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The Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) has issued a warning addressing potential hazards for CNG dispensers with winter temperatures.
The safety bulletin urges drivers to make sure they take into account that natural gas vehicles may not compensate for the low temperatures which leads to over-filling. When the vehicle enters warmer weather or is parked indoors the temperature of the gas in a CNG container may increase after fueling.
“Because temperature compensation during fueling is especially critical with winter temperatures, we have issued this technical bulletin now to give station operators time to make any necessary adjustments or improvements prior to winter,” said Doug Horne, president of CVEF.
The bulletin recommends that CNG station operators get in touch with their fast- and time-fill dispenser suppliers to make sure they are following the latest set of instructions from NFPA 52-2013. They are also responsible for scheduling annual temperature and pressure calibrations and function checks in early fall to allow time for adjustments before winter. Lastly, operators should ask their dispenser suppliers whether existing dispensers comply with the requirements of NFPA 52-2013.
