Patent ID: 7506659

Claim:
A system for removing accumulating liquid from a vacuum environment utilizing the weight of the liquid, comprising: a first holding tank having a main inlet for receiving a combined flow of a liquid and a gas, a pressure equalization vent, an intermediate liquid outlet and a vacuum outlet that facilitates the combined flow of said liquid and said gas through the main inlet; a second holding tank having a liquid inlet connected with the intermediate liquid outlet of the first holding tank, a first pressure equalization vent connected with the pressure equalization vent of the first holding tank, a second pressure equalization vent adapted for airflow communication with an environment outside the first holding tank and the second holding tank that presents greater air pressure than the vacuum environment, and a liquid discharge outlet; a liquid passageway interconnecting the intermediate liquid outlet of the first holding tank and the liquid inlet of the second holding tank, wherein the liquid passageway allows the liquid to flow freely under the force of gravity from the first holding tank to the second holding tank; an equalization passageway interconnecting the pressure equalization vent of the first holding tank and the first pressure equalization vent of the second holding tank; a first valve coupled with the liquid passageway for controlling the flow of liquid there through; a second valve coupled with the equalization passageway for controlling the pressure equalization between the first holding tank and the second holding tank; a third valve controlling pressure equalization between the second holding tank and the environment outside the first holding tank and the second holding tank through the second pressure equalization vent; and a fourth valve controlling the flow of liquid out of the liquid discharge outlet to a location outside of the first holding tank and the second holding tank.