US 12,000,720 B2
Product inventory monitoring
Gerald E. Langlois, III, Findlay, OH (US); Hubie M. Bartlett, Findlay, OH (US); James Wilhelm, North Baltimore, OH (US); Mike Huber, Findlay, OH (US); Daniel Leslie, Findlay, OH (US); and Timothy E. Heck, Findlay, OH (US)
Assigned to MARATHON PETROLEUM COMPANY LP, Findlay, OH (US)
Filed by Marathon Petroleum Company LP, Findlay, OH (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/562,866.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/728,921, filed on Sep. 10, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0080881 A1, Mar. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. G01F 1/00 (2022.01); G01F 23/00 (2022.01); G01M 3/28 (2006.01); G01M 3/32 (2006.01); G01F 15/063 (2022.01)
CPC G01F 1/007 (2013.01) [G01F 23/0007 (2013.01); G01M 3/2876 (2013.01); G01M 3/3245 (2013.01); G01F 15/063 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for monitoring, determining, and initiating a fuel storage and refinery equipment inventory and maintenance needs, the method comprising:
determining inventory reconciliation at one or more of a plurality of storage tanks, the inventory reconciliation including:
capturing, in real-time, actual values of physical book data of the one or more of a plurality of storage tanks via tank gauge levels, the actual values indicating one or more properties of the inventory, the one or more properties including tank volume, tank level, rack meter values, pipeline movements, marine movements, or a combination thereof, and
comparing the actual values of the physical book data with predicted values of the physical book data to detect a real-time deviation from the predicted values, the real-time deviation indicating a discrepancy in the one or more properties of the inventory;
comparing the real-time deviation to a predetermined limit to detect a malfunction at the one or more of a plurality of storage tanks;
comparing the malfunction at the one or more of a plurality of storage tanks with the discrepancy in the one or more properties of the inventory to identify one or more maintenance needs, the one or more maintenance needs including a thermal relief valve failure and a floating roof landing; and
indicating the one or more maintenance needs responsive to the identification of the one or more maintenance needs.