THE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION
PROGRAM
oEPA
M-S. Ennramiifal Ptvtoction Agmty
Bameiie
The Business of Innovation
TECHNOLOGY TYPE: AUTOMATIC TANK GAUGING (ATG)
LEAK DETECTION SYSTEMS
APPLICATION:
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS
TECHNOLOGY NAME: TSP-IGF4P Float
COMPANY:
ADDRESS:
WEB SITE:
E-MAIL:
Franklin Fueling Systems
3760 Marsh Road
Madison, WI 53718
http://www.franklinfueling.com/
boucher@franklinfueling.com
PHONE: 608-838-8786
ETV Joint Verification Statement
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the Environmental Technology Verification
(ETV) Program to facilitate the deployment of innovative or improved environmental technologies through
performance verification and dissemination of information. The goal of the ETV Program is to further
environmental protection by accelerating the acceptance and use of improved and cost-effective technologies.
ETV seeks to achieve this goal by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed data on technology performance to
those involved in the design, distribution, financing, permitting, purchase, and use of environmental
technologies. Information and ETV documents are available at www.epa.gov/etv.
ETV works in partnership with recognized standards and testing organizations, with stakeholder groups
(consisting of buyers, vendor organizations, and permitters), and with individual technology developers. The
program evaluates the performance of innovative technologies by developing test plans that are responsive to the
needs of stakeholders, conducting field and laboratory tests (as appropriate), collecting and analyzing data, and
preparing peer-reviewed reports. All evaluations are conducted according to rigorous quality assurance (QA)
protocols to ensure that data of known and adequate quality are generated and that the results are defensible.
The Advanced Monitoring Systems (AMS) Center, one of six verification centers under ETV, is operated by
Battelle in cooperation with EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory. The AMS Center recently
evaluated the Standard Water Float manufactured and distributed by Franklin Fueling Systems for its ability to
detect water ingress into an underground storage tank (UST) holding gasoline and gasoline/ethanol blends. The
technology vendor installed the equipment in a Battelle-designed/constructed test vessel and trained Battelle staff
on its proper use. Battelle staff conducted the evaluation.
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VERIFICATION TEST DESCRIPTION
Testing was performed between September 13 and September 30, 2011. The verification test was designed to
evaluate the functionality of the ATG systems when in ethanol-blended fuel service. The test was performed in
the interior of an existing research building (JS-20) at Battelle's West Jefferson, OH south campus. The building
interior and the exterior area surrounding the building were modified to accommodate a specially-fabricated test
vessel and support items. The test vessel was fabricated from a 6-ft diameter piece of a fiberglass storage tank
shell that was fitted with glass ends to allow visual observation of the conditions within the vessel during testing.
Exterior storage facilities were made available for fuel storage and waste storage.
The characteristics of independent variables were selected and established during the runs to determine the
response of the dependent variables. Performance parameters were evaluated based on the responses of the
dependent variables and used to characterize the functionality of the ATG system. The water ingress tests were
focused on the mixing method of water addition into the test vessel. Three test designs were incorporated into the
evaluation:
• A continuous water ingress test consisting of two parts:
• Determination of minimum detection height;
• Determination of smallest detectable incremental change in height; and
• A quick water dump followed by a fuel dump.
In the first test, a continuous stream of water was introduced into the field test vessel to produce a splash on the
surface of the fuel or to not produce a splash by trickling the water along the surface of the fuel filler riser pipe to
slowly meet the surface of the fuel. The independent variables and levels for the continuous water ingress test
were:
• Fuel ethanol content (three levels): EO (no ethanol), E15 (15% ethanol), and flex fuel (up to 85% ethanol);
• Water ingress method/rate (two levels): with splash and without splash; and
• Fuel height (two levels): 25 % and 65 % full.
The water ingress method/rate was selected to establish conditions that impact the degree of mixing that occurs in
a tank using the three ethanol blends. The rate was established to accumulate enough water to generate a
technology response within 1 hour. If a response was not observed in 3 hours, the run was terminated.
Introducing water with a splash was accomplished by positioning a water tube such that water droplets would
free-fall to the fuel surface below. The test condition was maintained until a response in the water detection
technology was observed, or terminated after 3 hours if there is no response. Introducing water without a splash
was accomplished by positioning the water tube such that surface tension allowed the water to flow along the
outside of the fuel filler riser pipe with minimal agitation to the surface of the fuel. The test condition was
maintained until a response in the water detection technology was observed, or terminated after 3 hours if there
was no response.
Two fuel height levels were specified to establish different splash mixing regimes and diffusion columns. The
lower fuel height yielded the greater splash mixing potential, but the shorter diffusion columns through which the
water could flow. Conversely, the higher fuel height yielded the lower splash mixing potential, but the higher
diffusion column. The fill heights were established to ± 10% of the target height of either 25% or 65%. At 25%
and 65% of the height of the test vessel, there were 170 and 610 gallons, respectively, of fuel were in the test
vessel.
To address the second part of the continuous water ingress test, once the water detection technology reacted to the
minimum water height, the smallest increment in water height that can be measured was determined. An ingress
rate of 200 mL/min was calculated to produce a height increase at the bottom of the tank of approximately l/16th
of an inch in 10 minutes. Readings were taken from the technology, as well as visually, 10 minutes after the
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increment portion of the run started. Both the technology readings and the manually-measured water levels were
recorded. Readings/measurements were taken after ten, 10-minute increments for each replicate of Test 1 (to
produce a minimum of 100 measurements).
