Intelligent system using an IoT architectural framework to control deployment of volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) for soil-side corrosion mitigation of aboveground storage tanks

An Internet of things (IoT) based method for deploying volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI), the method comprising:

• storing the VCI in a VCI tank;
• detecting soil-side corrosion of an aboveground storage tank
• wherein the aboveground storage tank has a bottom in contact with soil and presents a soil-side surface for corrosion mitigation using the VCI;
• wherein the step of detecting is performed using a plurality of corrosion detection sensors on the soil side of the storage tank;
• generating, by the corrosion detection sensors, corresponding corrosion detection signals in response to the detected soil-side corrosion;
• transmitting, by the corrosion detection sensors, the generated corrosion detection signals over the Internet;
• receiving, by a control circuit, the transmitted corrosion detection signals over the Internet from the corrosion detection sensors;
• generating, by the control circuit, a flow control signal in response to the received corrosion detection signals;
• transmitting, by the control circuit, the generated flow control signal over the Internet;
• receiving, by a flow control valve (FCV), the transmitted flow control signal over the Internet from the control circuit;
• controlling, by the FCV, a flow of the VCI from the VCI tank, through a VCI injector that is located exterior to and below the aboveground storage tank, to the soil along the soil side of the storage tank in response to the received flow control signal in order to mitigate the soil-side corrosion of the storage tank, wherein the VCI injector includes a leak detection conduit on the soil side of the storage tank, the FCV couples the VCI tank to the leak detection conduit, and the method further comprises controlling the flow of the VCI from the VCI tank to the leak detection conduit in response to the received flow control signal in order to automatically deploy the VCI throughout the soil along the soil side of the storage tank, and wherein the automatic deployment of VCI to the soil side of the storage tank is followed by further automatic monitoring of the soil side of the storage tank in order to determine if or when further VCI should be applied to the soil side of the storage tank;
• detecting a leak on the soil side of the storage tank using a leak detection sensor coupled to an external port of the leak detection conduit;
• generating, by the leak detection sensor, a leak detection signal in response to the detected leak;
• transmitting, by the leak detection sensor, the generated leak detection signal over the Internet;
• receiving, by the control circuit, the transmitted leak detection signal over the Internet from the leak detection sensor;
• and
• generating, by the control circuit, the flow control signal in response to the received leak detection signal;
• wherein the leak detection sensor and the external port are disposed above ground proximate the aboveground storage tank.