Ultrasound technology offers precise delivery information.

U.S. Energy Group's Verifier Digital Fuel Gauge, an advanced measuring device for heating oil tanks that is accurate enough to verify deliveries, uses ultrasound technology.

Ultrasound refers to a method of using high-intensity acoustic energy which is above the limits of human hearing. The technology has an interesting history and has transformed many different industries.

Ultrasound technology is based on observations of nature. Some whales, dolphins and bats navigate and hunt using ultrasound frequencies, a process called echolation. Numerous other animals, such as dogs, rodents, fish and insects can detect these sounds that humans cannot hear. These natural phenomena were discovered in 1794 by Italian Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799).

The human application of ultrasound technology developed in the last 100 years, and was influenced heavily by World War I and World War II. World War I featured an increase in submarine warfare, and therefore an interest in using sound waves for targeting and navigating. During World War II, Sonar, or sound navigation and ranging, was utilized, and ultrasound technology progressed quickly. It was after World War II that the industrial and medical applications of ultrasound developed, transforming many industries. Of course, the most well-known and popular use today is in the field of obstetrics.

Just as it has done for other fields, ultrasound technology offers unprecedented access and accuracy for property managers. The old system of measuring oil deliveries and inventory involves either the hassle of climbing onto the tank and 'sticking it' with a ruler or pumping air into a petrometer and converting a pressure reading of the weight of the oil. Both systems use tank-size charts that are often wrong, and sometimes it is impossible to even get access to the tank. Because these systems were developed when oil was inexpensive and the technology was less advanced, they simply aren't very accurate.

"I designed The Verifier Digital Fuel Gauge in response to requests from numerous property owners and managers," stated Jerry Pindus, CEO of U.S. Energy Group. "I know how important it is to verify truck deliveries and track oil usage, and The Verifier's ultrasound technology accurately provides this information."

The Verifier Digital Fuel Gauge confirms an oil delivery within 1/10th of an inch, recording the exact date, time and amount of oil delivered to the tank and checking that the customer received all of the oil he paid for. The way it works is that an ultrasonic ping is sent from the device to the heating oil and an echo is received back. The Verifier's complex patent-pending tank measurement algorithm then figures the time between when the ping was sent and the echo received, and it also compensates for oil temperature variations.

"The benefits of using ultrasound technology are that it is precise, extremely safe, and clean--these are all very important factors when you are talking about oil," explains Fred Katz, a U.S. Energy Group engineering consultant who worked on the packaging for The Verifier and is currently helping with ETL Certification.

The measurement is so precise, the Verifier can be used to double-check truck tickets and meter readings. It also monitors the incremental use of oil, providing daily summaries, and, with optional sensors, oil temperatures, alerts for low oil levels, short-cycling conditions and costly leaks. With local and Internet access to all of this information, managers can conserve their oil use and save money.

The Verifier is also an accurate and efficient way for building managers to follow certain inventory control regulations and avoid stiff fines. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has recommended "in-tank monitoring systems," like The Verifier, stating that "electronic systems which automatically measure tank inventories and continuously record changes ... supply all of the information needed to perform daily reconciliations." These inventory records are also encouraged by major oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute.

The Verifier Digital Fuel Gauge is a perfect example of the industrial application of ultrasound technology--information previously unavailable and inaccurate is now accessible and precise. Property managers are raving about their ability to double-check deliveries and control their inventory and budget with The Verifier.

By DAN MARGULIES, COO,

US ENERGY GROUP