LR Bunker Tips: Portable Electronic Thermometer (PET)

by Chris Bieda, FOBAS Service Delivery, Lloyd’s Register GMT
Tuesday November 21, 2017

Following from the article about measuring tapes, another important piece of surveyor's equipment is the Portable Electronic Thermometer (PET for short).

When conducting a survey, the surveyor needs to measure both the height of the product in the tank and also the temperature. We would always encourage this temperature measurement to be obtained using a PET in order to guarantee a fully independent reference temperature from that of the vessel/barge gauges.

A PET should be clean, serviceable and inspected for damage prior to use. It should also have a serial number tracing back to a calibration and maintenance record. If you have any doubts, these should be raised immediately and the equipment checked/taken out of service.

A surveyor should be competent in the use of the PET and should always ensure the probe is "grounded" using the clip provided. An average temperature from the upper, middle and lower height of the product should then be taken, making sure that the probe fully submerged and has been given time to acclimatize and stabilize. Where possible, this should be done in triplicate.

Special attention should always be made to ensure accurate temperatures are taken. A temperature discrepancy of just 1-2 deg C can cause a large discrepancy in the bunker delivery quantity. If you are ever in doubt, always recheck.