spaces as one contiguous space.

A shear valve employing a two-stage main poppet valve. The two-stage main poppet valve that can be opened with less force than normally required by prior art designs. For example, if there is pump pressure trapped on the upstream side of the two-stage main poppet valve and little or no pressure or atmospheric pressure on the downstream side, more force than can be provided may be required to open the two-stage main poppet valve to reset the shear valve after the two-stage main poppet valve is closed. The two-stage main poppet valve is designed to first begin to equalize pressure differential across the shear valve without opening a main poppet valve head from its seat inside the shear valve. Thereafter, the main poppet valve head can be opened with less force than otherwise would be required.

Shear valve employing two-stage poppet valve, particularly for use in fueling environments

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.

Secondarily contained in-dispenser sump/pan system and method for capturing and monitoring leaks

An end-of-zone or line sensor placed at the end of a secondarily contained fuel piping(s) or network(s). The interstitial space of the piping network is coupled to a vacuum-generating source that draws a vacuum level in the interstitial space to monitor for leaks or breaches in the piping network. The end-of-zone sensors are coupled to the interstitial space at the far end of the piping network and vacuum-generating source. The end-of-zone sensors actuate when a sufficient vacuum level is detected. A control system monitors the status of the end-of-zone switches. If the vacuum-generating source is activated to draw a vacuum level, and the end-of-zone sensors react to indicate the vacuum level has reached the sensor, the control system knows that there is no blockage over the entire span of the piping network, and thus entire piping network can be properly monitored for leaks.

End-of-line zone integrity detection for a piping network in a secondary containment monitoring and leak detection system

A redundant vacuum-generating source system and method for generating and/or maintaining a vacuum level in a secondarily contained fuel-handling component that is monitored for leaks. The vacuum-generating source is coupled to upstream fuel-handling components to draw a vacuum level in their interstitial spaces. Other downstream fuel-handling components are drawn under a vacuum by tapping off of the upstream fuel-handling component's interstitial spaces for convenience. A series of valves control which upstream fuel-handling component's interstitial spaces are coupled to a downstream fuel-handling component interstitial space. In the event that an upstream fuel-handling component contains a leak, a control system can control the valves to switch the vacuum generation of a downstream fuel-handling component to another upstream fuel-handling component that does not contain a leak so that a sufficient vacuum level can be generated in downstream fuel-handling component(s) to monitor it for leaks.

Growing community of inventors

Newry, PA, United States of America

David J Bolt