Comparative Analysis and Selection of Fuel Sensors Suitable for Remote Site Tanks Monitoring

Telecommunication towers and broadband companies with sites in isolated areas, use generators as their backup power source. With the rise of problems in the availability of sustainable energy from the national grid and Eskom implementing long intervals of load-shedding, standby generators have become a sustainable backup power source. Fuel costs, fuel theft, and corruption have skyrocketed at an alarming pace. Corruption during refuelling of generator tanks and fuel theft prevention have become nonnegotiable and it is significant for it to be carried out precisely. Data collection in remote sites is an integral part of fuel theft prevention and fuel management. This paper explores different sensors, studies their merits and their tradeoffs, and employs suitable ones to implement a remote fuel level monitoring and supervisory system using the Internet of Things (IoT). The current work investigates a variety of remote site monitoring sensors available in the field. The analysis is performed and a comparison table is developed to pinpoint the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of various sensors encountered in the literature. This analysis helps to give guidance in making an informed choice when selecting a suitable sensor. The important parameters of interest for a reliable and effective sensor selection are also provided to assist in the choice of a sensor based on the application.