Fuel dispenser fuel flow meter device, system and method

A fuel dispenser that measures the volume of fuel dispensed into a vehicle, comprising:

• a control system;
• a fuel conduit that is fluidly coupled to fuel;
• a valve coupled to said control system and coupled to said fuel conduit wherein said control system controls the opening and closing of said valve to control the flow of fuel;
• a turbine meter coupled to said fuel conduit, comprising:
• a meter flow path;
• at least one turbine rotor in said flow path that rotates when fuel passes through said flow path;
• and
• a pulser that sends a pulser signal in relation to the rotation of said at least one turbine rotor to said control system;
• a flow switch coupled to said fuel conduit, comprising:
• a flow switch flow path;
• and
• a sensor that sends a flow switch signal to said control system when fuel is passing through said flow switch flow path;
• said flow switch flow path fluidly coupled to said meter flow path such that fuel that passes through said meter flow path also passes through said flow switch flow path;
• said control system receives said pulser signal and calculates a volume of the fuel passing through said meter flow path based on said pulser signal, wherein said control system ignores said pulser signals in the calculation of the volume of the fuel passing through said meter flow path when said control system is not receiving said flow switch signal.

A method of determining the volume of a fluid, comprising the steps of:

• passing the fluid through across at least one turbine rotor in a turbine meter causing said at least one turbine rotor to rotate;
• generating a pulser signal in response to the rotation of said turbine rotor;
• passing the fluid through a flow switch;
• generating a flow switch signal only in response to fluid passing through said flow switch;
• and
• using said pulser signal to calculate the volume of the fluid based on the rate of said pulser signal if said flow switch signal is generated in said step of generating a flow switch signal.

A method of determining the volume of fuel dispensed into a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• passing fuel across at least one turbine rotor in a turbine meter causing said at least one turbine rotor to rotate;
• generating a pulser signal in response to the rotation of said turbine rotor;
• passing the fuel through a flow switch;
• generating a flow switch signal only in response to fuel passing through said flow switch;
• using said pulser signal to calculate the volume of the fuel based on the rate of said pulser signal if said flow switch signal is generated in said step of generating a flow switch signal;
• and
• displaying the volume of the fuel dispensed on a volume display.

A method of determining the volume of fuel dispensed into a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• initiating the dispensing of fuel;
• opening partially a two-stage valve adapted to regulate fuel flow into a flow rate selected from the group consisting of:
• no flow, slow flow and high flow;
• measuring the flow rate of the fuel;
• generating pulser signals indicative of the flow rate of the fuel;
• compressing a secondary spring in a secondary piston in a dual piston valve to open a secondary fuel path;
• detecting movement of a sensible element in said dual piston valve when said secondary piston moves;
• communicating the movement of said secondary piston;
• using said pulser signal to calculate the volume of the fuel based on the rate of said pulser signal;
• dispensing the fuel in a slow flow state;
• opening fully said two-stage valve;
• compressing a primary spring in a primary piston in said dual piston valve to open a primary fuel path;
• dispensing the fuel in a high flow state;
• closing partially said two-stage valve when the volume of the fuel approaches a pre-paid amount;
• decompressing said primary spring to close same primary fuel path;
• closing said two-stage valve;
• decompressing said secondary spring to close said secondary fuel path;
• communicating a movement of said sensible element after said step of decompressing;
• and
• ignoring said pulser signal after said steps of decompressing and communicating a movement of said sensible element to said control system after said step of decompressing.