Fuel Tank Monitoring System

In 2019, we were contacted by a provider of comprehensive IoT solutions and products for fleet and fuel management. They had a vision of a new product for smart control of tank status and fluid level within, which would be appropriate for commercial scale. The main vector for them was to minimize production costs by leveraging ready-made components.

Create a low-cost product for remote control of tank fuel level.

Create the complete initial design for the fuel level monitoring system considering the tight production budget.

The PSA team architectured a comprehensive hardware system for seamless remote detection of fuel levels in tanks. Сonsisting of sensors, a control unit, and solar batteries, the system is designed to provide reliable and cost-effective usage for both resting and mobile fuel tanks. 

The following system features were incorporated:

• Sensing of fluid level, overfilling of the tank, and fuel leakages

• Audial and visual alarm notifications 

• LED-display for fuel level, power, and connection status

• Communication with server via Wi-Fi, 3G and GPRS

• Switch on/off and reset buttons

• Simultaneous monitoring of up to 8 tanks by 1 control unit

For this project, the PSA team created a detailed system description, including its architecture, assembly guide, components requirements, product use cases, and all the functional and non-functional requirements for the system. This allows the client to proceed with seamless design, prototyping, and further manufacturing.

To support the low-cost design of the tank monitoring system, we conducted detailed market research and selected affordable and weather-resistant off-the-shelf components that require minimal adjustment to have the system completed. These components include:

• Industrial-grade computer module based on Raspberry Pi

• Communications board with US band 4G/LTE, GPS, and Wi-Fi

• Enclosure

• Battery

• Solar panels

• Equipment for mounting entire system with solar panels on a tank

In addition to the list of components with their possible design, PSA estimated the product implementation for 2k Fuel Tank Monitoring System units, including its design, prototypes, and production cost. 

As a result, the client got all the documentation required for further product development and production  without technical and financial risks. The system contains all the components for management via the web, desktop, or mobile app.

• Market research
• Requirements definition
• Architecture design
• Product specification creation
• Components selection