CNG STATIONS – IN BRIEF

WHAT IS CNG?
CNG is a word that most people use commonly in their day to day life and it stands for Compressed Natural gas.
CNG in its most basic form is primarily composed of Methane and minor quantities of some other hydrocarbons
which is stored at very high pressure. The pressure at which CNG is stored ranges from 200 to 250 bar.

Many a times CNG gets confused with LPG otherwise known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The primary constituents
of LPG are propane, butane and other gasses. Also, LPG changes its phase from gaseous to liquid when stored under
high pressure.

CNG, after it is extracted, only needs to be filtered a little and pressurized. It may be used as fuel even before the
filtration process. It is lighter than air, hence, in case of a leak from a tank or a pipeline it can immediately go higher
up in the air and disperse quickly making it very safe.

In countries like Brazil, Argentina, Italy, India, China and Iran CNG is much more popular than LPG as auto fuel and
has a higher availability at filling stations. As compared to other conventional fuels currently being used like Petrol
or Diesel, CNG is cheaper and also results in much lesser polluting emissions.

CNG STATIONS
Unlike petrol or diesel stations, CNG stations are not "one size fits all." Building a CNG station for a retail application
or a fleet requires calculating the right combination of pressure and storage needed for the types of vehicles being
fueled. Making the right choices about the size of compressor and the amount of storage at the station will impact
the cost of fuel and range for vehicles.

Following illustrates the bare minimum requirements of a CNG Station.

 1. Gas Meter

Your local gas utility will supply a meter for the CNG station to measure the amount of gas you use. It is
important to work closely with the utility to determine the pressures and flow rates that are available at
your site, and if any service upgrades will be needed.

2. Gas Dryer

In the dryer, gas flows through filters and a desiccant bed to remove moisture and contaminants. Only
clean, dry gas flows to the compressors.

3. CNG Compressors

The compressors are the workhorses of every CNG station and they must withstand the rigors of heavy-
duty daily use over many years. To meet this demand, Trillium installs reliable Ariel compressors, as they
have an unmatched record of service, long life, and superior factory support. Compressors are housed in
sound-attenuated enclosures that minimize noise.

4. High Pressure Storage

From the compressors, Trillium's advanced control system will manage the flow of gas and determine
whether to send it to storage or to bypass storage sending the gas directly to the dispensers.

5. CNG Fuel Dispenser

For filing the stored CNG into vehicles and other utilities, a dispenser is required. Dispensers can be a Fast-
Fill or Time-Fill system depending upon the type of CNG station it is. Also dispensers need to be designed
in such a way that there are no accidental leaks from the hoses or other moving components within the
same. The amount of gas flowing through the filling lines creates some heat which also needs to be
accounted for.

TYPES OF CNG STATIONS

Primarily a CNG station is classified into two different types

1. Mother Station

Mother stations are used to fill large volumes of CNG into mobile tube trailers The CNG is then transported
either via underground pipeline or via a virtual pipeline (mobile cascades). A mother station will generally
be located near a natural gas supply or a utility pipeline. Mobile storage allows transportation of natural
gas to a site that does not have access to natural gas. Typical applications where mother stations are used
are to supply gas: daughter stations, industrial gas uses, and gas distribution systems.
 2. Daughter Booster Stations

Daughter Stations are installed where a CNG fill station is desired, but there is no natural gas supply. Gas is
delivered to the station by mobile storage. A daughter station compressor increases the pressure from the
trailer’s gas and transfers it to ground storage. The mobile storage serves as the supply gas for the initial
fueling process and then the system utilizes the ground storage to complete the temperature compensated
fill. Hence, it basically boosts the gas pressure even when the gas stations are located at huge distances
from a Natural source.

Now, depending upon the type of local requirement within the area a CNG fill station can be classified into the
following different types.

1. CNG Time Fill Stations

Time-fill stations are used to fill multiple vehicles over a longer fueling window. Extended fueling periods
reduce the demand of gas flow and lower the cost of compression equipment. Time-fill systems often fill
vehicles overnight when the cost of electricity is lower. Centrally fueled fleets such as school buses, refuge
vehicles, and utility service vehicles are excellent candidates for time-fill systems.
2. CNG Fast Fill Station

Standard, conventional, or online stations are descriptions of Fast Fill type of CNG stations. Typical fast-fill
stations take natural gas from a utility pipeline, compress it, and dispense it into natural gas vehicles and other
utilities. Fast fill systems provide fill times that are similar to gasoline and diesel fuel dispensing, and often
include fuel management and credit card payment systems. Hence this type of station finds more public
application.