The U.S. 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA), amended in 1977 and 1990, legislated major reductions of atmospheric hydrocarbon pollution. Studies have shown that up to 95% of emissions from the transportation of petroleum could be contained for recycling. As a result, the petroleum industry began to seriously examine gasoline vapor emissions and controls. Although attempts have been made to develop top-loading vapor recovery systems, the advent of bottom-loading provided superior vapor recovery technology. Today, bottom-loading vapor recovery technology dominates and has been applied worldwide.

In the drive to improve workplace safety and lower operating costs, North American oil companies partnered with the transportation industry to develop the concept of bottom-loading petroleum tank trucks. Starting in the 1950s, the concept led to industry-wide adoption of a new tanker product: a valve that permitted both loading and unloading through a common valve located at the bottom of the tanker. This valve has a special nose design, which, along with a mating dry break coupler (on the terminal loading arm), allows for the fast, safe connection, and transfer of petroleum from the terminal to the tank truck.

Overfill prevention should be a top focus in liquid transfer applications. Obviously, the risks of an overfill vary considerably depending on the media, but any overfill costs money and effort to clean up, especially when nearby equipment is in danger of being damaged.

Loading arms improve safety and efficiency by allowing liquid cargos to be transferred into trucks, railcars, vessels and barges using an articulated pipe system. Rigid pipe loading arms are generally constructed of several pipes - or legs - which are linked together with swivel joints and supported by a counterbalance. Loading arms can also be constructed of a combination of pipe and lengths of flexible hose to improve flexibility and range of motion. Dixon manufactures loading arms in 2”, 3” and 4” sizes. Custom-engineered loading arms in other sizes and configurations are also available upon request.

So, what is an actuated valve? An actuator is a mechanism that controls the positioning of the valve mechanically versus manually. These actuators are critical for ensuring that process control is automated in a consistent manner.

Hose couplings are designed to keep connections secure. Under many circumstances, you wouldn’t want a hose to suddenly detach from its connection. But sometimes you do. And that’s where a breakaway coupling comes in.

Bridges are marvels of architectural engineering that stand peacefully among us. We don’t think of them much, even when we are passing over them. But when you take a moment to realize the problems these infrastructures solve, you begin to appreciate the importance and rich history behind them.

For people who live in rural areas without access to a pressurized fire hydrant system, dry hydrants can be a lifesaver—literally. A dry hydrant allows firefighters to tap a reliable water source like a lake, pond, or stream—to fight a fire without using a traditional fire hydrant.

To put it plainly, quick disconnect couplings make your job easier. They are a fast and easy way to join pneumatic and fluid transfer lines by simplifying connections/disconnections and preventing air or fluid leakage. Pneumatic quick disconnects are used primarily to change between various tools, connecting the power source (compressor) to the tool. The system consists of two parts: the coupler (the female part) and the plug (the male part). Pneumatic couplings typically have a valve in the female half that shuts off the air supply automatically as soon as it is disconnected from a component ensuring the system stays pressurized.

Ah, but things aren’t quite that simple. Before using a quick disconnect system, there are a few questions you must address first: How do you identify the various types of pneumatic quick disconnect profiles? And how do you choose the correct quick disconnect coupling for the job at hand?

You are sitting in traffic and look over to see dusty air, roadwork signs, and power tools that sound like the roaring of a sold-out football stadium after a game-winning touchdown. You just drove past a construction site and all the equipment that inhabits it.