Fuel dispenser manufacturer Wayne is helping fuel retailers save money with automatic temperature compensation (ATC) technology.

ATC measures the temperature of petroleum products during delivery and automatically computes the volume that would have been dispensed at 15°C, which is a reference temperature that is a long-standing international standard for the purchase and sale of petroleum products.

Since temperature variations can cause fuel volumes to fluctuate, this computed ‘constant temperature’ volume ensures that consumers receive the same amount of petrol energy per litre.

Top 50 Indie the Dudley-based Falcon Group, which runs 13 forecourts, has had Wayne ATC technology fitted to the Wayne Harmony dispensers, installed in 2004, at its Ward End site. Tariq Iqbal, director of Falcon Group, said: “Wayne surveyed our sites and advised our team that it was suitable for a retrofit. Not only was the Wayne team able to complete the job on schedule within four days, they were able to help us keep the forecourt open the entire time while our dispensers were modified.”

Iqbal added that Falcon Group’s fuel suppliers are currently making standard temperature accounting (STA) deliveries to their site and that retailing the fuel at ambient temperatures put the company at risk for temperature-related losses. “Most of our sites take ambient temperature deliveries,” he said. “But we will be looking at ATC retrofit units for those sites where STA deals are coming up.”

The ATC technology helps retailers save money when fuels are delivered at ambient temperatures and then stored at an average temperature below 15°C. For example, five million litres of fuel delivered over a year at an average 15°C will shrink to 4,969,685 litres if stored in tanks at an average 10°C. That means 30,315 litres of fuel were purchased yet are no longer available to be sold.

ATC measures the fuel temperature when the fuel is metered to the customer and automatically adjusts the volume dispensed. The sale display shows the temperature-compensated price and volume for an easy-to-understand, seamless transaction, ensuring consistent fuel metering and more accurate inventory control.

Soren Powell-Holse, Wayne sales manager for UK & EIRE, said: “Existing installations of both Wayne Harmony and Wayne Opus 9000 fuel dispensers in the UK can be easily modified to incorporate the ATC technology. Modifying existing dispensers helps fuel retailers avoid significant losses of stock and income.”