AIR SEPARATING FUEL DISPENSING SYSTEM

摘要

A dispensing system (20) for drawing fuel from a storage tank (22) to a nozzle (44). The system includes an above-tank suction pump (26) which draws fuel from the tank. The fuel is discharged from the suction pump into a vertically aligned air separator (38) so as to produce a fuel stream that is substantially free of air. The fuel stream is discharged from the air separator to a flow meter (30) and the nozzle through a fuel shutoff valve (46). The open/closed state of the fuel shutoff valve is controlled by a control actuator (48) based on the differential pressure across the fuel shutoff valve. Should this differential pressure drop below a given level, the fuel shutoff valve is closed to prevent the system from inadvertently supplying a fuel stream with an unacceptably high air content. Gaseous fluid removed by the air separator is supplied to an air eliminator (40). The fuel components of this fluid stream are removed in the air eliminator and returned to the suction pump.