WO1996015064A1

WO1996015064A1 - Device for identifying hydrocarbon fluids

Info

Publication number: WO1996015064A1
Application number: PCT/FR1995/001481
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serge Piemont
Original assignee: Serge Piemont
Priority date: 1994-11-10
Filing date: 1995-11-09
Publication date: 1996-05-23
Also published as: AU4179596A; FR2726910A1; FR2726910B1

Abstract

A device (1) for identifying a fluid, particularly a hydrocarbon fluid to be transferred from a source tank with an outlet into a target tank with an inlet. The device comprises sensors (21, 22) for measuring at least one representative parameter of the fluid in the region of said inlet, and said sensors (21, 22) are connected to a processing means (33) for processing the value of the measured parameter in order to check that the fluid to be transferred is the same as the fluid in the target tank. Said device is particularly useful for identifying fuels during the filling of storage tanks at service stations.

Description

Device for identifying hydrocarbon fluids. The present invention relates to a device for identifying a fluid, in particular a fluid of the hydrocarbon type intended to be transferred from a source tank to a target tank. This device is mainly but not exclusively intended for the identification of hydrocarbon fuels during their transfer between a supply tank and the tanks of a service station ensuring the distribution of fuels. A major problem in the fuel distribution chain, nationally and internationally, is the untimely mixing of fuels of different types.

Very concretely, the problem stems from the following observations: a service station generally has several storage tanks, corresponding to the different types of fuels that are used by customers. Thus, in France, service stations generally have six different fuels, each with different combustion characteristics, and being adapted to particular types of engines. These different fuels fall into three main categories, namely, so-called "super" unleaded gasoline, leaded "super" gasoline, and diesel fuel. These different fuels must not be mixed, otherwise they become unfit for use, and even if they are not used, they cause damage and inconvenience on several levels.

Thus, a mixture of fuels in a tank of service station has, before being discovered, negative consequences for the motorists, who must have cleaned and repaired the damaged engine of their vehicle. Then, the repercussions of the mixture extend to the petroleum companies which supply the service stations, by tarnishing their image, to the service stations which must purge their tanks and thus lose several hours of ex- exploitation, and to the insurance companies which insure these risks and must reimburse the corresponding damages to the various interested parties.

In addition, since fuel is often conveyed between oil depots and service stations by independent transport companies, these and their staff are also threatened by this type of incident, since mixture of fuels is considered to be a serious fault which may lead to the dismissal of the offender.

However, in spite of all the instructions given by the carriers to their deliverers, there is to date no process making it possible to check, just before it runs out, the concordance of a product coming from a truck compartment. tank with product stored in a service station tank.

As a result, accidental mixing can take place when the delivery person simultaneously connects several tank truck compartments, generally containing different fuels, on several different tanks of the service station, using the flexible pipes provided for this effect.

As a delivery man generally makes several rounds in a day, to supply different service stations with variable types and quantities of fuels which are successively found in different compartments of the tank truck, a handling error cannot be excluded, leading to an accidental mixing which has just been described above. The object of the present invention is to propose a device making it possible to remedy these drawbacks, by preventing the transfer into a given tank of a service station, of a hydrocarbon of a type different from that which is already contained therein. The invention also aims to provide an identification device which is of a very safe and reliable use, at a reasonable cost compared to the cost of the problems solved.

