Portable Pump Fuel Containment System for Sump Purging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Facilities with fuel storage face challenges in safely and efficiently purging fuel from secondary containment systems like sumps, as traditional methods such as shop vacuums pose explosion risks and vacuum trucks are costly, time-consuming, and impractical for immediate use.
Innovation Solution
A portable pump and fuel containment system featuring a wheeled base, a container with inlet and outlet ports, a three-way control valve, and a pump with a motor and flexible transfer lines, allowing for safe and efficient pumping and containment of fuel, including filtration and vapor management, with a battery assembly for power and a grounding strap for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If shop vacuums are used to purge sumps, then purging capability is achieved, but explosion risk increases due to exposed electrical motor igniting fuel vapors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a portable pump system that can be deployed temporarily for purging operations and then removed, replacing the need for permanent installation of dangerous equipment like shop vacuums in hazardous areas. The system achieves purging capability without requiring infrastructure that poses explosion risks.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vacuum trucks are used to purge sumps, then safety is improved by avoiding explosion risks, but cost and time increase due to specialized equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The portable pump system enables facilities to perform purging operations independently using self-contained equipment, eliminating the need to wait for external vacuum truck services. The system includes all necessary components (pump, container, hoses, filters) in one portable unit that can be immediately deployed on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the purging function into separate portable components that can be transported and deployed independently, rather than relying on a large integrated vacuum truck. This segmentation allows for immediate deployment without waiting for specialized equipment arrival.
3Productivity
If vacuum trucks are positioned close to each sump, then purging efficiency is improved, but safety decreases due to exposed air lines creating entanglement hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses flexible hoses instead of rigid air lines, allowing the hoses to be properly routed and secured without creating tripping or entanglement hazards. The flexible nature of the hoses enables safe deployment while maintaining purging efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and efficient pumping and containment of fuel, reducing the risk of explosions and improving operational efficiency by allowing on-site, immediate use without the need for specialized equipment, while ensuring safety through filtration and vapor management.
Implementation Method 1
a pump having an inlet, an outlet, and a motor... When the pump is activated and the lever is in the first position, the portable pump and fuel containment system is configured to pump fluid through the first transfer line segment and the flexible return line and into the interior volume of the container
Implementation Method 2
a three-way control valve including a first inlet, an outlet, a second inlet, a valve, and a lever coupled to the valve that is configured to move between a first position in which the valve places the first inlet in fluid communication with the outlet, and a second position in which the valve places the second inlet in fluid communication with the outlet
Implementation Method 3
a filter coupled to an end of the first transfer line segment
Implementation Method 4
a grounding strap for safety
Data Source
AI summary
A portable pump and fuel containment system includes a portable base assembly including a lower support and wheels, a container on the lower support including an interior volume and inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with the interior volume, and a liquid transfer assembly coupled to the portable base assembly. The liquid transfer assembly includes a pump, a three-way control valve, a flexible transfer line having a first transfer line segment coupled to a first inlet of the three-way control valve and a second transfer line segment extending from the outlet port to a second inlet of the three-way control valve, and a flexible return line having a first end coupled to the outlet of the pump and a second end detachably coupled to the inlet port of the container. An outlet of the three-way control valve is connected to an inlet of the pump.