Abstract: A carbon canister to adsorb hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon air mixture in a UST system to prevent fugitive emissions due to overpressurization. The carbon canister has an inlet port at one end coupled to the UST system. An outlet port on the opposite end of the canister is connected to a flow-limiting orifice with a known calibrated flow rate that vents in a controlled fashion to the atmosphere. When UST pressure rises slightly above ambient pressure, fuel vapors and air from the UST system enters, via the inlet port, into the canister, where hydrocarbons are adsorbed onto the surface of the activated carbon. The cleansed air vents through the controlled flow outlet port to atmosphere, thereby preventing excessive positive pressure from occurring in the UST system. The activated carbon is purged of hydrocarbons by means of reverse air flow caused by negative UST pressures that occur during periods of ORVR vehicle refueling.

Abstract: A discharge head having an internal electrical receptor for receiving and supporting an electrical connector, preferably for submersible turbine pumps. The electrical connector is protected by liquid immersion. The electrical connector is inserted into an internal electrical receptor within the discharge head. The electrical connector electrically couples a motor, which is attached to the discharge head, to control electronics via wiring coupled to the electrical connector. A liquid inlet is formed at the base of the discharge head between an outer wall of the discharge head and the inner electrical receptor that supports the electrical connector. One or more supporting structures in the form of ribs connect the outer wall to the electrical receptor forming a plurality of orifices that receive liquid from the motor. The support structures contain indentations to form an annular ring flow path that allows liquid to completely surround the electrical connector and/or electrical receptor.

Abstract: A system and method for calculating the flow rate of a dispensing point or flow capacity of a pump and fuel delivery system and determining if the dispensing point or fuel delivery system has a blockage and/or a performance problem if the calculated dispensing point flow rate is other than expected. The calculated dispensing flow rate is calculated by collecting fuel tank level data points for a dispensing point that fall within start and stop events of the dispensing event. The slope of a fitted line to the fuel tank level data points is used as the indication of the flow rate of the dispensing point. Different mathematical techniques may be used to improve the flow rate calculation to compensate for the minimum resolution of collecting fuel tank level data and the dead time included in the data of a dispensing transaction.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive fuel level probe includes a spring-loaded foot. The probe shaft of the fuel level probe moves up and down within the spring-loaded foot as a function of fuel density. The spring-loaded foot includes a reference magnet whose height relative to the bottom of a fuel storage tank is fixed. Currents generated by the fuel level probe allow measurement of how much of the fuel level probe is positioned above the reference magnet, and from this measurement, the buoyancy of the fuel level probe may be measured. From the buoyancy of the fuel level probe, the fuel density may be calculated.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A fuel tank probe includes a water level float and a fuel level float. A fuel weight sensor is incorporated into the fuel tank probe to report the density of the fuel within the tank. The fuel weight sensor includes a compressible bladder whose shape changes as a function of the density of the fuel. A magnet on the compressible bladder moves in conjunction with the changing shape of the compressible bladder, and allows a fuel column height to be measured. The density of the fuel can be determined from the measured fuel column height.

Abstract: A fueling environment is equipped with leak detection probes and liquid level probes. Each of the probes is associated with a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceivers send probe data to a site communicator wireless transceiver. To ensure that the site communicator receives the probe data, repeaters are used within the fueling environment. The repeaters receive the probe data, and some period of time after the sensor transceivers stop transmitting, the repeaters retransmit the probe data to the site communicator. The site communicator discards duplicative information and processes the probe data as needed.

Abstract: A manifold for a submersible turbine pump having an air bleed mechanism for removing air from a discharge chamber of the manifold. The manifold includes the discharge chamber that receives fuel pumped from an underground storage tank (UST), the air bleed mechanism, an air return path coupled to the UST, and a bypass tube coupled to the air return path. When the air bleed mechanism is activated, the fuel discharge chamber is fluidly coupled to the bypass tube, thereby allowing air from the fuel discharge chamber to flow to the ullage of the UST. In one embodiment, the air bleed mechanism is an air bleed screw inserted into a threaded orifice in the manifold. The threaded orifice is coupled to both the bypass tube and the fuel discharge chamber. When the air bleed screw is rotated upward, the bypass tube is coupled to the fuel discharge chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and determining fuel vapor recovery performance is disclosed. The dispensing of liquid fuel into a tank by a conventional gas pump nozzle naturally displaces a mixture of air and fuel ullage vapor in the tank. These displaced vapors may be recovered at the dispensing point nozzle by a vapor recovery system. A properly functioning vapor recovery system recovers approximately one unit volume of vapor for every unit volume of dispensed liquid fuel. The ratio of recovered vapor to dispensed fuel is termed the A/L ratio, which should ideally be approximately equal to one (1). The A/L ratio, and thus the proper functioning of the vapor recovery system, may be determined by measuring liquid fuel flow and return vapor flow (using a vapor flow sensor) on a nozzle-by-nozzle basis. The disclosed methods and apparatus provide for the determination of A/L ratios for individual nozzles using a reduced number of vapor flow sensors.

