ARID Technologies Inc. manufactures the PERMEATOR vapor control device which utilizes a vacuum pump and a membrane to contain the gasoline vapors within the ullage of the tank system. The PERMEATOR system is normally mounted near the underground storage tank vents or within the canopy above the fueling dispensers. As part of the PERMEATOR, the ARIDAS (ARID Data Acquisition System) system is used for ensuring leak free storage of fuel vapors stored at dispensing facilities. In addition, this equipment provides a means for determining on-going fuel savings, proper functioning of Stage I and Stage II vapor recovery techniques and a means of keeping track of periodic oil changes.
The ARIDAS 150 (ARID Data Acquisition System) is used to monitor, store and remotely access important parameters (tank pressure, PERMEATOR system run-time and oil level from a typical gasoline dispensing facility.) The unit has remote access via modem or a newly developed internet connection.
By monitoring these parameters every 4 seconds and storing two minute averages on a constant basis, ARID is able to generate a detailed data profile of a given refueling facility. By observing trends in these parameters, valuable information about gasoline evaporation rates and the relative leak tightness of the station are obtained. In addition, system anomalies such as high P tank (Tank Pressure) values during bulk tanker deliveries (or low P tank values immediately after the delivery) may indicate that proper practices are not being followed by the delivery driver or that a vapor leak has developed; for example, a pressure/vacuum valve has failed. Moreover, the pressure profile data can also be used to indicate a lower than expected collection efficiency from Stage II vapor recovery systems.
The pressure extremes can create vapor leakages. The ARIDAS system has the capability to highlight pressure extremes, anomalies or other unexpected events at the site. In addition, the ARIDAS system is available in a stand-alone configuration to monitor sites which do not employ a PERMEATOR unit.