US 11,835,184 B2
Method for preventing spills resulting from pipeline failures
R. Dale Moretz, Jackson, MI (US)
Assigned to Safe Crossings, LLC, Jackson, MI (US)
Filed by Safe Crossings, LLC, Jackson, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/946,566.
Application 17/946,566 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/096,537, filed on Nov. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,454,353.
Application 17/096,537 is a continuation of application No. 16/293,448, filed on Mar. 5, 2019, granted, now 10,865,946.
Application 16/293,448 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/817,245, filed on Nov. 19, 2017, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/424,444, filed on Nov. 19, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017448 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. F17D 5/02 (2006.01); F17D 5/00 (2006.01); F17D 1/14 (2006.01); G01M 3/28 (2006.01); F16L 58/10 (2006.01); B67D 7/32 (2010.01); F16K 17/02 (2006.01); F16L 55/10 (2006.01); F16K 17/34 (2006.01); F16K 31/12 (2006.01); E21B 43/01 (2006.01); G05D 16/16 (2006.01); F15B 20/00 (2006.01)
CPC F17D 5/02 (2013.01) [B67D 7/3209 (2013.01); B67D 7/3218 (2013.01); E21B 43/0122 (2013.01); F15B 20/005 (2013.01); F16K 17/02 (2013.01); F16K 17/34 (2013.01); F16K 31/12 (2013.01); F16L 55/1022 (2013.01); F16L 58/1009 (2013.01); F17D 1/14 (2013.01); F17D 5/00 (2013.01); F17D 5/005 (2013.01); G01M 3/2815 (2013.01); G05D 16/16 (2013.01); F16L 2201/30 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31356 (2013.01); Y10T 137/0452 (2015.04); Y10T 137/7727 (2015.04); Y10T 137/7762 (2015.04)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A petroleum pipeline safety system for preventing contamination of an environmentally sensitive area close to a pipeline, the system comprising:
a first portion of the pipeline including an upstream portion of the pipeline supplying a flow of fluid material;
a flow restriction downstream of the first portion of the pipeline;
a second portion of the pipeline downstream of the flow restriction, receiving the flow of fluid material from the first portion and conveying the flow of fluid material through the environmentally sensitive area to a downstream portion of the pipeline, wherein the flow restriction is configured to create a lower pipeline internal pressure within the second portion as compared to a pipeline internal pressure within the first portion; and
a third portion of the pipeline downstream of the environmentally sensitive area and including the downstream portion of the pipeline; and
wherein the flow restriction is configured as a constant restriction allowing a limited flow of the fluid material; and
wherein the flow restriction is configured for creating the lower pipeline internal pressure within the second portion at a pressure lower than an ambient pressure external to the second portion.