Still measuring your tank with a dip stick?

Recently I visited a pump near Gazipur. A young man was measuring a tank with a dip stick. I asked, “How much fuel is there?” He said, “Around 3,200 to 3,300 litres.” What does “around” mean? A 100-litre uncertainty is ৳9,000. With an ATG you get an exact answer: “3,247.3 litres.”

What is an ATG?

ATG stands for Automatic Tank Gauging. It is a digital device that measures the exact fuel level in your tank, 24 hours a day, in real time.

• Probe: an electronic probe inside the tank monitors the fuel level continuously
• Temperature compensation: it measures the fuel temperature and works out how the volume changes with heat and cold
• Water detection: it detects whether there is water at the bottom of the tank
• Real-time data: readings update every second and you see them live on a phone or computer

Manual dipping versus ATG

Problems with the dip stick, which you probably use today:

• Large errors are possible, and reading mistakes are common
• Each measurement takes time
• Rain and heat make it difficult
• Water contamination can be missed
• Morning and evening readings differ because of temperature
• Staff can fake the readings

What an ATG gives you instead:

• An instant reading, with no human error
• Works in any weather, around the clock
• An immediate alert if water appears
• Volumes corrected for temperature, so you see the true amount
• Much harder for staff to manipulate

More than a level reading

• Leak detection: if a tank leaks anywhere, the ATG spots it quickly, which protects the environment and prevents fuel loss
• Delivery verification: it confirms how much a tanker really delivered. Was it really 10,000 litres?
• Theft alert: an instant SMS if someone takes fuel without authorisation, even at 3 AM
• Stock forecasting: from the current consumption rate it predicts when a tank will run empty, so you don’t run out
• Several products: petrol, diesel and octane are each monitored separately

Installing in Bangladesh conditions

• High heat: sensors and equipment need to cope with very hot days
• Power cuts: battery backup keeps data safe through load-shedding
• Monsoon water: water-resistant installation and drainage alerts
• Weak internet: data is stored locally and the system can use more than one network

If someone asked you today exactly how much fuel is in each tank, could you answer with confidence? A station with an ATG can say, “Tank A, 15,247.8 litres. Tank B, 8,932.3 litres. Water level, 0 mm. Last delivery, 10,000 litres verified.” What would your answer be?