To this end, the invention relates to a device for identifying a fluid, in particular a hydrocarbon fuel, intended to be transferred from a source tank provided with a discharge mouth, into a target tank provided with '' a supply mouth, characterized in that it comprises sensor means for measuring in the vicinity of the supply mouth the value of at least one parameter representative of the fluid, and in that said sensor means are connected to means for analyzing the value of the parameter thus measured, in order to check the agreement of the fluid to be transferred with the fluid contained in said target tank. According to other characteristics of the invention:

- The device further comprises means for cutting off the flow of fluid, arranged upstream of the supply mouth of the target tank, said cutting means being kept closed as long as the fluid to be poured has not been identified as being identical to the fluid already contained in the target tank;

- Said switching means comprise a controlled valve, located upstream of the supply mouth of the target tank; - said parameter being the color of the fluid, the sensor means consist of at least one optical fiber disposed in the path of the fluid to be poured, this optical fiber being used to send a light beam into the fluid to be identified, and to return the part reflected and / or refracted from the light beam to said analysis means, which determine whether the fluid to be poured is identical to the fluid in the target reservoir;

said parameter being the turbidity of the fluid, this optical fiber is used to send a light beam into the fluid to be identified, the reflected and / or refracted part of the beam being sent to said means analysis to determine if the fluid to be poured is identical to the fluid of the target reservoir;

- The device simultaneously comprises at least one sensor for detecting the turbidity of the fluid and at least one sensor for detecting the color of the fluid;

- the sensors of each valve are connected to the input of a corresponding electronic processing card, so as to compare the quantities sampled by the sensors with reference values stored by the electronic card, the output of each electronic card processing ordering whether or not to open the corresponding valve, depending on the result of the comparison of the values taken and the values stored;

- to control the corresponding valve, the output of each electronic treatment card is connected to the input of a control solenoid valve located in a compressed air circuit, said compressed air circuit actuating the valve flap in opening when the control solenoid valve is on.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the following description and to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the description of the invention is made, in no way limiting, in its application to the unloading of fuels from a tank truck to the tanks of a service station, it being understood that the invention finds its application, in a much more general way, in related fields implementing a transfer of fluids: food, industrial, chemical fluids, etc. In the drawings:

- Figure 1 shows an overall diagram of the fluid identification device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows an elevational and sectional view of a valve provided with identification sensors 5 hydrocarbons, for use in the device of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the arrangement of identification sensors ^• hydrocarbons on the valve of Figure 2 in a plane perpendicu¬ lar to the movement of hydrocarbons; and

- Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the sensor means.

Reference is made to FIG. 1. The identification device 1 according to the invention mainly comprises a set of valves 3 (only one of which is shown) connected to a control box 5 making it possible to take information from all the valves, and to control these in opening and / or closing. Each valve 3 is intended to be screwed onto a corresponding supply mouth of a target tank (not shown), in particular a supply mouth of an underground fuel tank. _. In fact, the valves 3 simply replace the locked covers which are provided with most of the fuel tank supply outlets according to the current state of the art. For this purpose, it suffices to unscrew the covers in question relative to the tube which generally protrudes from the ground in the vicinity of the service station, then screw a valve 3 according to the invention in place of the cover.

Reference is made to FIGS. 2 and 3. The valves 3 used in the context of the invention are preferably pneumatically operated, single-acting normally closed valves. The internal diameter of the valve is generally of the order of 80 mm (3 inches) for the application envisaged in the example, and is therefore identical to the existing pipes leading to the tanks of the service station. The valve 3 preferably has a tapping to facilitate the replacement by screwing of the existing covers screwed onto the supply ends of the service station tanks. Each valve 3 has an inlet 7 intended to be connected to a flexible pipe 9 (Figure 1) of the supply tank truck, this pipe 9 being itself connected to a discharge outlet of the truck (not shown). The valve 3 also includes an outlet 11 screwed onto the inlet of the supply mouth of a service station tank (not shown), and a valve 13 normally closed, actuated by a rod 15 mounted on a return spring 17 The return spring is enclosed in a housing 19 supplied with a compressed fluid, in particular compressed air, so that the opening of the valve 3 is pneumatically controlled.

In order to determine whether the hydrocarbon to be transferred from a tank truck through a flexible pipe 9, is the one authorized, it is necessary to determine the exact nature of the hydrocarbon in question among the six possible types (in France ). This must be done without generating sparks or the possibility of human error. To this end, as shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, there are available near or inside the valves 3, sensor means 21, 22 suitable for reading the value of at least one parameter allowing d '' identify the fuel. In one embodiment as shown, sensors are used which are in fact optical sensors connected to the control box 5 by the intermediary of an optical fiber 23.

