Method, system, and apparatus for operating large power generating stations with improved environmental protection measures

A system for containing oil and preventing oil spillage in the event of malfunctioning of certain heavy electrical equipment including, in combination:

• a. means for passing oil and water into a common tank in the event of a malfunction to create an oil/water interface,
• b. means for pumping water out of an exit port of said tank when said oil/water interface is above a predetermined level,
• c. means within said tank or vessel for sensing the movement of said oil/water interface past said predetermined level within said tank or vessel, said sensing means including a closed hollow tube disposed within said tank or vessel to a predetermined level therein, a capacitance proximity probe disposed in one end of said tube and operative to create an electromagnetic field through which said oil/water interface may pass and thereby change the reluctance of said electromagnetic field, said capacitance proximity switch being operative to discriminate between the near proximity of water on the one hand and the near proximity of petroleum products on the other hand to in turn generate an output signal of a level sufficient to operate said pumping means when in predetermined close proximity to water having a dielectric constant on the order of about 80 but insufficient to operate said pumping means when in predetermined close proximity to petroleum product having a dielectric constant on the order of about 2, and
• d. means for shutting off said pumping means when said oil/water interface drops a certain distance from said capacitance proximity switch, whereby oil spillage from said common tank is prevented.