SHOP OPERATIONS
Setting up a fl eet
maintenance facility
TO SERVICE NATURAL GAS VEHICLES
34 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2018
ore fl eets are realizing the fi nancial and environmental
benefi ts of operating natural gas vehicles
(NGVs). As NGVs are incorporated into a fl eet, it’s
just as important to realize that some potentially
signifi cant maintenance facility modifi cations
likely need to take place.
“Many fl eet maintenance facilities were built
long before the advent of using natural gas as
a vehicle fuel,” says Leo Th omason, executive
director of the Natural Gas Vehicle Institute
(NGVi), which provides natural gas vehicle technical
training and CNG fueling station technical
consulting services. “Natural gas is lighter than
air, so it rises quickly. No consideration was given
to that when designing these facilities.”
For liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel, the
concern is over spills and leaks onto the fl oor.
Th us, the ignition hazard area is the fi rst 18” off
M Safe and effi cient servicing of this
vehicle type requires maintenance
facility modifi cations that address
the properties and potential
safety risks of natural gas.
By Gregg Wartgow, Contributing Editor
FUELS & POWER SYSTEMS