Gilbarco Inc.

Marconi Commerce Systems Inc.

Gilbasco Inc.

Mokori Commerce Systems Inc.

Kenneth L Pope

Edward A Payne

Seifollah S Nanaji

Richard R Sobota

Hal C Hartsell, Jr

William P Shermer

John S McSpadden

Roger W Furrow

A dispensing system for dispensing volatile liquids such as hydrocarbon fuel for vehicles into a tank having a filler neck also collects the vapors to reduce atmospheric pollution. A fuel delivery hose includes a hand-held fuel valve and nozzle for insertion in the opening of the tank. A means delivers fuel under pressure to the fuel delivery hose, and another means provides electrical pulses corresponding to the volumetric flow of liquid through the fuel delivery hose when the fuel valve is open. A vapor recovery hose includes a vapor intake connected to the hand-held nozzle for insertion in the opening of the tank without sealing with the tank, and a motor driven vapor pump produces a volumetric flow through the vapor recovery hose corresponding to a signal applied to the motor. A processing means produces the signal applied to the motor in response to the electrical pulses to produce a volumetric flow of vapor slightly greater than the volumetric flow of fuel to the tank.

Vapor recovery fuel dispenser for multiple hoses

A pressure sensor includes a pair of inputs for determining the pressure within a vapor recovery path. The inputs are positioned about a flow restrictor within the vapor recovery path. The vapor recovery path may include a mounting platform for attaching the pressure sensor and positioning the inputs relative to the flow restrictor. In one embodiment, a vapor sensor may also be positioned within the vapor recovery path. An inlet port and an outlet port direct vapor from the vapor recovery path to a sensor. The inlet and outlet ports are positioned relative to the flow restrictor for forcing the vapor through the sensor. In this embodiment, a common flow restrictor within the vapor recovery path may accommodate both the vapor sensor and the pressure sensor. If vapor is not being returned in the vapor return path properly, the fuel dispenser may set an alarm condition and/or shut down the fuel dispenser operation. If vapor is not being returned at the proper rate, the vapor pump speed may be adjusted, for example, to bring the vapor return rate to the proper level.

Pressure sensor for a vapor recovery system

A fuel dispenser includes vapor and hydrocarbon concentration sensors positioned in the vapor recovery line to provide accurate feedback relating to the speed and concentration of hydrocarbon laden vapor recovered by a vapor recovery system. The sensors provide diagnostic information about the vapor recovery process as well as insuring that the vapor recovery process is carried out in an efficient manner. Additionally, the sensors may be positioned in an underground storage tank vent apparatus to monitor fugitive emissions from the underground storage tank.

Vapor flow and hydrocarbon concentration sensor for improved vapor recovery in fuel dispensers

Vapor flow measurement housing

A system and method for determining whether a vehicle is equipped with an ORVR system. A processor receives a signal from a fuel pump or the like indicating the fuel being dispensed by the fuel dispenser. The processor is programmed to determine a threshold vapor concentration level based on the signal. Processor further receives a signal from at least one environmental sensor indicating at least one environmental condition to which the fueling operation is exposed. The processor is further programmed to adjust the threshold vapor concentration either up or down dependent upon the environmental condition. Finally, processor receives an actual vapor concentration from a vapor sensor. The processor then compares the actual vapor concentration value with the adjusted threshold vapor concentration value to determine whether the vehicle is equipped with an ORVR system.

Vapor recovery system for a fuel dispenser

A vapor recovery system includes an anemometer positioned in the vapor return line to calculate the volume of returning vapor in the vapor return line. The anemometer is connected to a control system which compares the volume of returning vapor to the volume of fuel being dispensed and adjusts the speed at which vapor is recovered so that the two volumes approximately equal one another. The anemometer may be a Wheatstone bridge arrangement or a pair of thermometers.

Vapor recovery system for fuel dispenser

An apparatus and method for maintaining a desired pressure within a fuel storage tank or tanks while minimizing or eliminating the amount of pollutants discharged from the fuel storage tank(s). A fuel storage tank is provided with a conduit and a chamber interfaced along the path of the conduit such that all fluid passing through the conduit must pass through the chamber. A fractionating membrane is housed within the chamber for capturing pollutants while allowing air to pass through. As pollutants are collected on the fractionating membrane, they permeate, thereby reducing the pressure in the tank and associated conduit. A vapor pump is provided for drawing vapor through the conduit and the membrane, and for drawing pollutants off of the membrane. A pressure transducer located in the tank or associated piping makes the vapor pump responsive to the pressure therein. A vent is further provided for allowing air into the tank and piping and for depressurizing the tank and piping. The apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a conduit for returning the pollutants to the fuel storage tank(s).

