Europe's first natural gas station in an underground garage
Europe's first natural gas tank filling system installed in an underground garage was commissioned at the end of September, 2004, in Munich. The gas supplier bayerngas GmbH in Munich needed to have its own natural gas station for its fleet of CNG vehicles.
Little space was available outside the administration building, so the decision was made to place the gas station in the underground garage. That was the only place where the condenser and storage tank equipment could be located. Initial talks with the government authorities and the fire department went well. The CNG Technology department of Schandl GmbH, a competent partner for tank filling station technology, was awarded the bid.
The partners bayerngas and Schandl GmbH did the project engineering jointly, so the requirements were implemented quickly. Special safety regulations, separate inlet and exhaust air ducts and noise abatement regulations had to be adhered to.
For technical reasons, the decision was made to use a dynamic 
storage tank – a Schandl development. This storage technique ensures identical filling amounts and identical filling times – from the first truck to the last. The condenser pumps the compressed natural gas into the storage tank. The tank contains a gas and an oil compartment. A doubly sealing, floating piston is located between them. When a tank is being filled, the respective piston is primed by oil. It presses the compressed natural gas on the opposite side out of the storage tank and to the pump. The entire storage tank is used. Finally, the storage tank is refilled through the condenser. The opposite process presses the oil back into its compartment.
storage tank – a Schandl development. This storage technique ensures identical filling amounts and identical filling times – from the first truck to the last. The condenser pumps the compressed natural gas into the storage tank. The tank contains a gas and an oil compartment. A doubly sealing, floating piston is located between them. When a tank is being filled, the respective piston is primed by oil. It presses the compressed natural gas on the opposite side out of the storage tank and to the pump. The entire storage tank is used. Finally, the storage tank is refilled through the condenser. The opposite process presses the oil back into its compartment.The system has been used successfully for a number of years in German and Italian bus and truck tank filling systems. Since the entire storage tank is used, mobile solutions are ideal for mother-daughter stations as well as for implementing so-called virtual supply systems.
system has been used successfully for a number of years in German and Italian bus and truck tank filling systems. Since the entire storage tank is used, mobile solutions are ideal for mother-daughter stations as well as for implementing so-called virtual supply systems.
The pump is located outside the bayerngas administration building. The flag pole set up next to the pump contains all blowout lines of the tank filling station equipment in the basement. For traffic reasons, unfortunately the station could not be made available to the public.
However, in 2005 an additional natural gas station will be installed in a Munich underground basement. This one, however, will be public. This project is also being implemented by Schandl GmbH - with its partner idro meccanica, the leading manufacturer of hydraulically driven condensers.