Abstract: Determining a maximum dispensing efficiency of a dispensing point in a fuel dispenser and determining if a dispensing point has a blockage and/or a performance problem if the maximum dispensing efficiency is less than expected. The maximum dispensing efficiency is calculated by determining the dispensing events exhibiting the lowest time for dispensed volume from a set of volume and time pair measurements for the dispensing point. The dispensing events exhibiting the lowest time for dispensed volume that are used to determine the maximum dispensing efficiency are taken from dispensing events where the amount of dead time, the time between the activation of a fuel dispensing event and the engaging of a nozzle and the time between the disengaging of the nozzle and the deactivation of the dispensing event, and customer or pre-pay transaction controlled reduced flow rates are minimized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and determining fuel vapor recovery performance. The dispensing of liquid fuel into a tank by a gas pump nozzle displaces a mixture of air and fuel ullage vapor in the tank. These displaced vapors may be recovered at the dispensing point nozzle by a vapor recovery system. A properly functioning vapor recovery system recovers approximately one unit volume of vapor for every unit volume of dispensed liquid fuel. The ratio of recovered vapor to dispensed fuel is termed the A/L ratio, which should ideally be approximately equal to one (1). The A/L ratio, and thus the proper functioning of the vapor recovery system, may be determined by measuring liquid fuel flow and return vapor flow using a vapor flow sensor on a nozzle-by-nozzle basis. The determination of A/L ratios for individual nozzles are calculated using a reduced number of vapor flow sensors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and determining fuel vapor recovery performance is disclosed. The dispensing of liquid fuel into a tank by a conventional gas pump nozzle naturally displaces a mixture of air and fuel ullage vapor in the tank. These displaced vapors may be recovered at the dispensing point nozzle by a vapor recovery system. A properly functioning vapor recovery system recovers approximately one unit volume of vapor for every unit volume of dispensed liquid fuel. The ratio of recovered vapor to dispensed fuel is termed the A/L ratio, which should ideally be approximately equal to one (1). The A/L ratio, and thus the proper functioning of the vapor recovery system, may be determined by measuring liquid fuel flow and return vapor flow (using a vapor flow sensor) on a nozzle-by-nozzle basis. The disclosed methods and apparatus provide for the determination of A/L ratios for individual nozzles using a reduced number of vapor flow sensors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring a fuel vapor recovery system to determine if a leak condition exists in either the vapor return passage in a fuel dispenser or a common vapor return pipe. An air-flow sensor (AFS) may be located in the common vapor return pipe for all of the dispensing points at a service station, or in each fuel dispenser and coupled to the dispensing points of the fuel dispenser. The AFS registers vapor flow recovered by a dispensing point(s) that is returned back to the storage tank. If the AFS measures vapor flow when such dispensing point(s) coupled to such AFS is not actively recovering vapor, this is indicative of a leak in such dispensing point(s). The leak condition is reported by a tank monitor or other reporting system so that appropriate measures can be taken.

Abstract: A submersible turbine pump (STP) comprising a manifold, a yoke assembly including a yoke sleeve integrally connected to the manifold, and a packer removably secured to the manifold is provided. The manifold includes an electrical cavity that receives electrical wiring from an external source. The yoke sleeve has a hollow interior and is integrally connected to manifold, and a first end of the yoke sleeve is within the electrical cavity. The packer includes a chamber having a yoke sleeve inlet port and an electrical conduit inlet port. The yoke sleeve inlet port receives a second end of the yoke sleeve extending from the manifold, and the electrical conduit inlet port receives an electrical conduit extending from a pump within an underground storage tank. The electrical wiring passes from the electrical cavity to the chamber through the yoke sleeve and then to the pump through the electrical conduit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a submersible turbine pump (STP) comprising a check valve located within a hydraulics cavity, wherein the STP provides the ability to depressurize the hydraulics cavity by relieving a pressure differential between an inlet side and an outlet side of the check valve. In general, the STP is comprised of a casing body comprising a check valve extraction housing and the hydraulics cavity. The check valve is located within the hydraulics cavity and is comprised of a check valve stem, an inlet side, and an outlet side. The check valve extraction housing comprises a lock-down screw adapted to attach to the check valve stem and apply a force to the check valve to open the check valve, thereby relieving the pressure differential between the inlet side and the outlet side.

Abstract: A system and method for calculating the flow rate of a dispensing point or flow capacity of a pump and fuel delivery system and determining if the dispensing point or fuel delivery system has a blockage and/or a performance problem if the calculated dispensing point flow rate is other than expected. The calculated dispensing flow rate is calculated by collecting fuel tank level data points for a dispensing point that fall within start and stop events of the dispensing event. The slope of a fitted line to the fuel tank level data points is used as the indication of the flow rate of the dispensing point. Different mathematical techniques may be used to improve the flow rate calculation to compensate for the minimum resolution of collecting fuel tank level data and the dead time included in the data of a dispensing transaction.