rounding environment , so they must be avoided at all costs . Once again , fuel retain is most often the culprit here , with fuel-compartment retain probes able to mitigate the problem , but studies showing that they are installed on only 20 % of fuel transports in the United States .
While the truth is that many of these errors only happen in extremely rare cases , the fact remains that the next error may be lurking at the next fuel drop . Transport drivers have done tremendous work in preventing these errors from occurring , but they remain at the mercy of loading and unloading conditions that are often out of their control – at least to the point where they need to rely on less-reliable manual and analog tank-monitoring systems .
Knowing the stress that fuel-transport fleets and their drivers can be put under to meet strict delivery schedules , while also ensuring that the right fuel and amount goes into the right tank 100 % of the time , the developers and manufacturers of tank-monitoring equipment and systems have looked for ways to incorporate cutting-edge digital technologies into their products . An example is the new CivaCommand Smart Tank System from Civacon , an OPW company based in Hamilton , Ohio .
The fulcrum of these systems is easy-to-use digital tank-monitoring technology that features an easy-to-read graphic touchscreen display that communicates wirelessly with the trailer ’ s fuel-delivery and operation-monitoring components . The touchscreen display , which is securely activated by the driver – even while wearing gloves – via a unique user ID and PIN , consolidates access to the many different control systems on a fuel trailer , including fuel retain , overfill control , on-board monitoring , pneumatic ( air pressure ) control , product-crossover prevention , system troubleshooting and usage history .
The digital technology enables the system to predict or prevent non-permissive readings , which lets the driver know that the loading process will proceed uninterrupted . The system also provides automatic digital overfill prevention through built-in fault logs that automatically control the valves during all loading and unloading activities .
The system enters delivery mode only after a proper connection between the trailer and storage tank is achieved . Loading only begins if the driver has full permit status , meaning that all vapor connections , overfill components and grounding devices are safely connected and ready for operation . Wireless RFID
www . fueloilnews . com | FUEL OIL NEWS | JANUARY 2022 27