DE202011052229U1 - Safety device for a tank chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

Safety device for a tank chamber (1), which is to be filled with a liquid medium from a tank vehicle or a filling station (12) via a filling valve (13) and a product hose (8), with a limit value transmitter (5) for overfill protection and a sensor (4) for mixing protection, which transmits a code about a current filling state by means of electrical connections to evaluation electronics (10) on the tank vehicle or the filling station (12), characterized in that the limit value transmitter (5) and the sensor (4) together are installed in a module in the tank chamber (1), and this module is connected to the evaluation electronics (10) via a two-wire connection.

Description

The present invention relates to safety device for a tank chamber, which is to be filled with a liquid medium from a tanker or a filling station via a filling valve and a product hose, with a threshold for overfill protection and a sensor for a mixture protection, a coding over a current filling state transmitted by means of electrical connections to an evaluation of the tanker or the filling station.

For the filling of tank chambers, such as at gas stations, safety devices are required to prevent overfilling a tank chamber or a mixture of different media in the tank chamber.

Usually overfill prevent the overcrowding z. B. a mineral oil tank during the filling process from a tanker.

In Germany and neighboring countries, a thermistor is usually installed per tank chamber as limit value transmitter in the dome of the tank chamber. To obtain overfill protection of this thermistor is connected by means of a plugged cable with a built-in tanker switching amplifier. In the event of overfilling, the thermistor sends a signal to the switching amplifier. The electronic switching amplifier causes solenoid valves to close the filling valves and stop dispensing from the tanker.

A mixture protection causes when refueling a tank chamber, such as from a tanker, product mixing is reliably prevented, for. B. the diesel is discharged into a gas tank.

According to the European Standard EN 14116 this mixing protection is electronically realized by means of a separate electronic component (PID or TAG) at the filling station. On the tanker, a transmitter is installed which reads the electronic components on the tank chamber and the filling valves locks in the risk of mixing.

For the connection of the limit switch and the mixing protection, several cables are currently required between the tank chamber and the switching amplifier, which must be connected before filling the tank chamber.

For mixing protection, an electrical line is provided in the product hose, which is connected to the filling chamber together with the connection of the product hose to the tank chamber. Furthermore, a ground wire between the tank chamber and the switching amplifier of the tanker vehicle is always provided to prevent electrical discharge at the filler neck. In addition, further connections between the switching amplifier on the tank vehicle or the filling station and the tank chamber are placed for the limit value transmitter.

If at a gas station several tank chambers with their safety devices are present, it can also easily be confused with the connections and the safety device is then not ready.

It is the object of the invention to provide a safety device with a limit switch and a mixing protection for tank chambers, which manages with a minimum number of connections to a tanker or a filling station.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1. Embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

The safety device is for a tank chamber to be filled with a liquid medium from a tanker or a filling station via a filling valve and a product hose. It is equipped with a limit switch for overfill protection and with a sensor for mixing protection, which transmits coding via a current filling state by means of electrical connections to an evaluation electronics on the tank vehicle or the filling station. The safety device is characterized in that it is connected via a two-wire connection to the transmitter. A two-wire connection is the minimum connection for connecting an electrical device. The two-wire connection is made possible by the fact that the limit switch and the sensor for mixing protection together form a module which is installed in the tank chamber.

The module is preferably used in a height-adjustable tube, which extends from above into the tank chamber and at the lower end of the limit sensor is mounted.

Such a tube is usually installed with a thermistor as a limit in the tank chamber. In the embodiment proposed here, a limit sensor is provided which visually evaluates the filling level in the tank chamber and is part of the module. But there are also swimmers with reed contacts or similar limit switches used.

A simple connection of the two conductors of the connection results when the inner conductor in the product hose is used as one of the two conductors and the other conductor is a grounding cable that must always be present according to the regulations. However, it is also possible to use the inner conductor of a gas displacement line or further product hoses if there is an electrical transition to the tank chamber.

For evaluation of the limit value transmitter and the mixing protection, current pulses are received by the evaluation electronics via the two-wire connection, which pulses are emitted by the module and have a coding for the medium to be filled (diesel, gasoline, fuel oil, etc.). The sensor of the mixing protection is preprogrammed for a target medium and sends the coding of the pre-programming. The status of the limit sensor is also included in the coding.

The transmitter receives the current pulses from the module via the two-wire connection. In the event of a deviation from the expected coding, the evaluation electronics closes or blocks the filling valve.

