Cross Overfill Prevention System

FUEL DEPOT EQUIPMENT

SECU MultiTank can provide an 100% safe and efficient delivery without driver intervention, for the complete logistic chain of the oil-company.

The first week point in the normal process for contamination of different products and grades, is the loading of tank truck compartments in the depot. An empty compartment can be normally loaded with any product whereas a compartment, which still carries product should be loaded only with the same product.

There is always the possibility that there are some products from the last delivery in the pipe-line of the system, which can easily be around 50 liters or more, or even retained product in the compartment.

The system can avoid the mixture into the compartment, and allow only empty compartments to be loaded with any product, while compartments still having product to be loaded only with the same grade of product.

The SECU MultiPID (Product Identification Device) fixed connected to the loading arm, carrying product codes, requires the driver to just connect the terminal loading arm to the tank truck in the usual way. The SECU MultiPID can be linked to up to 6 loading arms. Each arm is electrically isolated typically through the drop hose flange and the earthing circuit completed through the MultiPID. This correctly maintains the safety earth of the system allowing non SECU-MultiTank equipped trucks to load safely as usual.

This correctly maintains the safety earth of the system, allowing non SECU-MultiTank equipped trucks to load safely as usual.

Additionally, SECU MultiPID for terminals can be be data-connected through a Modbus to the terminal automation system, allowing for on-the-fly product grade changes of every loading arm, which is sometimes occuring. This permits correct product grade coding to the truck, without external action at the loading rack, in case of more than 1 different grade through 1 loading arm.

Once the connection is done correctly and the product is loaded, the SECU MultiTerm on the tank truck knows each product grade in the compartment, and shows the driver visually on the display.

The process is automated, with no external intervention, and the driver has only to just connect the loading arm to the tank truck, as per stanard loading process.

The SECU MultiPID requires no external power supply and is fully ATEX certified.

TANK TRUCK EQUIPMENT

The heart of the SECU MultiTank is on the tanker truck. It is the truck that controls whether products are loaded and unloaded.

The reason for the truck to be the focus of the system is because the truck is the one continuously variable storage for product in the logistics chain. Loading arms generally deliver the same product, storage tanks at retail sites are usually fixed in which product they store, but the compartments of the truck truck change on each loading.

Keeping track of which product goes into which compartment on the truck is what the SECU MultiTerm does, and then controlling the system of the truck, to ensure that no product is mixed with another, either at the terminal on loading into the truck, or while unloading product into the retail station.

The system is monitored through a 4 line LCD display which gives a clear indication of the product in each compartment and whether it will permit loading or unloading. Additional benefits of the system is the ability to customise the loading and unloading procedures, to suit individual clients, ensuring that company rules are followed.

Data can be retrieved directly from the SECU MultiTank Terminal or through interfaces to onboard truck computers, or via on-truck modems, and could even be automatically transmitted to the operations base.

The system can also interface with other sensors on the truck to provide additional information on activity on the truck including compartment sensors.

In that way the information of every action the driver is doing in real time.

FUEL STATION EQUIPMENT

At the retail station another Secu-Tech MultiPID unit or a SinglePID is installed (depending of single- or central filling points).

The appropriate product codes can be programmed at site during installation using a PC and an EX-certified adapter or PID Tester for each tank, and each tank fill fitting is isolated from ground and the ground connection made through the MultiPID.

As the programming is done via a PC, the site configuration is saved and can be simply updated during any product change, without requiring further installation work other than tank labelling.

The earthing connection point for the tanker is still used as before.

ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM

SECU MultiTank will provide an oil company with an immediate benefit in prevention of cross filling of tanks and trucks, thereby eliminating costs involving such incidents, including management time, while also protect the brand name from adverse comments cross filling incidents can generate when not identified quickly enough.

Even unloading of more hoses at the same time would be possible, bring much quicker unloading times and thus saving a lot of costs.

SECU MultiTank operates fully automatically in the background, only requiring the operators to view the terminal screen in the event of the system not permitting the expected activity, the terminal indicating to the operator where the incorrect connection is.

In addition, the inclusion of SECU MultiTank components in the network does not stop conventional operations, as the terminal and station equipment is invisible to non-SECU MultiTank equipped trucks.

SECU MultiTank is an open concept design system, conforming to the European standard for Crossover Prevention Systems, while the open design allows Secu-Tech to enhance the capabilities of the system to suit customer requirements, which include pre-configuration of load requirements for tank trucks, interfacing with terminal automation systems and also petrol station automation systems.

Additionally, data transfer with central fleet operations is possible, for real time scheduling of trucks.