Fuel/Water tank level indicator design

Other possible solutions might include:

http://ab-marine.com/node/143

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/06fa8bec#/06fa8bec/106

http://www.downwindmarine.com/Tank-Tender-Tank-Measuring-Systems-p-91002013.html

MM

 

I dont know what those links are a bove but I have a pair of fuel tank guage computers. Being a power cat and able to use a lot of fuel but not able to travel economically with a lot I decided on these.

Its is a guage of the same size but very deep it will tell you by reading an average of depth howm much is used , how much to re fil, how much is being used per hour.

It needs very very carefull calibration as they will condition them selves to read any shape of tank.

If I move 20 liters from one tank to the other it will read it.

The tanks are different and contain 800 and 700 liters.

No monitering system can be accurate to 10 liters or so.

 

Google "dipstick".

Choose whatever description fits the best.

 

Have there been more errors with bad fuel gauges or skippers who didn't check or mis-calculated using a dipstick?

 

"mis-calculated using a dipstick"....I do not see how one can miscalculate, as it is wet where the level is and dry above it.

The dipstick is marked for the first time when liquid is introduced into the tank, if it is say diesel, then every 20 litres on the bowser you stop, STOP, mark the stick, then do another 20 (or whatever), STOP at each stage and mark the stick, there is NO CALCULATION needed if this is done from day one, just read the stick.

 

Must be Darwin at work.

I've never had a problem using one and I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

In fact, they have never failed me, once.

 

Is it possible, not probably, only possible to misread the dipstick? It's close to dusk, or drizzling and bad light... with a high-tech gauge on the helm, if you do glance at it wrong, it's in front of you and you'll catch your mistake 5 minutes later.

Good idea calibrating and marking the dipstick in gallons or liters. A friend uses a yardstick marked in inches.

 

Well lets see did I dip in the marina or at sea . Did I dip on the plane or after I put up the main.

I dont want a smelly wet diesel stick in the galley or excuse ( 4am) me can you get out of bed I want to dip.

In this day and age on the boat design forum your talking a dip stick?

 

With the price of fuel, hasn't Darwin moved to sailing only by now

 

Do you dip your black water tanks.

 

HUH !!

No poo poo dipping.

.... locate you fuel dipstick in the lowest corner of the tank and use a PVC pipe that has had its gloss sanded off for the stick. When you accumulate sediment or pick up water its standard practice to dip the PVC pipe stick , then attach a pump to the PVC tube pipe stick and pump the contamnation into jerry jugs or back into an isolated diesel tank thru the isolated tanks dip stick port.

 

Dear posters:
Along my experience, I've found no fully accurate way for computing a tank loading condition.
That personal experience is related to Tankers and Terminals, where I've been many years working.
The echonomical importance of accuracy when loading a Crude or Products Tanker, or when she is discharged, is obvious.
Any aproved measuring and/or calibrated system is cheap if compared with the Cargo-Ship-Trading-Harbour costs, and hence all are used, and many times all of them togheder.
All those electronical devices for level-Ullage mesurements (radar, ultrasounds, pressure, ..... even laser in some conditions), return different values during operations. That means that none of them, even in a big tanker, with giant tanks, at port, is accurate enough.
When final quantities have to be calculated, the old direct measurement by meand of a rope and a graduate stick through a sounding pipe is what works and is taken as true.
Even with so menay datas, when calculations are performed, by the Chieff mate, from the ships side, the Loading Master, from the terminal side, and if required by a third party, a surveyor as represantive of the cargo owner ....
Its normal that none of them get the same results. Finally, quantites have to be agreed between all parts.
Knowing the very big ammount of money that is playing, if there was a fully accurate system for those operations, dont have any doubt, it would be used.
Unfortunatelly, it does not exist in practice.

Regards

 

Crowsnest you are talking about a difference in 10000 liters or more because of a warm day off loading a crude tanker.

We are talking private vessel fuel tanks of a single ton or less.

 

He is simply commenting on the difficulty of gaining reliable...within 10 percent...fuel level readings on a boat. Todays its windy and I can watch my fuel level reading respond to the boats heel everytime a gust hits.

Even with Dampening the exact amount of fuel I have onboard is unclear.

 

Yes but off loading a crude tanker can vary many tons by even a warm day from expansion. Im sure he can explain it better.

Getting an accurate reading off a bouncing up and down hull with lots of holes in the water is an impossible task. I agree.

The only chance you have is an average of many readings over hours,-- a guage of which I have mentioned earlier.