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US 12,595,861 B2Granted
Pressure vacuum valve
AssigneeFranklin Fueling Systems, Inc.
InventorJustin F. Kuehn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A P/V valve that can be positioned at a working height above grade (i.e., a height reachable by a service technician positioned at grade) while still providing appropriate resistance to fire and explosion by venting to atmosphere at an appropriate height above grade (e.g., 12 feet) is disclosed. In certain exemplifications of the present disclosure, the P/V valve features a diaphragm actuated two-way poppet valve actuatable by a valve piston. In alternative exemplifications of the present disclosure, the P/V valve is positioned intermediate grade and the distal end of a P/V valve riser pipe and is contained in a vault fluidly connected to the P/V valve riser pipe, the P/V valve locally venting in the vault, which is hermetically sealed to the P/V valve riser pipe.
Claims19
A fueling system, comprising:
- a fuel dispenser;
- a storage tank in fluid communication with the fuel dispenser, the storage tank comprising:
- a pressure/vacuum valve, comprising:
- a pressure/vacuum valve housing defining a first port fluidly connecting an interior of the pressure/vacuum valve housing and an exterior of the pressure/vacuum valve housing, and a second port fluidly connecting an interior of the pressure/vacuum valve housing and an exterior of the pressure/vacuum valve housing;
- a valve assembly actuatable to selectively allow a vacuum inlet flow from the second port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing to the first port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing and further actuatable to selectively allow a pressure outlet flow from the first port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing to the second port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing;
- a pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe for fluid communication with the storage tank;
- a vault in fluid communication with the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe, with a lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe fluidly connected to the vault and an upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe fluidly connected to the vault, the vault positioned at a vault height above a grade level and the upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe terminates at a vent height above the grade level, the vent height being greater than the vault height, whereby the vault is positioned intermediate the lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe and the upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe, the vault sized to selectively receive and enclose the pressure/vacuum valve with the first port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing in fluid communication with the lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe and with the second port of the pressure/vacuum valve housing in fluid communication with the upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe via the vault;
- with the pressure/vacuum valve operably received in the vault, the valve assembly selectively providing a fluid connection between the lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe and an interior of the vault, whereby the valve assembly is actuatable to allow the vacuum inlet flow to travel into the upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe to the interior of the vault, then through the valve assembly and the lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe and into the storage tank, whereby the valve assembly is further actuatable to allow the pressure outlet flow to travel from the storage tank into the lower segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe, through the valve assembly to the interior of the vault and then through the upper segment of the pressure/vacuum valve riser pipe.
5 more elements
A fueling system, comprising:
- a fuel dispenser;
- a storage tank in fluid communication with the fuel dispenser, the storage tank comprising:
- a pressure/vacuum valve housing defining a first port;
- a valve piston displaceable within the pressure/vacuum valve housing between an upper position to a lower position, a reciprocation of the valve piston opening a flow path between the first port and the second port, an outer periphery of the valve piston sealed relative to the pressure/vacuum valve housing via a diaphragm, the valve piston biased to a rest position blocking the flow path between the first port and the second port, the valve piston presenting a valve piston surface area in fluid communication with the first port, the valve piston displaceable in a first direction to move the valve piston relative to a pressure valve body and thereby unseat the pressure valve body from a pressure valve seat in response to positive pressure communicated from the first port to the valve piston surface area, the valve piston displaceable in a second direction together with the pressure valve body to unseat a vacuum valve body from a vacuum valve seat in response to a vacuum communicated from the first port to the valve piston surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.