A MOMENT WITH time to himself , Bill went into the company shop and , using some scrap parts , a drill press , and a couple of trips to the hardware store , he cobbled together the initial prototype of what would become the Valve Xchanger .
He first figured an inflatable bladder would be the best stopper in the tank ’ s pipe , upstream of the valve . A deflated bladder could get through the gate of the valve , then increase in size to seal off the oil in the tank . To inflate the bladder he would need it connected to a hollow metal inflation tube . But that still left the problem of opening the hot valve to insert the bladder . To trap any leakage of fluid and fumes , he decided to put the inflation tube inside of a collection pipe that screwed into the valve . This was made possible by attaching a diaphragm seal on the back-end of the collection pipe .
But then , how do you achieve a controlled drain of the fluid in the pipe ? To solve this , he added two valves , one on the bottom side of the pipe to connect to a drain hose , and one on top to allow air pressure to come in and force the fluid down into the drain hose .
After he finished fabricating the prototype , he was left with a contraption in which form truly followed function .
He went to a storage facility that let him test it on a 15,000 gallon tank filled with water ; if the experiment went sideways they would only be losing H 2
O .
With great trepidation he commenced his experiment and followed exactly the change-out protocol he had developed :
1 . Retract the bladder into the collection pipe .
2 . Screw the collection pipe into the valve .
3 . Open the valve and allow the collection pipe to fill up .
4 . Insert the bladder upstream of the valve .
5 . Inflate the bladder by pumping air through the hollow insertion tube to dam up the contents of the tank .
6 . Attach a drain hose to the bottom valve of the collection pipe .
7 . Open the bottom valve , then open the top air valve on the collection pipe .
8 . Drain the contents of the collection pipe into a separate container .
9 . Disconnect the drain hose , close the drain and air valves , then unscrew the collection pipe .
10 . Slide the collection pipe off the insertion tube ( the diaphragm seal on the back of the collection pipe holds the fluid inside before draining , but also allows the pipe to slide off ).
11 . Remove the faulty valve .
12 . With its gate open , insert the new valve over the insertion tube and screw it in place .
13 . Slide the collection pipe back into place over the insertion tube and screw it into the new valve .
14 . Deflate and retract the bladder into the collection pipe .
15 . Close the new valve .
16 . Drain the collection pipe fluid into the separate container as before .
17 . Unscrew the and remove the collection pipe and you ’ re done .
Time expended : About ten minutes .
Bill was overwhelmed when the invention worked on his first attempt . “ I guess I felt a little like the Wright Brothers when their aircraft lifted off at Kitty Hawk for the first time .”
He realized oilfield safety would increase with deployment of his invention , and instead of waiting on a vacuum truck for hours , or even days , a roustabout could execute the valve change and be on his way inside of ten minutes , short-stopping leaks and emissions .
After the inventor ’ s euphoria passed , Bill realized he had no clue how to bring his invention to market . What followed was a string of frustrating false starts until he linked up with a boyhood friend who brought the situation under his management . A patent attorney and licensing agent were retained , contacts were made within the industry , a patent was secured , trade shows were attended and , although the pandemic slowed things down , a contact was made with Crawford Supply Company , a central U . S . oilfield equipment distributor headquartered in Plainville , Kansas .
“ I took one look at the Valve Xchanger and immediately understood its impact ,” recalled John Crawford , president of the company . “ The EPA has conducted studies showing that upwards of ninety percent of fugitive emissions are caused by faulty valves and connectors . This device – so simple in its design – could have a huge impact on reducing emissions if deployed widely . And compared to the expense of vacuum trucks , the cost is peanuts .”
After seeing the prototype , Crawford made a swift decision . A deal was struck ,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR and Crawford Supply became the exclusive distributor for the Valve Xchanger in the U . S . and Canada . Prototypes were produced and tested , and a production run was made to fill out the supply chain . For Bill , seeing his invention become reality was not unlike seeing a child grow up and head off for college . “ We deal with a lot of negatives in this business , so it has been rewarding to see a positive idea take root and become real .”
Payne Harrison is a New York Times bestselling writer who has written extensively on technical and scientific issues .
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