FACILITY FOR STORING AND DISPENSING FUEL

Abstract

A facility for storing and dispensing fuel, comprising: a storage tank (2) equipped with a vent pipe (3) and connected to a fuel dispenser (1) by a fuel dispensing system and by a vapor recovery system (10), and a condensation/separation device (4) connected to the vent pipe (3) and allowing fuel vapor originating from the storage tank (2) and water vapor originating from the outside air to be condensed,
characterized in that it comprises: at least one detection means (7, 8) cooperating with the condensation/separation device (4) for detecting the presence of condensed fuel and/or condensed water in said device and generating and transmitting a warning signal in response to said detection, and a control device (9) receiving said warning signal and transmitting, in response, information concerning the malfunction of the fuel vapor recovery system (10) to a control center (24).

Claims

1) A facility for storing and dispensing fuel, comprising: a fuel storage tank (2) equipped with a vent pipe (3) and connected to at least one fuel dispenser (1) on the one hand by a fuel dispensing system (26) in a vehicle tank and, on the other hand, by a vapor recovery system (10) which aspirates the fuel vapor emitted during a dispensing of fuel in this tank, and a condensation/separation device (4) connected to the vent pipe (3) and allowing fuel vapor coming from the storage tank (2) to be condensed in order to generate condensed fuel and water coming from the outside air to be condensed in order to generate condensed water, said condensation/separation device (4) being connected to a condensed fuel evacuation line (5) connected to the storage tank (2) and to a condensed water evacuation line (6) to the outside, characterized in that it comprises: at least one detection means (7, 8) cooperating with the condensation/separation device (4) for detecting the presence of condensed fuel and/or condensed water in said device and generating and transmitting a warning signal in response to said detection, and a control device (9) receiving said warning signal and transmitting, in response, information concerning the malfunction of the fuel vapor recovery system (10) to a control center (24).

2) The facility according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensation/separation device (4) comprises on the one hand a condenser (13) which condenses at the same time the fuel vapor coming from the storage tank (2) and the water coming from the outside air and on the other hand a separator (14) connected to said condenser and comprising two outlets, namely, a first outlet (15) connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line (5) and a second outlet (16) connected to the condensed water evacuation line (6).

3) The facility according to claim 2, characterized in that the two outlets (15, 16) of the separator (14) are each equipped with an automatically controlled valve cooperating with a condensate detector making it possible to detect the nature of the condensate contained in this separator (14), namely, a first valve (19) able to open or close the first outlet (15) connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line (5) and a second valve (20) able to open or close the second outlet (16) connected to the condensed water evacuation line (6), according to the nature of the condensate detected.

4) The facility according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensation/separation device (4) comprises on the one hand a fuel vapor condenser (21) able to condense the fuel vapor coming from the storage tank (2) and having an outlet connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line (5), and on the other hand a dehumidifier (22) able to condense the water coming from the outside air and having an outlet connected to the condensed water evacuation line (6).

5) The facility according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a single detection means (7) composed of a volume meter, such as a flow meter installed between the condenser (13) and the separator (14) and generating and transmitting a warning signal in response to the measurement of a volume of condensed fuel or condensed water.

6) The facility according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one detection means (7) installed in the separator (14) and generating and transmitting a warning signal in response to the detection of a predefined volume of condensate in this separator.

7) The facility according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two detection means, namely, a first detection means (7) connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line (5) and generating and transmitting a warning signal for excess pressure in response to the detection of condensed fuel in the condensed fuel evacuation line (5) and a second detection means (8) connected to the condensed water evacuation line (6) and generating and transmitting a warning signal for underpressure in response to the detection of condensed water in the condensed water evacuation line (6).

8) The facility according to claim 6, characterized in that the detection means comprise (each comprise) a gauge having a float movable between a low level and a high level and a contactor which is activated when the high level is reached, triggering the warning signal.

9) The facility according to claim 7, characterized in that each of the gauges is equipped with a valve at its outlet, opening when the float is at the high level so as to evacuate a known volume of condensate.

Description

[0091] The characteristics of the facility which is the subject of the invention shall be described in further detail with reference to the nonlimiting drawings appended herewith, in which:

[0092] FIG. 1 represents schematically a fuel storage and dispensing facility for a vehicle according to a first variant of the first embodiment of the invention,

[0093] FIG. 2 represents schematically a fuel storage and dispensing facility corresponding to a second variant of the first embodiment of the invention,

[0094] FIG. 3 represents schematically a fuel storage and dispensing facility for a vehicle corresponding to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0095] According to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the fuel storage and dispensing facility for a vehicle comprises a fuel dispenser 1 having a hose 11 connected to a nozzle 12.

[0096] The fuel dispenser 1 is connected to a fuel storage tank 2 which is generally underground.

[0097] The fuel dispenser 1 traditionally comprises a fuel dispensing system 26 having a pump unit aspirating fuel from the fuel storage tank 2 and a flow meter measuring the flow rate of fuel delivered.

[0098] The fuel storage and dispensing facility further comprises a fuel vapor recovery system 10 making it possible to aspirate the fuel vapor emitted during a dispensing of fuel in the tank of a vehicle.

[0099] The liquid fuel transferred to the tank of the vehicle drives out from this tank a volume of fuel vapor equivalent to the volume of liquid fuel delivered, which is aspirated by the fuel vapor recovery system 10.

[0100] The fuel vapor recovery system 10 is connected to the fuel storage tank 2 by a recovery line 25 so as to transfer the aspirated fuel vapor to the storage tank 2.

[0101] The fuel vapor recovery system 10 traditionally comprises a pump to aspirate the fuel vapor and a flow meter allowing a measuring of the flow rate of aspirated vapor.