The sensors 21, 22 are arranged upstream of the valve 13 for opening / closing the valve 3, and are connected to means for analyzing the value of the parameter thus measured, located inside the box 5, which will be detailed later. Thus, it is impossible to transfer a fuel into the tank (not shown) of the service station as long as the sensors 21, 22 and the analysis means did not determine that it was a hydrocarbon compatible with the destination of the tank in question.

According to the invention, a first type of optical sensor 21 is constituted by a turbidity index sensor (FIG. 3) constituted by the end of an optical fiber 25, supplied by a light source, in particular by a bulb halogen. The sensor 21 is screwed into an orifice provided in the body 27 of the valve 3, and its end situated in the fuel path 29 is provided with a metal reflector 31 also arranged in the fuel path. Thus, when the light leaves the end of the optical fiber 25, part of the light is reflected towards the optical fiber, and the rest undergoes optical alteration (reflection / diffraction) in the fuel.

The quantity of reflected light energy collected in the opposite direction by the optical fiber 25 is a function of the fuel turbidity index, and therefore makes it possible to discriminate between the family of “super” based hydrocarbons, and the family of diesel-based hydrocarbons.

According to a variant of the invention, in place of the single sensor 21, two sensors 22A and 22B aligned on either side of the body 27 of the valve 3 are used. In this case, the quantity of light energy transmitted from the optical fiber 25A to the optical fiber 25B makes it possible to determine the turbidity index of the hydrocarbon in the valve.

According to another embodiment of the invention, and whatever the type of optical sensor (21, 22), the physico-chemical parameter of the hydrocarbon which is used is its color. This implementation uses the fact that the different fuels available have been assigned different colors by the oil companies. The color code of the different fuels is summarized in the table below:

GAS-OIL yellow or brown

SUPER pale yellow

LEAD FREE 95 and 98 green

FUEL DOMESTIQUE rouge

GAS-OIL MARINE LIGHT blue

Each color has a different absorbency and therefore gives a different identification value. The optical response by a given fuel to an optical stimulation sent is calibrated in the laboratory with a certain margin taking into account the temperature variations to which the fuels may be subjected during their distribution.

As represented in FIG. 1, the values taken by the sensors 21, 22, corresponding to the turbidity indices or to the colors of the fuels, are conveyed by the optical fibers 23 to an electronic analysis and processing unit 33 arranged in the box 5. Each valve 3 is thus connected to an electronic treatment card 35, specifically programmed to identify the conformity of the fuel at the inlet of the valve with that located in the corresponding tank of the service station.

The electronic cards 35 transform the optical input quantity into a digital value which is compared with a stored reference value corresponding to the turbidity index or to the color of the authorized fuel. Consequently, the cards 35 are essentially comparators delivering on their output lines 37 a logic value (0 or 1), depending on the result of the comparison between the input values of the parameters identification, and the stored values. Such cards are commercially available, and will not be described further.

The output 37 of each card solenoid valve 35 is connected to the control input of a solenoid valve 39 for controlling the corresponding pneumatic valve 3. Each solenoid valve 39 is supplied with compressed air by a compressed air circuit 41, and the outlet of each solenoid valve 39 is connected by the compressed air circuit 41 to a corresponding valve 3 of the device. The solenoid valves 39 are supplied with compressed air from an air supply mouth 43 apparently arranged on one side of the control box 5. The supply of compressed air can come from any source, and in particular - the compressed air supply source available on the delivery tankers.

Preferably, air filters 45 and air dryers 47 are arranged in the _. air supply circuit for the solenoid valves 39. The electronic analysis cards 35 are supplied with direct electric voltage by means of a transformer / rectifier 49 switchable in the 220-volt electrical network via of a switch 51. The use and operation of the device according to the invention are then as follows.

