System and method for leakage mitigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624482-B2
Application number	US-202117186417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A leakage mitigation system includes a leakage detection device having a canister configured to: (i) contain a first reactant and a second reactant and, (ii) based on a volume of liquid leaked from a tank, allow the first reactant and the second reactant to react with each other to produce a gas. A shut-off valve coupled to an inlet pipe of the tank is configured to actuate between an open condition and a closed condition. Further, a conduit extending between the leakage detection device and the shut-off valve allows flow of the gas from the leak detection device to the shut off valve. In order to mitigate the leakage of water, the shut-off valve is actuated between the open condition and the closed condition based on the pressure exerted thereon by the flow of the gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leakage mitigation system comprising:
a leakage detection device disposed proximate a base of a tank, the leakage detection device comprising a canister, wherein the canister is configured to: (i) contain a first reactant and a second reactant and, (ii) based on a volume of liquid leaked from the tank, allow the first reactant and the second reactant to react with each other to produce a gas;
a shut-off valve coupled to an inlet pipe of the tank, the shut-off valve configured to allow flow of liquid through the inlet pipe in an open condition and restrict flow of liquid through the inlet pipe in a closed condition; and
a conduit extending between the leakage detection device and the shut-off valve, the conduit configured to allow flow of the gas from the leak detection device to the shut off valve,
wherein the shut-off valve is configured to actuate between the open condition and the closed condition based on pressure exerted thereon by the flow of the gas.

2. The leakage mitigation system of claim 1 , wherein the leakage detection device comprises:
a liquid collection chamber configured to receive the liquid leaked from the tank;
a shell threadably coupled to the liquid collection chamber; and
a platform coaxially disposed between the liquid collection chamber and the shell, the platform configured to support the canister thereon, wherein the liquid collection chamber and the shell are together configured to move along a longitudinal axis of the leakage detection device with respect to the canister based on a volume of liquid collected in the liquid collection chamber.

3. The leakage mitigation system of claim 1 , further comprising a diaphragm disposed within the canister, wherein the diaphragm separates the first reactant from the second reactant.

4. The leakage mitigation system of claim 3 , further comprising a puncture member configured to puncture the diaphragm, thereby allowing the first reactant to react with the second reactant.

5. The leakage mitigation system of claim 4 , wherein the canister comprises:
a reactant chamber;
a chamber connector fluid-tightly attached to the reactant chamber, wherein the diaphragm is fluid-tightly disposed between the reactant chamber and the chamber connector to define a first chamber configured to contain the first reactant and a second chamber configured to contain the second reactant; and
a cap member fluid-tightly attached to the chamber connector and configured to couple with the conduit,
wherein the puncture member extends through to the chamber connector.

6. The leakage mitigation system of claim 4 , wherein the canister comprises:
a housing, and
wherein the puncture member is configured to puncture the diaphragm upon movement of the liquid collection chamber and the shell within the housing along a longitudinal axis of the leakage detection device.

7. The leakage mitigation system of claim 1 , wherein the first reactant is a solid reactant and the second reactant is a liquid reactant.

8. The leakage mitigation system of claim 7 , wherein the solid reactant is sodium bicarbonate.

9. The leakage mitigation system of claim 7 , wherein the liquid reactant is acetic acid.

10. The leakage mitigation system of claim 3 , wherein the diaphragm is made of one of a neoprene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, or latex rubber.

11. The leakage mitigation system of claim 1 , wherein the shut-off valve comprises:
an elongated housing defining a first opening configured to: (i) fluidly couple with the conduit, and (ii) receive the gas produced in the canister; and
a plunger movably received within the elongated housing and configured to actuate the shut-off valve between the open condition and the closed condition based on pressure exerted thereon by flow of the gas.

12. The leakage mitigation system of claim 11 , wherein the plunger defines a through-hole, and wherein the through-hole: (i) remains aligned with the inlet pipe of the tank in the open condition of the shut-off valve, and (ii) remains unaligned with the inlet pipe in the closed condition of the shut-off valve.

13. The leakage mitigation system of claim 11 , wherein the plunger comprises:
a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end distal to the first end, the first end located proximate the first opening of the elongated housing;
an arm extending from the second end of the cylindrical body and protruding through a second opening defined in the elongated housing; and
a biasing member disposed around the arm and configured to resiliently support the plunger within the elongated housing.

14. The leakage mitigation system of claim 11 , wherein the shut-off valve comprises a handle connected to the arm of the plunger, the handle configured to reset the shut-off valve to the open condition from the closed condition.

15. A method of mitigating leakage of a tank, the method comprising:
disposing a leakage detection device proximate a base of the tank, the leakage detection device comprising a canister with a first reactant and a second reactant capable of producing gas upon reaction with each other;
receiving, into a liquid collection chamber of the leakage detection device, liquid leaked from the tank;
allowing movement of the liquid collection chamber along a longitudinal axis of the leakage detection device based on a volume of liquid collected in the liquid collection chamber;
allowing the first reactant and the second reactant to react with each other, thereby producing a gas;
routing the produced gas from the canister to a shut-off valve via a conduit, the shut-off valve coupled to an inlet pipe of the tank; and
actuating the shut-off valve from an open condition to a closed condition based on pressure exerted thereon by the flow of the gas, wherein the shut-off valve is configured to allow flow of liquid through the inlet pipe in the open condition and restrict flow of the liquid through the inlet pipe in the closed condition.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising allowing one or more puncture members to puncture a diaphragm of the canister in response to the movement of the liquid collection chamber, wherein the puncturing of the diaphragm allows the first reactant to react with the second reactant, thereby producing the gas.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising, routing the produced gas from the canister to the shut-off valve via the conduit when a pressure of the gas is above a predetermined threshold value.

18. A water heater comprising:
a tank;
an inlet pipe configured to allow supply of water to the tank;
a water collection channel disposed proximate a base of the tank, the water collection channel configured to collect water leaked from the tank; and
a leakage mitigation system configured to shut-off the supply of water to the tank based on a volume of water leaked from the tank, the leakage mitigation system comprising:
a leakage detection device disposed proximate the base of the tank and coupled to the water collection channel to receive the water leaked from the tank, the leakage detection device comprising a canister configured to: (i) contain a first reactant and a second reactant and, (ii) based on a volume of liquid leaked from the tank, allow the first reactant and the second reactant to react with each other to produce a gas;
a shut-off valve coupled to the inlet pipe of the tank, the shut-off valve configured to allow flow of liquid through the inlet pipe in an open condition and restrict flow

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Beyhaghi Saman
• Manay Atilhan
• Dong Eric
• Jiang Kyle
• Mao Christopher
• Pham Benjamin

Classifications

• F17D5/02 Primary

  Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss · CPC title

• G01M3/226 Primary

  for containers, e.g. radiators · CPC title

• G01M3/042

  by using materials which expand, contract, disintegrate, or decompose in contact with a fluid (G01M3/12 takes precedence) · CPC title