Methods and systems for measuring physical volume

• US 7,177,780 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilot Travel Centers LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flying J Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Aaron R., Guillerm, Thierry J., Hillam, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau; Tung S.
• Application Number:
  US11/061,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 702/156, 702/55, 702/155, 73/17.3
• US Class Current: 702/156
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3209 relating to spillage or leakage, e.g. spill containments, leak detection leak detectors for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/2892
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a volume of liquid product in a manifold set of tanks. The method includes identifying a plurality of book volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks. The method further includes identifying a plurality of measured physical volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks, each measured physical volume being associated with one book volume of the plurality of book volumes. Following collecting the volumes, the method includes determining a variance between each measured physical volume of the plurality of measured volumes and each book volume of the plurality of book volumes and then using those variances to generate an expected variance to each of the plurality of measured physical volumes, the combination of the expected variance and the measured physical volume being the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.

Claims

1. In a liquid product facility that periodically monitors a measured height of liquid product within one or more tanks for storage thereof, as well as monitors a volume flow dispensed there from, a method of determining a relationship between volume and variance between expected volume and calibrated volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks in order to show volume to height and volume to variance relationships therein, the method comprising:

determining an initial volume of liquid product within one or more tanks;

monitoring flow of liquid product from the one or more tanks for determining a dispensed volume of liquid product over a period of time;

comparing the initial volume of liquid product with the dispensed volume of liquid product for determining a calibrated volume of liquid product within the tank, which represents the actual amount of liquid product within the one or more tanks at a specific period in time;

at the specific period in time, measuring the height of the liquid product within the tank for determining an expected volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks based on a previously designed tank chart of height to volume ratios;

comparing the calibrated volume to the expected volume of liquid product for determining a variance; and

storing the determined variance for subsequent use in one or more of;

creating one or more variance to volume graphs for variance trend analysis; and

creating a volume to height chart relative to the variance from the previously designed tank chart in order to compensate for tilt, deformation, and other inaccuracy in the tank when determining an appropriate volume of liquid product with relation to the height thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume to height chart is a series of piecewise formula for determining a relationship of height to volume other than the true relationship.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously designed tank chart for determining the expected volume of liquid product within the tank is based on either the tank manufacture'"'"'s chart or a third party chart.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein based on the relationship between variance and volume from the one or more variance to volume graphs, a calibrated curve represented by the volume to height chart is shifted in such a manner as to minimize a least squares difference in the calibration curve and the manufacture'"'"'s chart.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the variance to volume graphs can be used to identify future variances that deviate there from, which become unexplained variance subject to later assignment through correlation analysis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the future variances indicate that the method needs to be performed again for recalibration of the variance to volume graph or the volume to height chart.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is repeated for a plurality of tanks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the single method calibrates a series of manifold tanks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature within the tank, a dispenser, or both, are used to convert the gallons dispensed to the appropriate density in order to minimize bias in the tank volume to height chart and increase the accuracy of the system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is repeated such that a plurality of variances are identified, and wherein each time a variance is determined, the method further comprising:

combining the plurality of variances to create a accumulative variance;

determining that a delivery of liquid product has occurred, such that the volume of liquid product is increased within the tank; and

based on the delivery, performing a physical volume to book balance reconciliation and setting the accumulative variance to zero.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of variances are used as a first set of data points that are displayed in the volume to variance graph, and wherein the method of claim 1 is repeated for a plurality of other reconciliation processes until the calibration process is finished, or until another delivery is made.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the repeat of the method of claim 1 generates a second plurality of variances, which are combined to produce a second set of data points displayed in the volume to variance graph such that a first segment is created corresponding to the first set of data points and a second segment is crated corresponding to the second set of data points.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second segments are assigned a hierarchy and are connected by using a technique of minimizing the least squares distance of the overlapping portions of the first and second segments.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the plurality of variances are used as a first set of data points that are displayed in the volume to variance graph, and wherein the method of claim 13 is repeated for a plurality of other reconciliation processes until the calibration process is finished, or until another delivery is made.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the repeat of the method of claim 13 generates a second plurality of variances, which are combined to produce a second set of data points displayed in the volume to variance graph such that a first segment is created corresponding to the first set of data points and a second segment is crated corresponding to the second set of data points.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the first and second segments are assigned a hierarchy and are connected by using a technique of minimizing the least squares distance of the overlapping portions of the first and second segments.

