Fuel Management Solutions

The LAS Fuel Management System (FMS) is used on private vehicle fleets and enables “attendant free refuelling” and “remote monitoring of fuel usage and stocks” by Fuel Managers. The system is not restricted to Fuels and all functionality can be implemented for Lubricants.

Typical sectors making use of the LAS FMS systems include

• Mining
• Public Transport such as Bus Companies
• Freight Transport
• Municipalities
• Agriculture– Private and Commercial
• Airports
• Ports and Harbours

The FMS impacts the fuel process as follows:

• Human error is reduced. Detail regarding fuel transactions and status is captured electronically.
  • Fuel receipts
  • Fuel stock
  • Fuel Dispensing into vehicles
  • Fuel transfers into other tanks or mobile fuel Trucks

• Efficiencies – are improved as follows:
  • Dispensing limited to authorised vehicles
  • Saved transactions can be retrieved at any time.
  • Standard preformatted reports are on-hand to provide management information.

The system building blocks

• Hardware
  • Server  to house the SQL Database
  •  Communication devices and infrastructure tocommunicate with the Field equipment.
  • Field equipment
    • Fuel receiving via Hectronic Heconomy or Contrec Controllers
    • Fuel dispensing via Hectronic Heconomy
    • Fuel transfers automated using Contrec flow computers
  • Vehicles would typically comprise of the following options:
    • Tag only – for light vehicles or where the odometer reading is not automated.
    • Tag and AVR – for heavy vehicles where the odometer reading is required.
  • Tank level indication
    •  Hectronic capacitance probe for smaller tanks (maximum measuring depth of 6m)
    • Motherwell Servo or Radar Gauging for larger tanks.
• Software
  • OPTIMIM is an SQL based, in-house developed, Software Package.
  • Custom interfaces with new field equipment, as well as customised reports are possible.
  • The Database is installed on a central server
  • User software is installed on users PCs (as per no. of licenses purchased) and set up according to roles – i.e. administrator etc.

General operation of FMS

• Database Setup
  • The current site and vehicle conditions are configured by LAS, and the system is commissioned. These include
    • Vehicles and tags – (identification number, make and model, tank capacity, fleet-owner)
    • Tanks and probes – (tank description, products associated with tank, probe strapping tables)
    • Controllers and nozzle readers – (Hectronic Controller description, fuel products associated with each Controller – maximum of 8 nozzles per controller, nozzle readers associated with each product)
  • Any changes to the system should be maintained on the software.
  • Receipt of fuel
    • Attendant presents hand held tag to controller – this tag is configured as a “receipts tag” on the software
    • If authorised receiving pump (if fitted) is started, valve opened and transaction is recorded
    • All transactions are stored on the controller until they are retrieved by software
  • Refuelling of vehicle
    • Fuel nozzle inserted into tank
    • Reader on Nozzle identifies vehicle, then confirms whether or not vehicle is authorised to refuel
    • If authorised, Hectronic controller records kilometres or hours ( either manually or automatically), then starts pump and opens valves and transaction is recorded
    • All transactions are stored on the Hectronic controller until they are retrieved by software
  • Tank levels
    • Hectronic Controller is set to record tank levels at predetermined intervals
    • These levels are stored on the Hectronic controller until retrieved by software
  • Polling of Hectronic controllers
    • As mentioned above, all Hectronic Controllers store transactions until the software retrieves them. This means that the system is in effect NOT a live system. This architecture does however allow the Hectronic controllers to function independently should there be power or communication problems with the server etc.
    • Polling (retrieval) of transactions can be set up to occur at any interval. Depending on the method/s of communication this could be from every minute, to once a day.
    • Polling includes the following
      • Sending new or changed vehicle data to the relevant Hectronic Controller/s
      • Sending new site details e.g. tanks, controllers, nozzles to Hectronic Controllers
      • Retrieving tank levels
      • Retrieving fuel transactions
    • Reports and data
      • The OPTIMIM software comes standard with a set of “most requested” reports
      • These reports are presented in pdf format, but can also be exported to Excel
      • Custom reports and export files for use with an ERP can also be developed 

Should you wish to find out more information on fuel gauges or our fuel management solutions, please contact us