Title: Methods for the control of oil vapour emissions

Authors: Weiqiu Huang; Li Shi

Addresses: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage and Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213016, China ' Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Storage and Transportation Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213016, China

Abstract: There are many oil vapours to discharge from oil containers into the atmosphere in oil operations (such as storage and loading). Two basic concepts are discussed regarding the control of oil vapour emission (OVE). The first is to invent active methods to restrain the OVE. The second is to develop passive tail-end remediation technologies to control the released vapour. Oil vapour recovery technology (OVRT), as the typical remediation method, is introduced to separate the vapour-air mixture and recover valuable hydrocarbons. Four major OVRTs, using the separation methods of absorption, adsorption, condensation, and membrane, are compared, and the integrated technology of various separation methods is recommended as the preferred application, easing to meet increasingly stringent emission standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Two typical integrated technologies of absorption-adsorption and condensation-adsorption are investigated for gasoline vapour recovery in China, with their vapour recovery efficiencies of 99%. [Received: December 2, 2011; Accepted: February 14, 2012]

Keywords: oil vapour emissions; evaporation loss; vapour recovery; integrated separation methods; absorption; adsorption; condensation; membrane; volatile organic compounds; VOCs; pollution control; air pollution; emission control; air quality; remediation; hydrocarbons.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2013.052238

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2013 Vol.6 No.3, pp.271 - 287

Published online: 29 Jan 2014 *

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