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Fuel-Management Systems

 

Fuel management systems are used to maintain, track and monitor fuel usage and stockpiling in any form of industry that uses transport as a means of business, including rail, road, water, and air. Fuel management systems are designed to efficiently monitor and control fuel usage within the transport and construction industries. Usually they are used for truck fleets, including rail vehicles and aircraft, as well as for any truck that needs fuel to operate.

 

We use different methods and techniques for controlling and recording fuel inventories, purchases of fuel, and dispensing of fuel. To inform management practices, this information can then be stored in computerized systems and reports generated with the data. Online fuel management is provided by using web portals to provide comprehensive fueling data, usually vis-a-vis the rear end of an automated fuel management system. This allows for control of consumption, cost analysis, and tax accounting for purchases of fuel.

 

There are many types of systems for handling power. Card-based fuel management systems usually monitor fuel purchases based on a credit card and the driver PIN associated with it. Reports can then be created according to a driver’s fuel usage, and data can be downloaded directly. Fuel-management systems on-site can employ fleet refueling services or on-site bulk fuel tanks. When fuel is pumped into cars, it is monitored, and storage rates can be controlled on-site.

 

Some fuel companies provide total fuel management systems by offering on-site fuel distribution and refueling services with elements of a card-based program. Mobile fuel management refers to a fleet of trucks or tankers that supply fuel to large truck fleets or construction equipment. It entails combining RFID technology to identify equipment and automated fuel management to add to a specific piece of equipment the details of each transaction.

 

The business will save man-hours by refueling vehicles in the evening while they are not in service, because the operators do not refuel and the vehicles do not need extra fuel to drive to the refueling station. They may also use more sophisticated systems that use remote data collection to collect specific technical information about vehicle usage and performance features such as mileage, operating hours, and idling time for engines.

 

The increasing use of biofuel has posed yet another challenge in the management of fuel. With higher water content, there would be a chance of microbial growth – the fuel quality would deteriorate over time depending on the storage conditions, leading to clogged filters and loss of productivity.

 

Fuel filtering and cleaning packs were introduced by tank manufacturers which recirculate the tank contents through a series of filters and ultraviolet treatment to kill bacteria. Instrumentation of fuel quality data can be streamed to allow remote monitoring over Internet connections.

Hardware

There have been, to date, five recognizable generations of the fuel-management system:

First-generation: An electromechanical counter box, pulsed by a shaft-driven encoder mounted to the pump. Using an encoded key selects the correct counter. Throughout the 1960s, these types of systems were available superseded by more sophisticated systems in the late 1970s.

Second generation: A self-contained, electronic and/or microprocessor-controlled fuel-insulated control device that has an ID reader (key, token, RFID, etc.) to identify the vehicle and driver, a means of regulating the pump, a means of measuring the fuel supplied and, generally, a means of recording the fuel drawn by a vehicle. Normally, the fleet list is input through an integral keypad or an office-based console. Such devices were either equipped with integrated printers or permanently hard-wired to back-office consoles that offered basic reporting and printouts, the proliferation of low-cost PCs replaced such machine types.

Third generation: A fuel-insulated control system similar to a second-generation system that is either connected periodically or permanently to a PC used to report the fueling and input the fleet information. These systems also provided the first “networked” systems, usually equipped with a dial-up modem inside the island terminal, in order to download the day’s transaction to a central PC and controller, networks could be polled around usually at 12 pm.

Fourth generation: The fuel-island controller is directly fully connected to a central internet-based server that is updated in real-time. All information and transactions concerning the fleet are held on the central server. The link is made from the fuel island to the server using GPRS or using a Wi-Fi or Cabled Network Connection may use the operator’s own network. The continuous Internet connection can not be guaranteed, and therefore any system of fourth-generation must have a white / blacklist fall-back, usually built-in real-time from previous authorizations.

Fifth-generation: This is the latest and the controller/pedestal has been removed, and uses smartphone access. — hose/nozzle has a hardware tool to turn it on / off and count the dispensed fuel. The local server was replaced by a Cloud server. Cellular data transfers replaced contact. Everything has stayed in real-time so all information about vehicles, personnel, and transactions is instant. The hardware at fuel island is minimal now. For customers that do need a tablet controller/pedestal, a more stationary access point is used with mobile phone capabilities. Fuel control is now part of application systems IoT.

Contact the Premier Source for Remote Fill Systems

Remote Fill Systems is the premier source for remote fill tanks and systems for generator fueling. We are committed to providing knowledgeable and experienced support to our customers from design and application through startup and commissioning. Our team has many years of experience with fuel oil as well as long experience in industrial process control and mechanical HVAC and piping systems. We have developed innovative and cost-effective products in response to customer needs, such as:

 

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