The Status Quo

Currently a service station sells engine and fuel lubricants for motor vehicles and has a particular system. Dispensers are used to pump petrol, diesel, or other types of fuel, the cost of which will be calculated from what was filled into the vehicle. In some parts of Australia fuel dispensers are known as bowsers, and gas pumps in North America. The term gas station is widely used in the United States, Canada and the English-speaking Caribbean, where the fuel is known as gasoline or gas as in gas pump. In some regions of Canada, the term gas bar is used. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, mainly in the Commonwealth, the fuel is known as petrol, and the term petrol station or petrol pump is used. In the United Kingdom and South Africa garage is still commonly used. Similarly, in Australia, the term service station (“servo”) describes any petrol. In some regions of America and Australia, many filling stations have a mechanic on duty, but this is uncommon in other parts of the world.

The Worlds First “Filling Station”

The first ever filling station was in Wiesloch Germany in 1888, which recorded Bertha Benz, a German automotive pioneer, refilling the tank of her vehicle on its maiden trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim, which was the first long distance journey taken by an automobile. Shortly thereafter other filling stations popped up, as a sideline for businesses, and soon spread worldwide. The world’s first purpose-built gas station was built in1905 St Louis Missouri. The second was in California created by Standard Oil. The first “drive-in” filling station, named the Gulf Refining Company, opened in  Pittsburgh on Dec 1, 1913.

Design

Most service stations are built in a similar manner, with most of the fuelling installation underground, the pump machines in the forecourt and a point of service inside a building. Single or multiple fuel tanks are usually deployed underground. Local regulations and environmental concerns may require a different method, with some stations storing their fuel in container tanks, entrenched surface tanks or unprotected fuel tanks deployed on the surface. Fuel is usually offloaded from a tanker into the tanks through a separate valve, located on the filling station’s perimeter. Fuel from the tanks travels to the dispenser pumps through underground pipes.

Fuel Dispensers

Fuel dispensers differ greatly across the globe, in Europe and Australia for instance, there are colour coded options available depending on the fuel type. Usually the unleaded petrol pipe is smaller than the diesel or leaded fuels, this is to prevent a customer inadvertently using the wrong fuel and potentially damaging their engines. Motorists occasionally pump petrol into a diesel car by accident. However, Diesel fuel in a petrol engine, whilst creating large amounts of smoke, does not normally cause permanent damage if drained in time. However even a litre of petrol added to the tank of a modern diesel engine can cause irreversible damage.

For more information on using the wrong type of fuel contact Wrong Fuel Angels.

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For the last 100 years the internal diesel or petrol fuelled combustion engine has ruled. However it is more than apparent that it has no future in its current form, due to its reliance on fossil fuels and therefore is rendered unsustainable. Because of this, many fuels of the future are set to replace engines driven by crude-oil.

The following examples are all types of fuels that are all not reliant on non-renewable fuels, all  of which you could be using in your car in the future: 

Biofuel

Two types of biofuel that could be the best medium term solution to replace non-renewable crude oils are a) bioethanol, which is a type of biofuel which can be used as an alternative to petrol and is made from sugarcane and corn and b) biodiesel, which is made from animal fats and vegetable oils.

Electricity

The electric car such as the ever popular and best selling Nissan Leaf have motors powered by batteries. There are still a few inefficiencies, however, such as the batteries themselves take several hours to recharge and are very expensive in the first place.

Kinetic

This is the utilisation for energy possessed by a moving car, in other words the regeneration of energy generated by the car itself.

Steam

Steam cars were originally replaced by vehicles with internal combustion engines in the 19th century. Today they have been reclaimed as a concept and there are several prototypes currently being reviewed.

5. Hydrogen

This can be used in combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels, yet unlike conventional engines, Hydrogen vehicles do not emit harmful tailpipe emissions. 

6. Heat

Most of the wasted energy created by diesel or petrol is that of heat, yet several car manufacturers are developing ways in which to convert heat into electricity, one way is the use of installing thermoelectric panelling which takes exhaust pipe heat and turns it into electricity. 

7. Air

Petrol can be replaced by compressed air to drive pistons which in turn produce power. Companies such as Tata have proposed a mainstream air powered car suitable for todays climate.

8. LPG

Liquified petroleum gas is a versatile power source, traditionally used by businesses and homes it is now being recognised as a useful low-carbon fuel which can be adapted to motor a vehicle.

9. Nitrogen

Heated from a pressurised tank to produce high pressure gas in order to drive a rotary engine or piston. Nitrogen is however a less efficient energy carrier than fossil fuels and still needs electricity to produce

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