Storage tank
Tank gauging with IoT shows the stock in every storage tank remotely, even for widely dispersed or underground tanks. Operators and suppliers spot low levels in time and plan orders and deliveries around actual demand.
Storage tank at a glance
Most frequent in the projects on this page
Verified projects featuring Storage tank
Fragmented data stops innovation – buy-and-build strategy for sustainable asset management
Remote monitoring of oil, gas and chemical storage tanks
Intelligent container services for cleaning facilities in Hamburg
Tank gauging for storage tanks: know your stock remotely
In the solution examples, battery-powered telemetry units from Sensile Technologies record the level of oil, gas, chemical and lubricant tanks. The devices are waterproof and explosion-proof to ATEX Zone 0 and UL Class I, Div 1, and transmit via cellular networks (NB-IoT and CAT-M) or LoRaWAN. In the Oil Link portal, hosted in Switzerland, users set up dashboards and alarms and access analyses and forecasts. On the Cumulocity platform, which handles data ingestion, device management and security, a chemicals manufacturer combines device data, customer data histories and APIs.
The examples come from chemicals and energy, with use cases such as inventory management, reordering and route optimisation. With the Sensile solution, presented by WIKA, companies order at the best time, avoid stock shortages and rush deliveries, and detect unusual consumption patterns. A global specialty chemicals manufacturer uses Cumulocity to monitor stock levels in its customers' tanks and doubled the number of connected devices from 800 to 1,600 within nine months. In the Port of Hamburg, erminas records water, energy and cleaning agents per wash cycle when cleaning containers and tanks.
Tank gauging: frequently asked questions
How does automatic tank gauging with remote transmission work?
A telemetry unit on the tank records the level and sends the value via cellular network or LoRaWAN to a portal. At Sensile Technologies, the devices are battery-powered and transmit via NB-IoT or CAT-M, and thanks to an optimised antenna they also work on tanks that are hard to reach. In the Oil Link portal, users see real-time data, set alarms and use analyses and forecasts to plan orders.
How does tank telemetry improve deliveries?
Tank telemetry provides the data to plan deliveries around the actual fill level. With the Sensile solution, companies order at the best time, avoid stock shortages and optimise transport. Because Oil Link calculates the ideal delivery date, rush deliveries and premature deliveries of small quantities are avoided. Unusual consumption patterns are also detected, so suppliers can act preventively and offer their customers a proactive service.
Is chemical tank level monitoring possible for explosive liquids?
Yes, provided the devices are explosion-proof. The telemetry units from Sensile Technologies meet ATEX Zone 0 and UL Class I, Div 1 and are robust and waterproof. They are designed for oil, gas, waste oil, chemical and lubricant tanks as well as filling stations and gas cylinders. This matters because such tanks are often insulated or installed underground and therefore difficult to access.
How is bulk tank monitoring at customer sites integrated into an IoT platform?
The readings flow into an IoT platform that handles data ingestion, device management and security. A specialty chemicals manufacturer uses Cumulocity for this and combines device data with customer data histories, manual data feeds and APIs. On this basis it has built monitoring of stock levels at its customers' sites. Through the Technical Performance Dashboards, more than 1,500 after-sales staff also see their customers' performance data.
More assets in “Containers, Silos and Tanks”
Transport container
Shipment monitoring with IoT reports where a transport container is and whether anyone opens it without authorisation. For valuable or sensitive goods, the system raises an alarm immediately instead of a theft only being noticed by the recipient.
Load carrier
An RTLS locates load carriers such as mesh boxes, pallets and bins across halls and plants in real time. Companies cut search times, replace accompanying paperwork and manual scanning, and trigger bookings and transports automatically.
Pallet
Pallet tracking with IoT shows where every pallet is, what is on it and how much stock remains. Sensors, RFID and wireless networks replace search trips, manual scanning and stocktaking counts with a forklift.
Process vessel
Process monitoring with IoT continuously records level, temperature, humidity and other parameters in a process vessel. Without inspection rounds, operators know when to refill or empty it and whether the contents are still usable.
Collection container
Waste container monitoring connects collection containers and waste locks so that they report fill levels and emptying events in real time. Operators see which containers are full, plan collections accordingly and bill by actual use.
Container
Container tracking software with IoT shows where a container is and its status, whether an air freight container, a container in a construction fleet or a unit shipped worldwide. Companies save search time and plan storage more precisely.
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