[0102] A control system makes it possible to control and adjust the flow rate of aspirated vapor so that the ratio of the distributed fuel volume to the recovered vapor volume is as close as possible to 1.

[0103] The facility further comprises a vent pipe 3 connected on the one hand to the fuel storage tank 2 and on the other hand to a condensation/separation device 4 making it possible to condense fuel vapor coming from the storage tank 2 in order to generate condensed fuel and to condense water coming from the outside air in order to generate condensed water.

[0104] The vent pipe 3 comprises a valve 27 and a flame arrester at its outer end 23.

[0105] The condensation/separation device 4 is connected to a condensed fuel evacuation line 5 which is connected to the storage tank 2 and to a condensed water evacuation line 6 which is connected to the spent water mains.

[0106] The condensation/separation device 4 is able to condense the hydrocarbons expelled by the storage tank 2 when there is an excess pressure in this tank, in order to avoid environmental pollution.

[0107] This device 4 is also able to trap the air aspirated by the vent pipe 3 when there is an underpressure in the storage tank in order to avoid having water in this tank.

[0108] The facility for storing and dispensing of fuel likewise comprises at least one detection means which shall be described in greater detail below, and which cooperates with the condensation/separation device 4 to detect the presence of condensed fuel and/or water in this facility and to generate and transmit a warning signal in response to said detection.

[0109] This warning signal is transmitted to a control device 9 which transits in response a message of malfunction of the vapor recovery system 10 to a control center 24.

[0110] The detection means and the control device thus constitute a device for monitoring of the vapor recovery system 10, making it possible to alert the operator in event of a malfunction so as to allow an intervention to correct said malfunction.

[0111] According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the condensation/separation device 4 comprises a condenser 13 connected to the vent pipe 3 and condensing both the fuel vapor coming from the fuel storage tank 2 and the water coming from the outside air.

[0112] The condenser 13 is connected to a separator 14 which separates the hydrocarbon phase from the aqueous phase.

[0113] This separator 14 has two outlets 15, 16, namely, a first outlet 15 connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 and a second outlet 16 connected to the condensed water evacuation line 6.

[0114] The two outlets 15, 16 of the separator 14 each comprise an automatically controlled valve 19, 20, namely, a first valve 19 opening or closing the first outlet 15 connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 and a second valve 20 opening or closing the second outlet 16 connected to the condensed water evacuation line 6.

[0115] The separator 14 likewise comprises a condensate detector, not shown in the figures, able to detect the nature (water or hydrocarbons) of the condensate contained therein.

[0116] When the nature of this condensate has been detected, the appropriate valve 19, 20 may be opened to evacuate either fuel to the storage tank 2 by the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 or water to the spent water mains by the condensed water evacuation line 6.

[0117] According to FIG. 1, the detection means 7 is mounted in the separator 14 and comprises a gauge transmitting a warning signal when a high level of condensate is detected in the separator 14.

[0118] This gauge comprises a float 17 having a buoyancy adapted to float in fuel and water.

[0119] The water contained in the separator 14 may come from the air aspirated by the vent pipe 3, but also from fuel vapor aspirated by the fuel vapor recovery system 10 which also aspirates a bit of air.

[0120] The float 17 is equipped with a magnet, activating a magnetic contactor 18 positioned at a high level.

[0121] When the float 17 reaches this high level, the contactor 18 detects the presence of the float 17 and transmits a warning signal to the control device 9.

[0122] According to FIG. 2, the facility comprises a first detection means 7 connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 in order to detect the presence of condensed fuel and a second detection means 8 connected to the condensed water evacuation line 6 to detect the presence of condensed water.

[0123] The first detection means 7 generates a warning signal of excess pressure in response to the detection of condensed fuel, while the second detection means 8 generates a warning signal of underpressure in response to the detection of condensed water.

[0124] The detection means 7, 8 are composed of gauges lodged in a receptacle equipped with a valve connected to an outlet of this receptacle.

[0125] In a manner not represented, each gauge comprises a float which can move between a high level and a low level and cooperating with a contactor positioned at the high level.

[0126] When the float reaches the high level, it activates the contactor and the valve opens the outlet of the receptacle corresponding to the first detection means 7 or to the second detection means 8.

[0127] The volume V between the low level and the high level being known, each activation of the contactor generates information as to the volume V of condensate evacuated, which is sent to the control device 9.

[0128] According to FIG. 3, the condensation/separation device 4 comprises a fuel vapor condenser 21 to condense the fuel vapor arriving in the storage tank 2 and a dehumidifier 22 to condense the water coming from the outside air.

[0129] The condenser 21 and the dehumidifier 22 are connected in series with the vent pipe 3, and the condenser 21 is situated upstream from the dehumidifier 22 in the direction of circulation of the fuel vapor coming from the storage tank 2.

[0130] The condenser 21 comprises an outlet connected to the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 while the dehumidifier 22 comprises an outlet connected to the condensed water evacuation line 6.

[0131] A first detection means 7 is mounted on the condensed fuel evacuation line 5 and a second detection means 8 is connected to the condensed water evacuation line 6.

[0132] These detection means 7, 8 are identical to those described above with respect to FIG. 2.

[0133] The invention thus provides a fuel storage and dispensing facility able to both recover the gaseous hydrocarbons coming from the tank and to prevent the contamination of the tank with water coming from the outside air, while enabling a detecting of malfunctions of the fuel vapor recovery system.

[0134] In particular, it enables a detecting of losses in the pipelines of the vapor recovery system between the fuel dispenser and the tank.

[0135] The invention also enables a quantification of the abnormal fuel losses, such as those due to fraud or a leakage of fuel.