During the delivery of fuels, the delivery man asks the person in charge of the service station to switch on the control box 5 using a key actuating the power switch 51. The delivery man then connects a pneumatic hose from the truck to the compressed air supply mouth 43 of the control box 5, in order to supply the latter with compressed air. Then, the delivery man connects a flexible oil supply hose 9, between on the one hand the outlet mouth of a tank of the truck and the inlet 7 of the valve 3 of a tank from the service station. Then it activates the manual valve for opening the tank of the truck, thus allowing the fuel to flow through the hose 9 to the inlet of the valve 3 of the identification device, where the fuel is stopped and identified.

To this end, the turbidity and color sensors 21, 22 described above send their information to the electronic analysis and processing card 35 corresponding to the valve 3 in question. The card 35 analyzes in a few seconds the value of the turbidity and colorimetry parameters, and only issues a command to open the corresponding solenoid valve 39 if the values detected by the sensors 21, 22 correspond to the reference values memorized. In the event of positive identification, the electronic card 35 causes the corresponding solenoid valve 39 to be energized. This opens to let the compressed air pass from the air circuit 41 to the valve 3, and the compressed air activates the opening of the valve 13 of the valve 3. The hydrocarbon can then flow to the corresponding tank of the service station. The operation is successively the same for identifying the fuel at the inlet of the other valves 3.

It should be noted that when the tanker tank is empty, the sensors no longer detect the presence of a hydrocarbon, and therefore send the corresponding information to the electronic cards 35 which immediately order the closing of the valve 3.

As a variant of the invention, provision is made to provide each valve 3 with a single sensor, for determining the turbidity index, or the colorimetry index, or both.

Another embodiment of the sensor means will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.

It can be seen in this FIG. 4 that the sensor means comprise a first sensor 60 constituted by the end of an optical fiber 62 supplied by a source luminous 64 and also screwed into the body 66 of the valve and a second sensor 70 also constituted by an optical fiber screwed onto the body 66.

The two sensors 60 and 70 are offset by about 90 °, that is to say that the axes defined by the corresponding ends of the optical fibers are perpendicular. They are also preferably screwed onto the valve body at a location provided with a glass porthole 72.

The operation of these sensor means is as follows.

The light source 64 emits, through the optical fiber 62, radiation which passes through the fuel contained in the body 66 of the valve, in a direction parallel to the axis of the optical fiber 62. The second sensor 70 collects the light energy returned by the fluid in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the emitted radiation.

As in the previous embodiment examples, the sensor means which have just been described are connected to analysis means similar to those of FIG. 1 with a view to determining the turbidity or / and the color of the fluid. .

According to another variant, certain sensors may allow identification based on different parameters of turbidity or color, and be located outside the valve itself.

In addition, the valves 3 and / or the control box 5 (Figures 1 and 2) can easily be provided with conventional means of sound and light alerts, for example by indicator light or siren 53, the triggering of which is controlled. by an incorrect connection at the valve inlet, so that the delivery person can quickly correct the connection error.

It should also be noted that the identification of the hydrocarbon continues throughout the flow of the product, thus making it possible to detect possible impurities. or condensed water mixed with the product, which would also trigger the immediate closing of the valve in question, thus preventing the passage of impurities in the tank of the service station. It emerges from the above that the device for identifying fluids according to the invention perfectly meets the objectives set, in particular in the field of identifying hydrocarbons which are about to be transferred to a station tank. service. Indeed, the use of the identifi¬ cation device according to the invention eliminates any risk of mixing fuels of different types in the tanks of the service station, and therefore eliminates all the disadvantages which, up to at present, resulted from such a situation.

In addition, the device is quite effective, since it makes it possible not only to identify the hydrocarbons to be transferred and to verify their conformity with the products already in the respective tanks, but also, in the event of product mismatch. , it blocks the flow, which allows the delivery person to modify the connections accordingly.

