Fueling system vapor recovery and containment leak detection system and method

A method of detecting a leak in a fuel dispensing vapor recovery system that recovers vapors during refueling of a vehicle and returns the vapors to a storage tank, comprising the steps of:

• delivering fuel from the storage tank to the vehicle through at least one fuel dispensing point;
• returning vapors received by said at least one fuel dispensing point that are expelled from the vehicle into a vapor return passage;
• returning said recovered vapors from said vapor return passage into a vapor return pipe coupled to the storage tank;
• measuring the amount of vapor flow being returned back to the storage tank from said at least one fuel dispensing point;
• and
• determining if vapor flow is detected in said vapor return passage when said at least one dispensing point is idle.

A leak detection system for a fuel dispensing vapor recovery system that recovers vapors during refueling of a vehicle and returns the vapors to a storage tank, comprising:

• a plurality of dispensing points that deliver fuel from the storage tank to the vehicle and capture recovered vapors into a vapor return passage dedicated to each of said plurality of dispensing points, wherein said vapor return passages are coupled to a common vapor return pipe that is coupled to the storage tank;
• an air-flow sensor operatively connected to said vapor return pipe to measure the amount of vapor flow being returned back to the storage tank from said plurality of dispensing points;
• and
• a control system that is electronically coupled to said air-flow sensor to receive information about vapor flow detected by said air-flow sensor, wherein said control system detects a leak condition in either said vapor return passage or said vapor return pipe if all of said plurality of dispensing points are idle and said air-flow sensor registers vapor flow.

A method of detecting a leak in a fuel dispensing vapor recovery system that recovers vapors during refueling of a vehicle and returns the vapors to a storage tank, comprising the steps of:

• delivering fuel from the storage tank to a plurality of dispensing points;
• recovering vapor expelled from the vehicle at said plurality of dispensing points and returning said vapor into a vapor return passage dedicated to each of said plurality of dispensing points;
• returning vapors recovered in said vapor return passages to a common vapor return pipe that is coupled to the storage tank;
• measuring the amount of vapor flow being returned back to the storage tank from said vapor return pipe;
• and
• determining if vapor flow is detected in said vapor return pipe when all of said plurality of dispensing points are idle.