Although fluid monitoring technology has come of age in recent years, its level of sophistication varies widely across industries. Some users of bulk chemicals, fuels, and other fluids use state-of-the-art systems with bells and whistles like automated data gathering and transmission. At the other extreme, some tank farms still “stick the tanks.” Although 95% of large industrial facilities have gauges and monitors on their tanks, most rely on a human being to read them.
For users of bulk lubricants, advances in online fluid monitoring have produced innovative systems that save time and money. For example, the EyeTank service from Chevron Global Lubricants (San Ramon, Calif.) enables reliable maintenance of bulk lubricants at optimum levels. By combining proven technologies from companies such as Level Devil, FuelQuest, and SMARTLogix, this new approach to fluid monitoring safeguards lubricants and equipment, prevents costly mishaps, and benefits users’ bottom lines.
A new tiger for your tank
Here’s how the EyeTank service works (Figure 5):
1. Sensors measure the fluid level within the tank at regular intervals daily.
2. Readings are sent via wire, cellular, or satellite transmission to the 
EyeTank service.
3. The data are analyzed and placed in a confidential folder on the EyeTank portal, which the user can access via a standard web browser.
4. If the user chooses the Forecast option, EyeTank notes when the level is getting low and notifies the user that he needs to order fluid, manually.
5. If the user chooses the Auto-Replenishment option, EyeTank places the order automatically.
6. The order is routed to the Chevron/Texaco Blend Plant or to the customer’s lubricant supplier.
7. The order is filled and double-checked against specifications for blend, quantity, and packaging.
8. Product is shipped to the user’s facility and used to refill the tank.
By checking their confidential folder periodically, users can monitor their supply of lubricating fluid and optimize its inventory level. The Auto-Replenishment option is especially useful for eliminating the costs and stress of placing emergency orders and waiting for deliveries. And it should go without saying that automating the process for taking level readings reduces labor costs. Even if its tanks are equipped with sensors and gauges, it can take several hours to gather data at a large plant.
Among the other benefits of the EyeTank service is its support for simultaneous viewing of the levels in multiple tanks. Finally, because the system digitizes level readings, they become available for input into supply-chain management applications. Often, mundane data such as tank levels escape the reach of sophisticated, centralized enterprise resource planning systems increasingly used by power companies to tightly integrate their business processes for the sake of gaining a competitive edge.
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