Photograph courtesy of OPW
People are constantly being reminded to “go with the flow,” especially when they find themselves in a stressful or challenging situation. But what if that “flow” isn’t good enough to properly complete the task at hand?
For instance, say a long-haul truck driver pulls their 18-wheeler up to a fuel-dispensing island at a truck stop or hybrid convenience store that features truck-fueling lanes. It’s likely those fueling islands have been designed and outfitted with dispensing equipment that works just fine when called upon to quickly refuel automobiles, but when the vehicle’s fuel tanks are many times larger, the “flow” that works for a car or SUV results in a lot of unproductive idle time for the truck driver as the refueling process goes on and on and on.
A New Loop
The HiFlo Loop System from OPW takes all of the features and benefits of the ever-popular FlexWorks Loop System™ from OPW and “supersizes” them for use at high-volume truck stop and c-store fueling sites.
Redefining “high flow”
As a solution to this quandary, OPW has developed the HiFlo Loop System, which builds on the proven success of its FlexWorks Loop System. The Loop System was introduced to the retail-fueling market more than a decade ago as the industry’s first completely integrated, environmentally secure “plug-and-play” underground fuel-delivery system. Since then, the Loop System has become a first-choice technology for many fuel-site operators who are building new sites or retrofitting existing ones.
The HiFlo Loop System takes the components from the original Loop System and “supersizes” them so they are able to produce the increased flow rates that are required to realize expedient high-volume fueling of long-haul trucks. The upsized components include:
· Loop dispenser sumps designed to match the footprint of high-speed dispensers that produce high-volume flow rates while also accommodating fuel dispensing on both sides of the truck with satellite dispensers.
· 3-inch (up from 1.5- and 2-inch) UL971-listed coaxial pipe that is easy to install, requires no adhesive or welding and eliminates leak points and exposed joints and fittings by providing a continuous run of pipe between the tank and dispenser.
· 6-inch (up from 4-inch) access pipes that resist crushing and allow easy access and pipe retraction for maintenance, repair, removal and replacement.
· 3-inch (up from 1.5- and 2-inch) double-wall, stainless-steel pipe couplings (DPC) that eliminate the need for a rubber test boot and the trimming back of secondary jackets, while allowing for continuous monitoring.
The HiFlo Loop System also includes the new 2-inch version of OPW’s 10 Plus Series Emergency Shut-Off Valves with both 2-inch and 3-inch pipe-connection points. These valves are the industry’s best protection against low-impact fractures in the fuel dispenser’s shear groove, which reduces the risk that undetected dispenser leaks can result in ground contamination or a fire/explosion hazard. OPW is also in the process of engineering a high-flow Loop System dispensing solution for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) that can be integrated into the HiFlo Loop System to accommodate DEF-dispensing cabinets. This complete solution allows all components of the diesel-fueling system and DEF-fueling system to be integrated seamlessly and be supplied by one manufacturer.
While it is able to offer higher dispensing rates, the HiFlo Loop System retains all of the features and benefits of the original, most notably pre-fabricated, factory-assembled components that drastically reduced the amount of field labor that is required to install it, while simultaneously lowering the risk that installation errors will occur.
Conclusion
The main challenge for operators of truck stops or hybrid c-stores is finding a fuel-delivery system that can offer the high-volume flow rates that get drivers back on the road quicker, rather than have them standing at a fueling island. The FlexWorks HiFlo Loop System from OPW satisfies this need with upsized components that create faster fueling times, while its integrated, pre-fabricated design and lower installation times, costs and risks mirrors that of the original Loop System.
Visit opwglobal.comto learn more about OPW’s FlexWorks Loop System and its new HiFlo offering.
This post is sponsored by OPW Retail Fueling