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Fuel monitoring system prevents fuel theft

Measuring vehicle fuel tank levels using the Tank-I system has proved to be a successful solution, as it enables fleet operators to monitor, manage and, ultimately, protect their fuel, says process control instrumentation and industrial electronics company Instrotech.

“With the ever-escalating cost of fuel, which currently costs between R12 and R13 a litre, the siphoning-off of fuel from vehicles in commercial fleets and in industry, in general, for illicit sale is, not surprisingly, but most alarmingly, on the increase,” says the company.

“Fuel theft is a major challenge facing the trucking industry. The ability to accurately monitor fuel levels on trucks in real time using the Tank-I level system, makes the payoff time for this system significantly short and the results reliable,” says Instrotech sales director Scott Hunter.

The Tank-I system is a scaled-down version of Rototherms Vessel Check System, which was specifically modified for the trucking and logistics industries in Russia, owing to significant fuel theft challenges faced by the country’s trucking industry.

“Any company that needs to monitor the levels of clear liquids in its tanks, especially when it is difficult to modify the tank to fit a sensor, can benefit from Vessel Check technology,” notes Hunter, adding that the Vessel Check System is a noninvasive system and can, therefore, be bonded to the bottom of the tank without the need for any modifications.

Tank-I entails placing a small, noninvasive ultrasonic sensor that is bonded to the external base of the fuel tank. The system remotely calculates the height of the liquid in the tank using the time taken for a signal to reach the liquid’s surface. Signals from the transducer are fed into the processor and the level is transmitted to the trucks telemetry system using an analog or a digital transmission signal.

The package is supplied as a sensor or processor pair. The system can be config- ured to work in low power mode, which can be controlled from the telemetry system, where required. When combined with a GRS telemetry tracking system, the fleet manager can accurately determine the latest fuel consumption of a vehicle and detect any excess consumption, possibly resulting from fuel theft.
“Tank-I is safety-approved for hazardous areas and is easy to install, with no downtime and penetration of the tank vessel. It can be retrofitted to existing tanks or fleets and is unaffected by temperature fluctuations, while no maintenance is required on the unit because there are no moving parts,” explains Hunter.
 The Vessel Check technology has been used in refrigerant receivers, low-pressure gas tanks, distilled spirits vats, beer tanks and tankers, pure water tanks, liquid chlorine tanks, acid tanks and solvent tanks worldwide.

“Vessel Check Systems are used by well-known food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and chemicals companies worldwide for the accurate, reliable, simple and safe gauging of tank contents,” notes Hunter, adding that local beverage producer South African Breweries has been using the technology to run its beer tanks for many years.

Meanwhile, Instrotech notes that it has embarked on an active approach to offer a complete solution in terms of its product offerings and services to the manufacturing and processing industries throughout Africa.

“We recently added some new high- quality products to our range to improve our offering to customers. Instrotech offers a solution for pretty much any application in almost any industry throughout Africa,” says Hunter.

He points out that the company recently focused more on its sales team to perfect the manner in which it targets industries, which include the delivery and food and beverage industries.

Instrotech notes that there are many level-monitoring companies in South Africa that could be potential competitors. “However, we are not aware of any competi- tors that offer the truly noninvasive option that Vessel Check offers,” says Hunter.

 The company points out that potential for growth within the industry lies in real- time tracking and surveillance-solution companies that have been showing positive interest in the Tank-I technology.

“Instrotech constantly looks for new applications for its comprehensive product range to offer a much greater scope of solutions to various industries. Our technical team has vast experience in every industry and can, therefore, offer customised solutions for most applications required by our customers,” concludes Hunter.

The Vessel Check product is manufactured by Canongate Technologies, in the UK, which is part of industrial instrumentation supplier group Rototherm, and is represented in South Africa by Instrotech.



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