RFID tagging and high security monitoring of fuel cargoes

Paz is a small Israeli company that runs convenience stores and petrol stations. They needed to track their fuel trucks, and fuel deliveries, to improve control and to eliminate theft of fuel.

Hi-G-Tek an Israeli company now based in Rockville, Md. has solved their problems by designing a neat Tanker Truck Monitoring System (TTMS). To do this they had to develop a Radio Frequency Tag (RFID) that met very severe operating conditions of heat, and chemical resistance with high reliability, they call these proprietary tags "I-Safe" (Intrinsically Safe).

The seals have a 5 year battery life with a 500 foot read range and use a Hi-G-Tek proprietary air-interface protocol to extend and preserve battery life. Seals remain in alow energy listening mode, but jumps when interrogated to send data. The protocol is based on two full-duplex radio channels; one operates at 125 kHz, the other at one of the lower ISM band between 300 and 916 MHz.

The seals are certified as safe by the Underwriters Laboratories, an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization and they also comply with the European Union's ATEX regulations.

Attached to each tanker valve these tags identify the valve state OPEN / CLOSED - this is transmitted to a cab mounted interrogator which relays the data (including GPS location of the truck), using a general packet radio service (GPRS) connection, to a computer in a central command center in Tel Aviv. This provides amanagemnt with real time control which is integrated with a fleet managment system from Starcom Systems. Managers have precise control over type of fuel delivered, quantity and theft is eliminated.

Starting with trials in 2005 over 100 trucks both company owned but also on supplier vehicles are equipped with the system. This has now totally replaced the previous manual systems using numbered clip seals on valves and handwritten records.

Hi-G-Tek has sold similar applications in Mexico and three other Latin American countries, as well as one in Eastern European.

Designing systems is never easy, as the real world intrudes - the first seals had to be upgraded to cope with unexpected severe physical shocks - drivers would kick valves open and shut . They built a more rugged tag and improved the driver training.

A neat solution using a range of proven communications technologies and devices that improves running a business. The company, founded by Micha Auerbach, an Ex IDF communications engineer with experience at Israeli Air Industries has extended this basic concept to RFID monitoring and control of locks of any sort, shipping containers, perimter security entrances etc.,

UPDATE 16th June 2007

Contacts in criminal circles advise that the chief method of removing fuel from tankers is simply effected by inserting a garden hose in the aperture provided to inserts a dipstick into the main tank to check fuel levels.

One wonders if this antique, but well proven method of abstraction is still in use by the less honest tanker drivers of the world and if it would avoid detection by the system outlined.

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Energy security for the UK ?

Jorn Madslien a Business reporter with BBC News has an excellent report today on the laying of the 1,200 Km. Langeled gas pipeline from the west coast of Norway to Easington in UK.

Completion of this pipeline is critical to the energy security of the UK and the hopeless optimists believe it will help to reduce consumer gas prices. A single 42" diameter pipe highlights the dangers posed by international economic terrorism. After all we have just witnessed in Lebanon the way the Israeli state can, whilst the world watches smash the economic infrastructure of a country.

Gas lines do explode. see "The Bigger the Bang, the Louder the silence". 15 dead 120 severely burnt and injured see pic. Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) is dangerous stuff in pipelines as well.

See the resistance in sunny energy hungry, California to LNG pipelines here.
If you live in the US take a look at this map of proposed LNG terminals for receiving shiploads of high pressure LNG for storgae in High pressure gas tanks. IF you live in Milford Haven in the UK, you should be interested in this recent Guradian article about the safety of LNG tankers.

Gazprom plans to roll out a $4bn, 1,200 kilometre-long gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea to Germany, as well as developing its 1,400 square kilometre Shtokman field in the Barents Sea and have been visiting the pipe layer , but have made no commitments yet.

The route of the pipeline was designed as a last gasp move by outgoing Chancellor Schmidt and Putin to bypass the more insecure but more direct land route through third countries.