The last type of test focused on the potential to detect phase separation in an UST. The test was designed to
simulate a quick water ingress rate followed by a high degree of mixing such as might occur if a large volume of
water was dumped into the tank at a 25% fill height and then fuel was dumped to fill the tank to a 65% fill height.
This test was mainly observational in that the test vessel was disturbed quickly with water and fuel and the
response of the technology was recorded throughout the test. Three runs of this type were conducted, one for
each of the fuel types being evaluated in this verification test. The EO run was conducted first and used as the
baseline for the technology responses to establish the minimum wait time of 30 minutes with E15 and flex fuel.
Battelle staff checked the technology console for status messages continuously until an initial float response was
indicated, recorded several instrument parameter values at the time of initial float response and every 10 minutes
thereafter during the increment runs, and backed up the collected data each day. No on-site calibrations were
performed. Each time that the technology reading was recorded, an independent height measurement was taken
from the rulers installed on the glass ends or inside the test vessel.
QA oversight of verification testing was provided by Battelle and EPA. Battelle technical staff conducted a
performance evaluation audit, and Battelle QA staff conducted a technical systems audit and a data quality audit
of 25% of the test data. An independent technical systems audit was conducted on behalf of EPA. This
verification statement, the full report on which it is based, and the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for
this verification test are available at www.epa.gov/etv.
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION
The following information was provided by the vendor and has not been verified.
The Franklin Fueling Systems TSP-IGF4P Float was designed to detect and measure the level of a dense phase
present at the bottom of a fuel storage tank in conjunction with a magnetostrictive level probe and ATG system.
The probe is installed in the storage tank by suspending it from a chain such that the bottom of the probe is near
the bottom of the tank. Specific versions of the water float are available for use in ethanol blended gasoline with
up to 15% ethanol. This float is ballasted to have a net density intermediate to that of the dense phase and the
respective fuel such that it is intended to float at the dense phase-fuel interface.
Information acquired during operation of these water detection technologies is transmitted from the floats via a
two-conductor signal cable to a data recording and display console. A single console can compile data for several
individual floats, and the Franklin Fueling Systems TS-550 was used for this purpose during the verification test.
The TS-550 has a touch screen interface that continuously displays fuel levels and water levels graphically in the
display. An optional printer is also available and was used during the test. The console also generates an
electronic data file and can be connected to a computer using a lObaseT ethernet connection, which enabled data
downloads and use through an internet browser.
VERIFICATION RESULTS
The TSP-IGF4P Float responded to the water ingress when the test fuel was EO and E15, but moved up the probe
shaft to the upper fuel float when tested in flex fuel. No clear separated dense phase was formed in the flex fuel
when water was added to the test vessel. As a result, the performance parameters defined in the QAPP could not
be determined for this technology when flex fuel was employed. The following table provides a summary of
verification test results for the Franklin Fueling TSP-IGF4P Float; the calculated performance parameters were
determined using the pooled data from the EO and E15 water ingress runs.
Currently 40 CFR, Section 280.43(a) states water detection technologies should detect "water at the bottom of the
tank," which does not address water entrained in the fuel due to increased miscibility with the presence of
ethanol. The water sensor, tested according to "EPA's Standard Test Procedures for Evaluating Leak Detection
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Methods: Automatic Tank Gauging Systems," did not detect water in the test vessel containing either intermediate
(E15) or high (E85) ethanol blends if the water was suspended in the product or the water did not reach the
bottom of the tank. Because of this, there is not sufficient data to evaluate whether this technology, when used
with UST systems containing intermediate or high ethanol blends, would indicate a potential release under every
circumstance.
Performance
Parameter
Method of
Evaluation
Results
Accuracy (EO and
El5 only)
Comparison to manual
measurements
Bias
-0.7 inches
Sensitivity (EO and
El5 only)
Comparison to manual
measurements
Tolerance Limit
0.04 inches
Minimum Detectable
Level Change
0.07 inches
Precision (EO and
El5 only)
Evaluation of initial
response for all runs
with responses
Mean (x)
St Dev.
Precision (X/StDev.)
0.02 inches
0.009 inches
1.8
Ease of use
Operator observations
Initial installation was completed in ~2 hours by vendor
Operation is automated upon powering; requires no external intervention
Operated unattended except for data downloads
Data files are generated automatically and are able to be downloaded and
observed through an internet browser
Maintenance
Operator observations
No routine maintenance activities were performed during testing
Consumables/waste
generated
Operator observations
The technology required no consumables and generated no waste
Signed by Tracy Stenner
9/26/12
Signed by Cynthia Sonich-Mullin
11/27/12
Date
Tracy Stenner
Manager
Environmental Solutions Product Line
Energy, Environment, and Materials Sciences
Battelle
Date
Cynthia Sonich-Mullin
Director
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NOTICE: ETV verifications are based on an evaluation of technology performance under specific,
predetermined criteria and the appropriate quality assurance procedures. EPA and Battelle make no
expressed or implied warranties as to the performance of the technology and do not certify that a technology
will always operate as verified. The end user is solely responsible for complying with any and all applicable
federal, state, and local requirements. Mention of commercial product names does not imply endorsement.
EPA/600/R-12/730sl
December 2012
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