Abstract:
Oil transportation from the oil depot, has for a long
time been used by rail and road, which requires a physical filling
in the trucks compartments. Whenever the system is unable to
prevent overfilling of the compartment, for a number of reasons-
human or machine failures, there is an uncontrolled flow of oil
that leads to losses to many parties. It is therefore in the best
interest of the oil vendor, and the pipeline company to find a
solution to this problem. Overfill prevention of trucks in Kenya
does not exist yet. Loading stations rely on accuracy of
calibration of the metering gauge and the compartments. This
study aims at designing an overfill protection device to avoid
overflow of oil in trucks served by the Eldoret depot. The
viability of different overfill control techniques was analyzed,
fabrication, assembling and testing of the working of a model
system was done. Designing a system that can be used in oil
trucks, warn of overfill, and possibly shut off the oil flow before it
becomes costly to the parties involved. This study proposes the
use of a level sensing device that can either be programmed or
relayed, to actuate a counter measure i.e. shut off the flow and
warns of it by visible and audible alarms that will be well-placed
and labeled. The working of the system was tested where it
involved the design of a model to simulate the system, a float
switch and relay circuit was used to which the pump was
connected to. The float switch was used as an indicator of the
level of petroleum in the compartment where it was drilled
through the compartment at a level determined through
calculation, such that it will only be used when the pre-existing
measure has failed, hence serving the primary purpose of this
project. When the safe level is exceeded, the float switch
completes the circuit and a relay actuates the pump to stop. As
this happens, the buzzer and red led are switched on which acts
as the alarms. Therefore overfill is prevented and warning is
given thereof.
