Correct monitoring of fuel tanks requires comprehensive strategies and advanced tools capable of anticipating corrosion, preventing unwanted leaks and meeting HSE requirements. RedLook’s Intelligent Thermography easily and remotely addresses this challenge.

Tank gauging is fundamental, both for the assessment of tank contents and to carry out a proper tank farm management*. In this task, the ability to evaluate the contents of a tank at a distance has several undeniable advantages:

• Much safer measure, eliminates risk components for the worker
• Immediate reading in real time, easily understandable

RedLook’s Intelligent Thermography tool works by recognizing the different thermal patterns generated by filling levels.

However, there are various aspects that must be considered in order to achieve a reliable reading**:

• Tanks can contain more than just liquids. Gas, obviously, but also substances that accumulate on the bottom or walls of tanks. These muddy materials can be difficult to distinguish.
• The type of paint in the tank can influence interior/exterior temperature differences, useful for evaluating tank contents.
• Tanks located inside buildings have less influence of the daytime thermal cycle.

Like any professional activity, experience and knowledge lead to better results. In this case, the calculation of the filling level becomes certain when the technician applies his knowledge of materials and physics to the thermal differences.

SENSIA’s team of engineers is highly specialized in the use of Optical Gas Imaging and infrared thermal systems for all kinds of industrial applications. SENSIA offers on-site training on the use of its products for tank gauging and other applications.

REFERENCES

*  The art of tank gauging, Enraf B.V. 

** Infrared Thermography Locates Levels in Tanks, Silos. Efficient Plat