Pump having an automated gas removal and fluid recovery system and method

An automated pump system for removing gas from a process fluid to be dispensed, said pump system comprising:

• a gas removal reservoir for removing the gas from the process fluid having gas therein, said gas removal reservoir permitting the gas in said process fluid to migrate toward a reservoir vent to form a process fluid having no gas therein;
• a filter for receiving said process fluid having no gas therein and wherein said filter removes particulates from said process fluid having no gas therein to form a filtered process fluid having no gas therein;
• and
• a pumping chamber for receiving said filtered process fluid having no gas therein and dispensing said filtered process fluid having no gas therein to a pump outlet.

A method for automatically removing gas from a process fluid to be dispensed, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a process fluid reservoir having an inlet coupled to a remote process fluid source, an outlet and a vent coupled to a drain;
• (b) indirectly coupling a driving means to said outlet for driving the process fluid into or out of said process fluid reservoir;
• (c) coupling valves to said inlet and to said outlet for permitting the process fluid to flow into or out of said process fluid reservoir and coupling a valve to said vent to remove gas out of said process fluid reservoir and into the drain, said process fluid reservoir, said driving means and said valves forming a system;
• (d) disposing a sensor in said system and wherein said sensor provides a signal corresponding to a system parameter related to the presence of a gas in the process fluid reservoir;
• and
• (e) automatically controlling said driving means and said valves based on said signal received from said sensor, said automatic control forcing any gas in said process fluid reservoir through said vent and into the drain.

A method for automatically removing gas from a process fluid to be dispensed, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a filter for receiving the process fluid having gas therein and for removing particulates from the process fluid to form a filtered process fluid;
• (b) providing a gas removal reservoir that receives the filtered process fluid and permits the gas in the filtered process fluid to migrate toward a reservoir vent thereby forming a filtered process fluid having no gas therein;
• and
• (c) providing a pumping chamber for receiving the filtered process fluid having no gas therein and dispensing the filtered process fluid having no gas therein to a pump outlet.

A method for automatically removing gas from a process fluid to be dispensed, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a gas removal reservoir that receives the process fluid having gas therein and permits the gas in the process fluid to migrate toward a reservoir vent thereby forming a process fluid having no gas therein;
• (b) providing a filter for receiving the process fluid having no gas therein and for removing particulates from the process fluid to form a filtered process fluid having no gas therein;
• and
• (c) providing a pumping chamber for receiving said filtered process fluid having no gas therein and dispensing said filtered process fluid having no gas therein to a pump outlet.