Fuel dispensing – Diesel

Looking at supplying the needs of farms, transport depots, construction sites or company vehicle fleets there are a number of options for dispensing tanks.

What they all have in common, as dispensing tanks for diesel fuel, is that they have a pump, hose, and nozzle, in a lockable cabinet of some type.

From then on, there are options for:

• Type of gauge
• Length of dispensing hose
• Type of nozzle – flow rate, manual or automatic shut-off
• Size and shape
• Mains supply (230/240v) or battery (12v) for the pump
• Addition of a flow meter, or one incorporated into the nozzle
• Type of cabinet – hinged door or roller shutter (this depends to a certain extent on size of tank)

We will take a look at some of the most popular types of diesel dispensing tanks and their features. Apart from the small portable tanks, for which bunding is not required, all of our full-size fuel dispensing tanks are self-bunded to comply with regulations.

1300 litre Slimline Plastic dispensing tanks

This UK manufactured (Harlequin) tank is ideally suited for smaller yards and small fleets of vehicles, where space is at a premium. It is less than a metre wide, but is still a fully functional dispensing tank. There are two versions of this tank, one of which is a fuel point (1300SLFP), just with the basic features of a 4m delivery hose, nozzle with auto-shut off and a mains operated electric pump. It has a dipstick for monitoring the fuel level in the tank. This is the ideal ‘entry level’ tank where cost is a major decision factor.

The second version is a fuel station (1300SLFS), which is the same size and configuration but offers more of a conventional ‘forecourt style’ dispenser. For a few hundred pounds more, you will get as standard the option of 56L/min or the faster 72L/min pump, a bulkhead light inside the cabinet to aid refueling in low light, a mechanical flowmeter, electronic contents gauge and a 10-micron particulate filter.

Tanks-UK also have another 1350 litre slimline tank with similar dimensions. This is a fully featured fuel station with auto-shut-off nozzle, mains electric pump (or 12v option), flowmeter, gauge and alarm.

The beauty of the choice Tanks-UK offer is that is you don’t need all of the features of the fuel station, but you just want, for instance, the electronic contents gauge, you can opt for adding these onto the cheaper fuel point model instead.

2500 litre Plastic dispensing tanks

Looking at farms or medium size transport fleet requirements, the 2500 litre size is very popular and Tanks-UK offer a range of differently configured tanks in this size.

Once again, there is a slimline version from Harlequin, where space for siting a tank is an issue. This one is just under 1400mm wide at its widest point, and this is also available as a fuel point (2500SLPF) or a fuel station (2500SLFS).

Next up we have a very neat looking fuel station. It is a very robust and compact design, with a top-hinged cabinet door.

From Tungsten Tanks we have two versions – horizontal or vertical. With this range you can choose between the Standard, which equates to a fuel point, but with some extra features such as a bulkhead light; and the Premium version which is the fully-featured fuel station.

The advantages of the horizontal tank are a relatively small footprint for the tank itself, with the cabinet on top at the front, at eye level, for ease of use.

The vertical tank is circular with the cabinet mounted on top, the lockable door being side hinged.

Another 2500 litre size tank from Tanks-UK is the Cemo cube dispensing tank. This is a very compact design, which would be suitable for temporary use, e.g. on construction sites, as it is easy to relocate when empty. All the dispensing equipment sits neatly on top, under the rear-hinged cabinet lid which folds back when in use.

 

5000 litre Plastic dispensing tanks

This is a size which is very popular for farms, hence we offer a special agricultural version – the 5000FP-AGRI. This is a fuel point manufactured by Harlequin, at a very economical price.

The others in the range of 5000 litres are both vertical tanks but with slightly different features:

The Tungsten Tanks TE5000V has a Standard or Premium version as described above, and its dispensing cabinet is front hung with a side hinged locking door.

Finally, the TAN.DIP.V-5000 has an integral cabinet with contrasting colour lockable door, with all the features of a fuel station.

Case Study

Did you know that it is possible to site a diesel tank indoors under certain circumstances?  One of our customers was looking to save money by bulk buying fuel for their small fleet of delivery and service vans, but they did not have the yard space to locate a tank. However, there was space in their warehouse, adjacent to a loading door. We looked into the viability of this and it was decided to go for a 5000 litre fuel station which was installed so that the dispensing cabinet was right next to the door, for ease of refuelling. Although diesel is technically a flammable liquid, the flashpoint is around 60^oC so it is actually a low fire hazard as a fuel, and as long as there is adequate ventilation, it can be stored indoors.

Plastic in steel

The innovative high security fuel dispensers developed by Tungsten Tanks have a plastic inner diesel tank within an outer steel shell, which provides the bund. It is more secure than a plastic tank, but lighter weight and more durable than a completely steel bunded tank.  Best of both worlds.  The 1250 litre size is described on our website, but other sizes can be made to order.

Steel dispensing tanks

The range of fuel dispensers available as bunded steel tanks is too vast to describe in detail here. Take a look at the webpage HERE to see the different types and sizes available. There are some advantages of steel fuel tanks over against plastic tanks, as mentioned in last week’s blog.

They start from a neat 450 litre size (even smaller if you count the portable cube tanks), going up to a massive 60,000 litre capacity. The larger sizes have a roller-shutter cabinet door as standard.

Steel tanks are normally made to order and can be adapted in a number of ways – even totally custom sizes.

Accessories

Looking at options and add-ons what are the features to look for?

Filters – diesel fuel will normally require a diesel and particulate filter, to ensure the fuel is clean and free from contaminants. Most of the dispensing tanks come with filters as standard, but they can be upgraded. Filters can be purchased separately for spares and replacements.

Meters – can be analogue or digital, and measure the flow of fuel dispensed. The digital versions also measure the flow rate.

Nozzles – most diesel dispensers have an auto-shut-off nozzle, like the type at a petrol station pump, to prevent overfilling and spillage. There are various alternative types of nozzle available as extras such as ones with an integral flowmeter. Manual trigger nozzles are also an option if preferred.

Take a look at the Accessories pages of our website – but bear in mind there are other available options not shown, so please do contact us if your requirements differ from the standard ones.

Just give us a call on 01953 665940 or email info@tanks-uk.com with your requirements and we’ll send you a quote.