System and method for detecting and quantifying changes in the mass content of liquid storage containers

A system for detecting leaks in a liquid storage tank comprising:

• differential pressure sensor means having a bubbler-based low pressure measurement component and a high pressure measurement component, said high pressure measurement component being configured for measuring tank bottom pressure within a liquid in which a bubbler is immersed, and said low pressure measurement component being configured for receiving data indicative of atmospheric and vapor pressure substantially at the surface of said liquid;
• barometric pressure measuring means configured for measuring atmospheric pressure substantially at the surface of said liquid;
• barometric pressure and differential pressure calculation means configured for receiving first and second data reflecting, respectively, said tank bottom pressure and of said barometric pressure substantially at said surface of said liquid, and for adjusting said first data to substantially eliminate variations upon said measurements of said tank bottom pressure caused solely from atmospheric pressure variations to yield an atmospheric pressure adjusted tank bottom pressure;
• ambient temperature measurement means for measuring ambient temperature near said storage tank;
• tank dynamic and barometric pressure adjusted tank bottom pressure calculation means configured for receiving third data indicative of said atmospheric pressure adjusted tank bottom pressure, for receiving fourth data indicative of ambient temperature measurements by said ambient temperature measurement means, for receiving fifth data indicative of expansion characteristics of said storage tank, and for adjusting said third data with reference to said fourth and fifth data to substantially eliminate variations upon measurements and calculations of said barometric pressure adjusted tank bottom pressure, caused solely by dimensional changes in said storage tank resulting from atmospheric temperature variations, to yield a tank dynamic adjusted tank bottom pressure;
• and
• tank content mass calculation means for calculating mass contents of said storage tank substantially based on said tank dynamic adjusted tank bottom pressure and operator input data reflecting physical characteristics of said contents of said storage tank.

A method for detecting leaks in a storage receptacle;

• comprising the steps of:
• selecting a mass detection system comprising:
• differential pressure sensor means having a bubbler-based low pressure measurement component and a high pressure measurement component,
• said high pressure measurement component being configured for measuring receptacle bottom pressure within a liquid in which a bubbler is immersed,
• and said low pressure measurement component being configured for receiving data indicative of atmospheric and vapor pressure substantially at the surface of said liquid;
• barometric pressure measuring means configured for measuring atmospheric pressure substantially at the surface of said liquid;
• barometric pressure and differential pressure calculation means configured for receiving first and second data reflecting, respectively, said receptacle bottom pressure and of said barometric pressure substantially at said surface of said liquid, and for adjusting said first data to substantially eliminate variations upon said measurements of said receptacle bottom pressure caused solely from atmospheric pressure variations to yield an atmospheric pressure adjusted receptacle bottom pressure;
• ambient temperature measurement means for measuring ambient temperature near said storage receptacle;
• receptacle dynamic and barometric pressure adjusted receptacle bottom pressure calculation means configured for receiving third data indicative of said atmospheric pressure adjusted receptacle bottom pressure, for receiving fourth data indicative of ambient temperature measurements by said ambient temperature measurement means, for receiving fifth data indicative of expansion characteristics of said storage receptacle, and for adjusting said third data with reference to said fourth and fifth data to substantially eliminate variations upon measurements and calculations of said barometric pressure adjusted receptacle bottom pressure, caused solely by dimensional changes in said storage receptacle resulting from atmospheric temperature variations, to yield a receptacle dynamic adjusted receptacle bottom pressure;
• and
• receptacle content mass calculation means for calculating mass content data representative of the contents of said storage receptacle substantially based on said receptacle dynamic adjusted receptacle bottom pressure and operator input data reflecting physical characteristics of said contents of said storage receptacle;
• selecting data storage means for collecting a plurality of mass content data as generated by said receptacle content mass calculation means over a plurality of points in time;
• selecting computing means configured for generating a human perceptible indication of changes in said mass content data between a plurality of said points in time;
• actuating said mass detection system;
• and recording data indicative of changes in said mass content data attributable to leakage of said storage receptacle to detect such leakage.