HODGKINS, IL – Harper College recently upgraded its existing Petro Vend commercial fuel management system to a new Petro Vend K800/System2 Hybrid Fuel Control System, according to OPW Fuel Management Systems. The new system includes a Fuel Island Terminal, with a proximity reader, and a System2 Fuel Site Controller. It features the Phoenix Premier software package.

Based in Palatine, Ill., Harper College is home to more than 15,000 students. The college uses a fleet of nearly 80 vehicles for the various needs of the campus and its students. In an effort to gain more control over its on-site fueling system, Harper College administration chose OPW Fuel Management Systems’ solution due to its security features and robust reporting capabilities.

OPW’s system can be incorporated into an existing commercial fueling site, or along with a new site. Petro Vend Fuel Island Terminals (FIT) have been specially designed to read most existing proximity card/key formats, such as the AWID format Harper College uses. The FIT is connected to the dispenser(s) at the fuel island, usually next to the aboveground or underground storage tank. The Fuel Control System (FCS) is typically located in the company’s office and is connected via Petro-Net cable, or wirelessly to the FIT and tank gauge at the site.

The FCS stores transaction data and driver and vehicle records, including fueling restriction data critical to proper fleet management. The FSC can store up to 64,000 proprietary cards and 2,000 transactions. Programming is done right from the office PC, either locally or over phone lines using a modem, wireless modems, or via a LAN/WAN connection.

The entire fuel management system is managed via Phoenix Premier, a Windows-compatible PC software package that gives operators centralized control over the entire fueling operation, allowing them to navigate between the site, account, card, and transaction screens. In addition to full-featured back-up and restore, terminal emulation, and on-demand transaction polling capabilities, Phoenix gives companies the ability to schedule additional activities on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.