Remote monitoring system for tanks

摘要

An access and monitoring system that secures the operation of an actuator that opens or closes a valve to a storage vessel. The access and monitoring system has an on-site system having a valve, an actuator, a camera, a control panel with a keypad and signaling device, and a communication control unit that communicates with the valve actuator, the control panel and an off-site information processing unit. The on-site system communicates with the off-site information processing unit through a secure website residing on a server within the information processing unit. The access and monitoring system verifies and records the identity of all valve users that add samples to or remove samples from an on-site storage tank in a historical database.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented process for controlling and monitoring a valve including:
(a) establishing a communication path between a valve control system at a valve site and a remote information processing unit through a secure internet site; (b) actuating the valve from a closed state to an open state in response to communication received by the valve control system from the remote information processing unit, wherein actuating the valve to the open state comprises:
(i) entering a valve user security code and a valve identification number into the valve control system;(ii) matching the entered valve user security code and valve identification number with an authorized user on an authorized user list residing on the remote information processing unit;(iii) signaling, upon receipt of a match notification from the remote information processing unit, the authorized user to activate a valve open signaling device within a specified time period; and(iv) activating the valve open signaling device to automatically activate:
(i) an actuator associated with the valve, and(ii) a camera to photograph the authorized user; and (c) updating the remote information processing unit, through the established communication path, with a record of a time when the valve was opened, the name of the authorized user, and a photograph of the authorized user into a historical database of all actuator activity residing on the remote information processing unit.