IIT Guwahati Startup Introduces Robotic Solutions for Oil Tank Maintenance

• ByStartupStory     |    November 1, 2023

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) incubated startup Beta Tank Robotics, funded under the Startup India Fund’s “Startup Nurturing, Enabling, and Handholding (SNEH)” program by OIL India Limited, has developed two innovative robotic solutions for the efficient maintenance and cleaning of petroleum tanks, eliminating the need for human entry into hazardous environments. These robots offer a valuable contribution to the oil industry by enhancing safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility.

Beta Tank Robotics (BetaTANK), incubated at IITG-Technology Incubation Centre (IITG-TIC) since 2019, has created robots that address the challenges of maintaining oil tanks. The robots have the potential to mitigate risks and reduce downtime for major oil corporations by eliminating the need for human entry into petroleum tanks.

The two robotic solutions developed by BetaTank are as follows:

Robot for Cleaning Crude Oil Tank Bottom Sludge: These robots efficiently clean tank bottom sludge and pump it to an external receptacle. They offer distinct advantages over other contemporary solutions in terms of their functionality.

Robot for Water Washing and Stripping Retail Outlet Petrol Pump Tanks: These robots operate inside the tank, using their arms to water-wash and strip the tanks, making the gas freeing process safe, quick, and efficient.

These robots are designed to address the challenges posed by tasks that are dull, dirty, and dangerous for human operators. They can be used in various industries, with minor modifications, including cleaning chemical tanks, sewage treatment plants, and food processing tanks. The innovative technology offers cost-effective solutions that can be adopted for various applications.

Captain D Chandrasekhar, the founder of BetaTANK, expressed that the journey to develop these robots began in 1995 when he was overseeing tank operations within ships. He said, “I planned to make this robot in 1995, when as a ship’s officer, I myself was inside ships oil tanks, overseeing some tank operations. I believed a robotic solution was the way to work in such an environment. That dream could not be realised for almost 3 decades – until 2019, when M/s OIL offered incubation and financial support to make this robot.”

Professor Uday Shanker Dixit of IIT Guwahati, and Mentor of BetaTank, highlighted the significance of these robotic solutions for cleaning oil tanks and their potential to revolutionize hazardous and repetitive tasks. He stated, “In the era of Industry 4.0, Captain D Chandrasekhar has taken a great initiative in developing the robot-based solutions for cleaning of oil tanks. Tank oil cleaning falls under the category of dull, dirty and dangerous jobs, which now can be handed over to robots. Now the human operator needs only to monitor the cleaning operation from the outside without getting exposed to hazardous chemicals.”

BetaTANK’s success was acknowledged with the “Best Start-up Award” at the India Energy Week Summit in February 2023, and the company has received numerous requests from petroleum industry players for various robotic applications.

Beta Tank Robotics serves as an exemplary model for the “Make-in-India” mission by developing innovative and high-technology products that enhance safety and efficiency in the oil and related industries.

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