Fuel storage tank vent filter system

A fuel dispensing system includes a main vapor recovery path and a vapor pump to provide a vacuum along the path. Dispensers for dispensing fuel from a storage tank each have a branch conduit having one end adapted to be coupled to a receiving tank, and another end opening into the main vapor path, to provide a branch vapor recovery path. A sensor provides a first electrical signal indicative of the flow of the fuel being delivered, and a vapor flow sensor in the branch conduit supplies a signal indicative of the actual vapor flow. An adjustable valve in the branch conduit has an opening that is adjustable responsive to the magnitude of a control signal to vary the impedance of the vapor recovery path. A controller generates the control signal to control the valve to maintain a desired volume of vapor flow in the branch conduit to draw fuel vapors from the receiving tank into the main path and modifies the control signal to reduce any discrepancy between a calculated vapor flow rate and the actual vapor flow signaled by the vapor flow sensor.

Centralized vacuum assist vapor recovery system

An apparatus for pumping recovered vapor in a vapor recovery liquid fuel dispenser includes a liquid fuel dispenser apparatus adapted to dispense liquid fuel to a liquid fuel dispenser nozzle proximate a fuel vapor passage. A transducer associated with the dispenser apparatus generates a liquid fuel flow signal indicative of the rate of liquid fuel flow therethrough. A vapor pump driven by an electric motor is arranged to pump vapor from the vapor passage through a vapor pump inlet to a vapor pump outlet and has a characteristic that the flow rate through the vapor pump at a given vapor pump operating speed is inversely proportional to the difference between the vapor pump inlet and outlet pressures. Sensors associated with the inlet and outlet ascertain inlet and outlet pressures and generate signals representative thereof. A controller for the vapor pump includes vapor recovery control electronics and motor drive electronics. The vapor recovery electronics receive the pressure signals, a vapor pump speed signal and the liquid fuel flow signal and output a motor velocity modulation signal to the motor drive electronics to correlate the vapor pump flow rate with the liquid fuel flow rate. The motor drive electronics convert the motor velocity modulation signal to a voltage drive signal to the motor to adjust the vapor pump operating speed. Any discrepancies between the vapor pump flow rate derived from the pressure signals and the liquid fuel flow rate are thereby reduced.

Vapor pump control

A system for recovering vapor emerging from a tank to which liquid is being delivered wherein a vapor pump sucks vapor from the tank with a volumetric flow that is equal to the volumetric flow of the liquid as modified so as to compensate for the change in volume of the emerging vapor caused by its proximity to the entering liquid, and apparatus for measuring the actual vapor flow and adjusting the volumetric flow of the vapor pump so that it is equal to the flow required for ideal compensation.

Control system for temperature compensated vapor recovery in gasoline

A system for recovering vapor and liquid emerging from a tank as it is being filled, in which the volumetric flow of a recovery pump that withdraws the vapor through a recovery tube is made equal to the volumetric flow of a fuel delivery pump with a microprocessor. The microprocessor can also modify the volumetric flow of the recovery pump in response to variations in the hydraulic pressure at the inlet side of the recovery pump.

A universal hose adapter includes an upper member for permanent mounting on the piping housing of a blending type gasoline dispenser, and a plurality of lower members each mateable to the upper member, and each configured for permitting retrofitting of the dispenser to accept a particular hose configuration, in modifying the dispenser system. The upper member includes a vapor return outlet port for connection to the dispenser's vapor return line, if any; a vapor return outlet port; a plurality of gasoline input ports for connection to gasoline lines of the dispenser carrying different grades of gasoline, respectively; and a plurality of gasoline outlet ports associated with each gasoline inlet port, respectively. Each lower member includes appropriate ports along an upper face for coupling to associated one's of the ports along a lower face of the upper member, for connecting the latter via internal passsageways in the lower member to hose connecting ports along a lower face thereof permitting coupling to a predetermined hose configuration, for either a desired non-vapor recovery or vapor recovery blending type dispenser arrangement.

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Walkertown, NC, United States of America

Kenneth L Pope