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Hirt Combustion Engineers, Inc.

Hirt Combustion

Gilbert Castro

Thomas J Smith

Robert Bradt

A vapor collection testing device is held in one hand and a fuel dispensing nozzle for a fuel dispensing system to be tested is held in the other hand of an operator. The device is slipped over the spout of the nozzle and pushed against the boot of the nozzle (if so equipped), or otherwise pushed sufficiently over the holes on a bootless nozzle so that the nozzle's flow interlock device is opened. Opening the interlock activates the nozzle's lever, to permit fuel dispensing. Without turning the gasoline dispenser on, the nozzle lever is depressed to open the integral vapor valve. At this point, no gasoline is dispensed, but air is ingested by the nozzle and sent into the gasoline storage tank. The air ingestion can be observed by the device's flow meter, in order to determine if there is a liquid flow blockage in the vapor recovery line of the fuel dispensing system.

System for detecting liquid fuel blockages in the vapor return line of a fuel dispenser

The present invention combines the gasoline vapor recovery efficiency advantages of a flirt &ldquo;Partial Seal System&rdquo;, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,004 to flirt, with the customer convenience advantages of gasoline vapor recovery systems employing &ldquo;bootless&rdquo; nozzles. The use of bootless nozzles in combination with strict environmental vapor emissions compliance is made possible because of specific system advantages, which include the use of a burner designed to operate at two different flow rates, a coaxial processor stack which permits second and third stage combustion of excess gasoline vapor generated by the system before it is released to atmosphere, and a remote sensor which continually monitors system vacuum pressure to ensure that a sufficient vacuum is maintained at all times. A major advantage of the present system is that the processor unit is adaptable for installation into existing gasoline vapor recovery systems and into other systems, including other manufacturer's systems.

Method and apparatus for controlling gasoline vapor emissions

The present invention combines the gasoline vapor recovery efficiency advantages of a Hirt &ldquo;Partial Seal System&rdquo;, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,004 to Hirt, with the customer convenience advantages of gasoline vapor recovery systems employing &ldquo;bootless&rdquo; nozzles. The use of bootless nozzles in combination with strict environmental vapor emissions compliance is made possible because of specific system advantages, which include the use of a burner designed to operate at two different flow rates, a coaxial processor stack which permits second and third stage combustion of excess gasoline vapor generated by the system before it is released to atmosphere, and a remote sensor which continually monitors system vacuum pressure to ensure that a sufficient vacuum is maintained at all times. A major advantage of the present system is that the processor unit is adaptable for installation into existing gasoline vapor recovery systems and into other systems, including other manufacturer's systems.

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Whittier, CA, United States of America

Gilbert Castro