Is there a smart NB-IoT filling level gauge for heating oil, waste oil tanks or for rainwater cisterns?
Regardless of a tank or container’s contents – be it heating oil, rainwater, lubricant, waste oil, industrial oil or AdBlue – it is always important to know its current filling level. But the standard, on-site level gauges are no longer sufficient as, more often than not, they are neither digital nor smart, and they lack features such as app-based monitoring on a mobile phone and/or office PC. The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT satisfies many requirements for a smart filling level gauge.
What is the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT?
Fundamentally, the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT is an electronic level gauge consisting of a display unit and one or more probes. The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT can display the filling levels of non-pressurised tanks containing liquid media both on site via the display or transfer the data to an online platform or app.
SmartBox 4 NB-IoT with standard probe for media such as fuel oil, diesel or rainwater.
What can the smart level gauge do?
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT allows operators to monitor the filling level of one or more tanks, or of an entire tank store, either on site or remotely. The probe is immersed in the medium and transmits the filling level to the display unit via a 4-20 mA signal.
The user must enter the relevant tank parameters, such as the filling volume or tank height, on the display unit – this only needs to be done once. These parameters can also be easily entered on a PC or tablet via the online platform www.smart-inspector.com or modified at a later stage where necessary.
Based on the values measured by the probe and the configured parameters, the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT displays to the operator the filling level in litres, centimetres or percent by volume. The device also shows the operator (or the tank truck driver) the free tank capacity – that is, the volume that can still be filled into the tank.
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT can be used to monitor non-pressurised tanks containing liquids such as fuel oil, rainwater, waste oil or AdBlue. The measured values can be easily accessed via an internet database on a PC or tablet.
What are the benefits of the SmartBox NB-IoT?
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT is available as a solution for monitoring one tank, but also as the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT PRO. The “PRO” version allows the user to monitor up to four tanks via one display unit and transfer the associated data. It is also possible to monitor four tanks with completely different sizes or contents.
The filling level can be monitored both directly on site and remotely via the internet database www.smart-inspector.com. This ensures maximum safety and convenience.
Use of the NB-IoT radio technology standard ensures low communication costs. This is particularly beneficial when users require frequent updates on the filling levels of their tanks. In addition, NB-IoT offers low complexity, high scalability, excellent coverage as well as optimum security and reliability. More information is provided in this summary.
In addition to the current filling level, critical system states such as minimum filling levels, system faults or leaks can be monitored and transmitted. The device can also indicate the remaining tank capacity in litres (free capacity display).
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT PRO can monitor up to four tanks containing different media.
What media and liquids is the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT compatible with?
The basic requirement for proper use of the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT is that the tank to be monitored is not pressurised.
Provided this condition is met, a wide range of media can be monitored with the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT in combination with a suitable probe. These include:
- Fuel oil and fuel oil bio
- Diesel fuel
- Rainwater
- Waste oil and industrial oil
- Urea solution and AdBlue
- Petrol
- Kerosene
Click here to see the different probes: https://www.gok.de/de/tankmanagement/inhaltsueberwachung-dfue/zubehoer/.
Rainwater cisterns are becoming increasingly popular in both the private and commercial sector. The SmartBox NB-IoT allows for a smart, digital and cost-effective monitoring of the filling level.
What are the application areas of the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT?
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT can be used for a wide range of applications and purposes, depending on its suitability for the specific medium in each case.
Example applications of the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT include:
- Monitoring of the fuel oil tank of a property by the building management
- Monitoring the lubricant tank store of a manufacturing company
- Monitoring the storage tanks of a filling station
- Tanks or tank stores that are spread across multiple locations
These are just a few examples of the potential applications of the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT. If you are unsure whether the SmartBox 4 NB-IoT is suitable for your project, be sure to get in touch with us.
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT can be used, for example, to monitor remote tank stores.
Image by Ulrich Dregler from Pixabay
Smart, digital monitoring
As already mentioned, the filling level can be monitored not only via the display unit on site, but also remotely via a PC, tablet or smartphone. This is enabled by the internet database www.smart-inspector.com.
The SmartBox 4 NB-IoT transmits the measured data to the data server via this very radio standard. Users can then view a graphical representation of the data at www.smart-inspector.com or in the app.