Furthermore, the identification device has all the security guarantees, since on the one hand the blocking valve is controlled remotely, pneumatically, and on the other hand the optical fiber only carries a low optical energy , which eliminates the risk of explosion linked to the creation of sparks in a hydrocarbon environment. In addition, the identification device is very simple to install and implement, and in most cases will not require any modification to the construction of existing installations at the service station. Finally, in general, the implementation of the identification device in a service station environment makes it possible to progressively improve the 13 purity of the products contained in the tanks of service stations, and contributes to the quality of the environment by avoiding the oil companies having to manage or destroy accidentally mixed hydrocarbons.

Claims

1. Device (1) for identifying a fluid, in particular a hydrocarbon fluid intended to be transferred from a source tank provided with a

5 discharge, into a target tank provided with a supply mouth, characterized in that it comprises sensor means (21,22; 60,70) for measuring in the vicinity of the supply mouth the value of at at least one parameter representative of the fluid, and in that said means 10 sensors (21,22; 60,70) are connected to means of analysis (33) of the value of the parameter thus measured, in order to check the agreement fluid to be transferred with the fluid contained in said target reservoir.

2. Device (1) for identifying a fluid according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means for cutting off (3.13) the fluid flow, arranged upstream of the mouth. supplying the target tank, said cut-off means (3,13) being kept closed until the fluid to be poured has not been identified as being identical to the fluid already contained in the target tank.

3. Device (1) for identifying a fluid according to claim 2, characterized in that said cut-off means (3,13) comprise a valve (3) provided

25 a valve (13) normally closed, pneumatically controlled, located upstream of the supply port of the tank

_* target.

4. Device (1) for identifying a fluid according to claim 3, characterized in that, said

30 parameter being the color of the fluid, said sensor means comprise at least one optical fiber (25,25a, 2-5b) disposed in the path of the fluid to be transferred, this optical fiber being connected to send a light beam into the fluid to be identified, the reflected and / or refracted part of the beam being supplied by said optical fiber to said analysis means (33) to determine whether the fluid to be poured is identical to the fluid of the target tank.

5. Device (1) for identifying a fluid according to claim 3, characterized in that, said parameter being the turbidity of the fluid, the optical fiber (25,25a, 25b) is connected to send a light beam into the fluid to be identified, the reflected and / or refracted part of the beam being supplied by the optical fiber to said analysis means (33) to determine whether the fluid to be poured is identical to the fluid in the target reservoir.

6. Device (1) for identifying a fluid according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that it simultaneously comprises at least one sensor for detecting the turbidity of the fluid and at least one sensor for detecting the color of the fluid.

7. A fluid identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sensor means comprise a first optical fiber (60, 62) for emitting a light beam in the fluid to be identified and a second optical fiber (70) for receiving the beam refracted by the fluid, said first and second optical fibers being arranged substantially perpendicularly.

8. Device (1) for identification according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors (21, 22) of each valve (3) are connected to the input of an electronic card (35) of processing which compares the quantities sampled by the sensors with reference values memorized by the card (35), the output of each electronic card (35) for processing or not controlling the opening of the corresponding valve (3), depending on the result of the comparison of the values taken and the stored values of said parameter.

9. Device (1) for identification according to claim 8, characterized in that, to control the corresponding valve (3), the outlet (37) of each electronic card (35) for processing is connected to the inlet of a control solenoid valve (39) disposed in a compressed air circuit (41), said compressed air circuit being connected to open the valve (3) of the valve (3) when the control solenoid valve (39 ) is busy.

10. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises alarm means (53) which are actuated when the analysis means (33) detect a fluid inappropriate for entry of the valve (3).

11. Device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 10, characterized in that the valve (3) has a tapping allowing it to be screwed onto the supply mouth of a service station tank.