Cross Contamination Control Systems with Fluid Product ID Sensors

A crossover protection system for a product transportation vehicle with multiple tank compartments, the system comprising:

• a product transport vehicle comprising a plurality of tank compartments for containing liquid product;
• a plurality of valves, individual ones of the plurality of valves being coupled to one of the plurality of tank compartments and regulating a flow of liquid product from the one of the plurality of tank compartments and having a normally locked state;
• a plurality of fluid property sensors, individual ones of the plurality of fluid property sensors being positioned to contact the liquid product stored in individual ones of the plurality of tank compartments;
• and
• a system controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of valves and the plurality of fluid property sensors, the system controller comprising a processor and a storage medium containing computer readable and executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system controller to automatically:
• receive a transported fluid property signal from individual ones of the plurality of fluid property sensors, the transported fluid property signal being indicative of at least one of a viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and temperature of the liquid product in individual ones of the plurality of tank compartments;
• determine a transported liquid type of the liquid product in individual ones of the plurality of tank compartments based on the transported fluid property signal;
• receive a stored liquid type signal indicative of a stored liquid type of a distribution tank separate from the product transport vehicle;
• compare the transported liquid type in each of the plurality of tank compartments to the stored liquid type;
• maintain individual ones of the plurality of valves in the normally locked state when the transported liquid type in the corresponding tank compartment is not the same as the stored liquid type to prevent the flow of liquid product from the corresponding tank compartment;
• and
• transitioning individual ones of the plurality of valves from the normally locked state to an unlocked state when the transported liquid type in the corresponding tank compartment is the same as the stored liquid type, thereby allowing the flow of liquid product from the corresponding tank compartment.

A method for preventing the mixing of dissimilar liquid products, comprising

• receiving at a system controller a stored liquid type signal indicative of a stored liquid type of a distribution tank separate from a product transport vehicle, the product transport vehicle comprising:
• a tank compartment for containing a liquid product;
• a valve coupled to the tank compartment, the valve regulating a flow of liquid product from the tank compartment and having a normally locked state;
• and
• a fluid property sensor positioned to contact the liquid product stored in the tank compartment and wherein the system controller is communicatively coupled to the valve and the fluid property sensor, the system controller comprising a processor and a storage medium containing computer readable and executable instructions;
• receiving at the system controller a transported fluid property signal from the fluid property sensor, the transported fluid property signal being indicative of at least one of a viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and temperature of the liquid product in the tank compartment;
• determining a transported liquid type of the liquid product in the tank compartment based on the transported fluid property signal;
• comparing the transported liquid type to the stored liquid type;
• maintaining the valve in the normally locked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type do not match to prevent the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment;
• and
• transitioning the valve from the normally locked state to an unlocked state when the stored liquid type and the transported liquid type match, thereby permitting the flow of liquid product from the tank compartment.