14. In a liquid product facility that periodically monitors a measured height of liquid product within one or more tanks for storage thereof, as well as monitors a volume flow dispensed there from, a computer program product for implementing a method of determining a relationship between volume and variance between expected volume and calibrated volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks in order to show volume to height and volume to variance relationships therein, the computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, can cause the liquid product reconciliation system to perform the following:

determine an initial volume of liquid product within one or more tanks;

monitor flow of liquid product from the one or more tanks for determining a dispensed volume of liquid product over a period of time;

compare the initial volume of liquid product with the dispensed volume of liquid product for determining a calibrated volume of liquid product within the tank, which represents the actual amount of liquid product within the one or more tanks at a specific period in time;

at the specific period in time, measure the height of the liquid product within the tank for determining an expected volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks based on a previously designed tank chart of height to volume ratios;

compare the calibrated volume to the expected volume of liquid product for determining a variance; and

store the determined variance for subsequent use in one or more of;

creating one or more variance to volume graphs for variance trend analysis; and

creating a volume to height chart relative to the variance from the previously designed tank chart in order to compensate for tilt, deformation, and other inaccuracy in the tank when determining an appropriate volume of liquid product with relation to the height thereof.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the volume to height chart is a series of piecewise formula for determining a relationship of height to volume other than the true relationship.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the previously designed tank chart for determining the expected volume of liquid product within the tank is based on either the tank manufacture'"'"'s chart or a third party chart.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein based on the relationship between variance and volume from the one or more variance to volume graphs, a calibrated curve represented by the volume to height chart is shifted in such a manner as to minimize a least squares difference in the calibration curve and the manufacture'"'"'s chart.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the variance to volume graphs can be used to identify future variances that deviate there from, which become unexplained variance subject to later assignment through correlation analysis.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the future variances indicate that the method needs to be performed again for recalibration of the variance to volume graph or the volume to height chart.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method is repeated for a plurality of tanks.

21. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the single method calibrates a series of manifold tanks.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the temperature within the tank, a dispenser, or both, are used to convert the gallons dispensed to the appropriate density in order to minimize bias in the tank volume to height chart and increase the accuracy of the system.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method is repeated such that a plurality of variances are identified, and wherein each time a variance is determined, the computer program product comprising further computer executable instructions that when executed case the liquid product reconciliation system to perform the following:

combine the plurality of variances to create a accumulative variance;

determine that a delivery of liquid product has occurred, such that the volume of liquid product is increased within the tank; and

based on the delivery, perform a physical volume to book balance reconciliation and setting the accumulative variance to zero.

27. In a liquid product facility that periodically monitors a measured height of liquid product within one or more tanks for storage thereof, as well as monitors a volume flow dispensed there from, a method of determining a relationship between volume and variance between expected volume and calibrated volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks in order to show volume to height and volume to variance relationships therein, the method comprising:

determining an initial volume of liquid product within one or more tanks;

monitoring flow of liquid product from the one or more tanks for determining a dispensed volume of liquid product over a period of time;

comparing the initial volume of liquid product with the dispensed volume of liquid product for determining a calibrated volume of liquid product within the tank, which represents the actual amount of liquid product within the one or more tanks at a specific period in time;

at the specific period in time, measuring the height of the liquid product within the tank for determining an expected volume of liquid product within the one or more tanks based on a manufacture'"'"'s chart of height to volume ratios;

comparing the calibrated volume to the expected volume of liquid product for determining a variance; and

storing the determined variance for subsequent use in one or more of;

creating one or more variance to volume graphs for variance trend analysis; and

creating a volume to height chart relative to the variance from the manufacture'"'"'s chart in order to compensate for tilt, deformation, and other inaccuracy in the tank when determining an appropriate volume of liquid product with relation to the height thereof.