Storage, Transportation and Distribution

DGMK-Research Report 550-0101 Measurements to check vapour recovery systems of public retail stations in Hamburg (Phase II)

In cooperation with Hamburg environmental department, district offices for health and environment and retail firms, DGMK has carried out detailed investigations on vapour recovery systems (stage II systems) in public retail stations in Hamburg.

Goal of the project was to check and improve the technical performance of vapour recovery systems to get a wider picture of the situation in the area of stage II systems.

The cooperative project was done in 2 phases. Results of phase I (August / September 1999) are reported in DGMK-Research Report 550-01, phase II is reported in this document, complemented by an overview of all results. Results on technical performance of stage II systems gathered from phase I were practically confirmed in phase II.

In 76.5% of the 202 retail stations tested, recovery rates determined by liquid measurement as reference method were in the range of 90 —105%, which cannot be opposed. Complete breakdown of the vapour recovery system was found in 6% of the hoses tested.

Causes for the malfunctions found could be traced back to technical deficiencies as well as improper installation or maintenance. From the results of this study, a number of recommendations are derived.