The safety device thus prevents the overfilling of a tank chamber and the mixing of unwanted media in a tank chamber.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to an embodiment.

1 schematically shows the connection between a storage tank and a tank chamber to be filled.

2 shows a cross section through the filling nozzle of a tank chamber with associated safety device.

In 1 is a tank to be filled 1 with a level to be monitored 2 of a medium. For this, the safety device is in the tube 3 provided in which the sensor 4 for the anti-mixing protection and the limit value transmitter 5 for the filling level as a common module.

The tank chamber 1 gets out of the storage tank 12 over the product hose 8th filled, the at the tank room 1 over the filling nozzle 7 connected. At the storage tank 12 is the product hose 8th via the filling valve 13 connected by the transmitter 10 can be opened and closed.

The safety device is now over the connection cable 6 with the inner conductor 11 connected in the product hose, which in turn connects to the transmitter 10 has.

The return line takes place here via the earth conductor 9 who is the tanker 1 with the transmitter 10 combines.

In 2 is the installation of the safety device at the upper end of the Tankkamme 1 shown in more detail. The pipe 3 with the sensor 4 and the limit switch 5 is height adjustable in the tank chamber 1 used. Next to it is the filling nozzle 7 the over the insulating piece 14 at the tank room 1 is attached. The product hose 8th is over the filling coupling 15 on the filling nozzle 7 placed.

In the product hose 8th is the inner conductor 11 which comes from the transmitter and with the filling coupling 15 connected is. This has contact with the filling nozzle 7 to which the connection cable 6 screwed on.

The connection cable 6 leads through the pipe 3 to the module with the sensor 4 for the mixing protection that generates the coded current pulses. About the limit sensor 5 the coding of the current pulses is changed upon detection of the maximum filling level. One connection of the limit switch 5 is with the pipe 3 connected, in turn, electrical contact with the tank chamber 1 Has.

At the tank room 1 is the earth conductor 9 screwed, which now forms the return conductor to the switching amplifier.

In this way, a circuit with current pulses from the safety device via the connection cable 6 , the filling nozzle 7 , the inner conductor 11 in the product hose 8th , given to the transmitter. The return conductor is from the earth conductor 9 , the tank room 1 , and the pipe 3 educated. The current pulses are evaluated in the evaluation electronics and in case of danger a (further) filling is prevented.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

tank chamber

2

medium

3

pipe

4

Sensor mixing protection

5

limit indicator

6

connecting line

7

filling union

8th

feedline

9

ground wire

10

evaluation

11

Inner conductor in the hose

12

storage tank

13

Filling

14

insulating

15

filler coupling

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited non-patent literature

• Standard EN 14116 [0006]

Claims (9)

Safety device for a tank chamber ( 1 ) with a liquid medium from a tanker or filling station ( 12 ) via a filling valve ( 13 ) and a product hose ( 8th ), with a limit value transmitter ( 5 ) for overfill protection and a sensor ( 4 ) for a mixing protection, which encodes a current filling state by means of electrical connections to a transmitter ( 10 ) on the tanker or filling station ( 12 ), characterized in that the limit value transmitter ( 5 ) and the sensor ( 4 ) together in a module in the tank chamber ( 1 ) and connect this module via a two-wire connection to the transmitter ( 10 ) connected is. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the module in a height-adjustable tube ( 3 ) is inserted from above into the tank chamber ( 1 ) and at the lower end the limit value transmitter ( 5 ) is located. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the limit value transmitter ( 5 ) a filling level ( 2 ) in the tank chamber ( 1 ) evaluates optically. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that one conductor of the two-conductor connection is an inner conductor ( 11 ) in the product hose ( 8th ). Safety device according to Claim 1, characterized in that one conductor of the two-conductor connection comprises a grounding cable ( 9 ). Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that a conductor of the two-conductor connection is an inner conductor in a gas displacement line or a further product hose. Safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation electronics ( 10 ) receives encoded current pulses from the module via the two-wire connection. Safety device according to claim 7, characterized in that the sensor ( 4 ) is preprogrammed for a target medium and the coding contains information about the target medium and the state of the limit value transmitter. Safety device according to claim 7, characterized in that the evaluation electronics ( 10 ) monitors the received coding and, in the event of overfilling or detection of another medium, the filling valve ( 13 ) closes.

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