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REAL-TIME MONTORING WITH INVENTORY DATA TREND DISPLAYS: REAL-TIME AND HISTORICAL SERVER / CLIENT OPERATION SIMPLICITY OF USE BUILT-IN-TEST-EQUIPMENT |
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Precision Where It Counts
Precision Level Temperature Telemetry
The PIE system utilizes hardware for real-time data gathering of fuel storage conditions in large underground (UST’s) or aboveground (AST's) tanks and software for the local and remote display and analysis of this information.
The PIE system can be supplied with interface drivers to most Automatic Tank Gauging Systems.
PIE provides 3 sophisticated add-on tools:
| GENERAL The PIE system performs the central function of collecting all of the live, dynamic data relative to tanks. The PIE system has its foundation in hardware real-time data gathering of fuel storage conditions in large underground (UST’s) or aboveground (AST's) tanks and the local and remote software display and analysis of this information using off the shelf components. Asteroid Scientific can supply RIU's (Remote Interface Units) or interface to existing field data gathering equipment or supply interface drivers to existing Automatic Tank Gauging systems. PIE collects its data real-time and stores it to a real-time RAM database for current, live-data and to a hard disk as an historical database. This system works in a server/client mode over a secure, isolated LAN that transmits bidirectionally from the server to the remote clients. Remote PIE clients poll the server to collect its data over the AsterNet Local Area Network (AN LAN). PIE is capable of communicating with any OPC server independent of the particular hardware device or I/O handled by the server. This allows the exchange of PIE data with OPC servers running on any computer in an enterprise-wide Ethernet TCP/IP based network. PIE-DAQ is completely operator independent, i.e., no operator interface is required whatsoever. Assuming all field IO hardware is active and operational, PIE-DAQ will startup automatically from computer powerup. The program will configure itself to the current configuration file settings and begin scanning the field hardware, display the field data to the Gauge Data screen, and log the data to the historical file on hard-disk. Clients can be set up with various levels of access to the data. Logging into PIE-DAQ is the key to the interface into the operating system of PIE-DAQ (see SysOps). The security access level (SAL) sets the depth of inquiry into the system. The lowest level provides no control capability, one can only view the main screen. A supervisory level allows monitoring of trend data (real-time or historical) and Service and Factory Support allow full access to the system. |
SYSOPS Only for diagnostics or maintenance or system management is direct physical interface required into the computer application program of PIE-DAQ. When interface is required a security access protocol prevents tampering and misadjustment of key configuration parameters. Access on the screen is available via a control button (called SysOps) accessible from the mouse. SysOps (System Operations) includes the following diagnostic and operational features:
The Trends feature in addition to its system diagnostics enhancement, provides immediate on-line access to real-time as well as historical data for the level and temperature for use by the system manager for resolving any peculiarities or anomalies occurring in any tank environment. BITE The BITE or Built-In-Test-Equipment provides a real-time look at specific actual timing rates and throughputs PIE-DAQ is accomplishing on the target machine as well as error codes generated and access to the Simulator Mode. BITE is separated into functional areas of level and temperature. The indicators and controls are provided for server/client communication errors, level/temperature scanning errors, analog timeouts, and much more. Unique to fuel farm automation equipment is a Simulator for PIE-DAQ. For trouble-shooting complex problems or anomalies in the system, the system can be placed in Simulator mode and monitored for comparisons to Normal operation. The Simulator is also useful as an initial startup vehicle at system install if field interface scanning equipment is not yet on-line. |
| TTO
Tank Trend Operations TTO (Tank Trend Operations) is a major add-on enhancement to facility operational capabilities. TTO allows an operator to real-time monitor (see) what his tank is doing during a fueling operation, whether issuing or receiving. The operator can see the key trend of the level as the operation proceeds as well as the trend of the temperature. If there are any anomalies they will be readily apparent. Confirmation, at a glance, is given of past performance as well as current. TTO provides a digital indicator showing what the current gross volume change (variance) is for the tank (as the operation is in progress), i.e., how much fuel has been issued from the tank or how much fuel has been received by the tank. TTO also provides a dynamic indicator (vane meter) of an estimate of overall average fuel flow rate during the operation. Tank Trend Operations can display two simultaneous tank operations on the same screen. |
TOTank Operations Tank Operations (TO) is another operational add-on feature to the PIE System. The TO inherent operational features that make it important as an adjunct to TTO are the following: 1) 4 tanks can be run simultaneously, TTO can only do 2 tanks, 2) an inventory table in standard format in one convenient location with all of the inventory data, versus the PIE-DAQ screen format, and 3) the inventory table provides the inventory data for the Start of the operation and the Current state or the End state when the operation is over. After an operation is in progress the PIE-DAQ screen only shows the Current state for inventory. In addition, TO has 3 other selling points beyond its own inherent operational features: 1) An enhanced Issue/Receipt display, 2) a Gauge Type selector so that Fractional Feet & inches as well Digital Feet for the fuel level can be displayed, and 3) a Mass calculation value in Metric Tons in the Inventory Table. From a practical, facility operational point of view, operators can use both the TTO and the TO simultaneously for a fueling operation. From TTO, operators will like to see the actual level trend (confirmation of valid operation), especially at the beginning and the end of an operation and then they’ll like to get the Start and End inventory data from TO. |
| THTTank Historical Trend Tank Historical Trend (THT) is a post-analysis add-on feature to the PIE System. This is a slick program (excuse the coarse jargon), but it really provides some important information in an easy to use manner. This program is much more sophisticated than the standard SysOps Historical Trend provided with PIE. The common dual sliding cursor lines for all trends is an advanced feature coupled with its instant update of the inventory table along with a delta for the 2 cursor lines. This feature is hard to describe without a hands-on demonstration. There are four trend graphs 1) level, 2) temperature, 3) pressure (if available), and 4) net volume variance. The Inventory Table on THT in addition to the normal data of level, temperature, GVOL, Gravity, VCF, and NVOL also includes the date and the time for two selected points in time on the trends. And more importantly, it provides you with the delta (the change) information for those two selections. The sophistication of this program goes beyond anything available anywhere else in the petroleum management industry. |
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