Pumping station sphere handling method and system

Claim 1

A method of handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a main pipeline which conducts a plurality of products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the method making use of a magazine for retaining and storing a plurality of spheres in readiness to be released into the downstream portion of the line, the steps of detecting the arrival of an interface region between two liquid products at a point near the station, releasing a sphere from the magazine to launch the same into the downstream portion of the line in accordance with such detection whereby the sphere is launched into said interface region, and diverting spheres from the upstream portion of the line and supplying the same to the magazine.

Claim 2

A method of handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a main pipeline which conducts a plurality of products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the method making use of a magazine for retaining and storing a plurality of spheres in readiness to be released into the downstream portion of the line, the steps of detecting the arrival of an interface region between two liquid products at a point near the station, releasing a sphere from the magazine to launch the same into the downstream portion of the line in accordance with such detection whereby the sphere is launched into said interface region, and diverting spheres from the upstream portion of the line and supplying the same to the magazine.

Claim 4

A method of handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a main pipeline which conducts a plurality of products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the method making use of means inserted in an upstream portion of the line to divert incoming spheres into a station pump bypass line and a magazine for retaining and storing a plurality of spheres in readiness to be released into the downstream portion of the line, the steps of diverting a sphere from the main line into a bypass line, delivering such diverted sphere into the storage magazine, detecting the arrival of an interface region at a point near the station pump, releasing a sphere from the magaZine into the downstream portion of the line in response to such detection whereby it is launched into said interface region, and then releasing a second sphere from the magazine into the downstream portion in predetermined spaced relationship with the first released sphere.

Claim 5

A method of handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a main pipeline which conducts a plurality of products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the method making use of means inserted in an upstream portion of the line to divert incoming spheres into a station pump bypass line and a magazine for retaining and storing a plurality of spheres in readiness to be released into the downstream portion of the line, the steps of diverting a sphere from the main line into a bypass line, delivering such diverted sphere into the storage magazine, detecting the arrival of an interface region at a point near the station pump, releasing a sphere from the magaZine into the downstream portion of the line in response to such detection whereby it is launched into said interface region, and then releasing a second sphere from the magazine into the downstream portion in predetermined spaced relationship with the first released sphere.

Claim 9

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, a storage magazine adapted to store a plurality of spheres, means for releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, means for diverting spheres arriving at the pumping station from the upstream portion of the line, and means for introducing such spheres into the magazine.

Claim 10

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, a storage magazine adapted to store a plurality of spheres, means for releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, means for diverting spheres arriving at the pumping station from the upstream portion of the line, and means for introducing such spheres into the magazine.

Claim 11

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, a storage magazine adapted to store a plurality of spheres, means for releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, and means responsive to the arrival of an interface region between liquid products at a point near the pumping station for controlling the release of spheres from the magazine.

Claim 12

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, a storage magazine adapted to store a plurality of spheres, means for releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, and means responsive to the arrival of an interface region between liquid products at a point near the pumping station for controlling the release of spheres from the magazine.

Claim 13

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, the system including storage means for storing spheres diverted from the line, means for diverting incoming spheres from the upstream portion of the line and for delivering the same into the storage means, and means for successively releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, the storage means comprising two first and second spaces serving to store two separate first and second groups of spheres, the first group representing spheres previously diverted from the line and the second group representing spheres immediately diverted from the line, and a valve when closed serving to separate said spaces and said groups of spheres and when open permitting the first group of spheres to progress into the second space of the storage means for introduction into the downstream portion of the line.

Claim 14

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, the system including storage means for storing spheres diverted from the line, means for diverting incoming spheres from the upstream portion of the line and for delivering the same into the storage means, and means for successively releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, the storage means comprising two first and second spaces serving to store two separate first and second groups of spheres, the first group representing spheres previously diverted from the line and the second group representing spheres immediately diverted from the line, and a valve when closed serving to separate said spaces and said groups of spheres and when open permitting the first group of spheres to progress into the second space of the storage means for introduction into the downstream portion of the line.

Claim 15

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, the system including storage means for storing spheres diverted from the line, means for diverting incoming spheres from the upstream portion of the line and for delivering the same into the storage means, and means for successively releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, the storage means comprising an upright magazine tube, the lower end of the tube being in communication with the downstream portion of the line, an additional valve at the upper end of the tube adapted to be opened to permit introductiOn of spheres, said first named valve being disposed intermediate the ends of the tube to divide the tube into upper and lower first and second spaces, and a retractable sphere retaining pin at the lower end of the magazine tube.

Claim 16

A system for the handling of product separating spheres at a pumping station where the station is connected to receive liquid from an upstream line portion and to deliver liquid into the downstream portion of the line, the system including storage means for storing spheres diverted from the line, means for diverting incoming spheres from the upstream portion of the line and for delivering the same into the storage means, and means for successively releasing spheres from the storage means and for introducing the same into the downstream portion of the line, the storage means comprising an upright magazine tube, the lower end of the tube being in communication with the downstream portion of the line, an additional valve at the upper end of the tube adapted to be opened to permit introductiOn of spheres, said first named valve being disposed intermediate the ends of the tube to divide the tube into upper and lower first and second spaces, and a retractable sphere retaining pin at the lower end of the magazine tube.

Claim 18

A system for handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a pipeline used for conducting a plurality of liquid products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the system being applicable to pipelines at pumping stations where the station has suction and discharge connections to upstream and downstream portions of the line, the system comprising two sphere detectors on the upstream portion of the line, the detectors being spaced apart a predetermined distance representing a predetermined volume, two timing devices responsive to demands from said sphere detectors, each device providing an upcount and a downcount after the upcount is terminated, a sphere storage magazine consisting of a magazine tube having its lower end communicating with the downstream portion of the line, said tube having its upper portion adapted to receive spheres diverted from the line and having its lower portion adapted to store spheres previously diverted from the line, means for releasing spheres successively from the lower portion of the tube into the downstream portion of the line, means downstream from the pumping station but upstream from the point of communication of the magazine tube with the downstream portion of the line for detecting passing of an interface region between products of different specific gravities, means responsive to such detection for actuating and retracting said sphere retaining pin and means responsive to a demand from said gravity indication for causing successive downcounts by said timing devices and for releasing successive spheres after the first released sphere at intervals whereby successive spheres are introduced into the downstream portion of the line at predetermined positions relative to the first sphere.

Claim 19

A system for handling product separating spheres being flow propelled along a pipeline used for conducting a plurality of liquid products of different specific gravities separated at one or more interface regions, the system being applicable to pipelines at pumping stations where the station has suction and discharge connections to upstream and downstream portions of the line, the system comprising two sphere detectors on the upstream portion of the line, the detectors being spaced apart a predetermined distance representing a predetermined volume, two timing devices responsive to demands from said sphere detectors, each device providing an upcount and a downcount after the upcount is terminated, a sphere storage magazine consisting of a magazine tube having its lower end communicating with the downstream portion of the line, said tube having its upper portion adapted to receive spheres diverted from the line and having its lower portion adapted to store spheres previously diverted from the line, means for releasing spheres successively from the lower portion of the tube into the downstream portion of the line, means downstream from the pumping station but upstream from the point of communication of the magazine tube with the downstream portion of the line for detecting passing of an interface region between products of different specific gravities, means responsive to such detection for actuating and retracting said sphere retaining pin and means responsive to a demand from said gravity indication for causing successive downcounts by said timing devices and for releasing successive spheres after the first released sphere at intervals whereby successive spheres are introduced into the downstream portion of the line at predetermined positions relative to the first sphere.