Gasoline vapor recovery
OwnerGeert Lievens, Tedmund P. Tiberiinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for reclaiming and recycling gasoline vapor that collects in the headspace of gasoline storage tanks at retail service stations comprises sealing the tank against ingress of atmospheric gases, introducing a selected inert gas into the storage tank as the liquid gasoline is extracted therefrom to establish an inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture in the headspace of the storage tank, periodically recovering the inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture from the storage tank, and processing the recovered mixture to condense the gasoline vapor to liquid gasoline, which is removed for subsequent use.
Claims17
In a gasoline distribution network wherein gasoline is drawn from a gasoline storage tank and pumped into individual vehicles and wherein the gasoline storage tank is refilled periodically from a gasoline tanker truck, a method of recovering liquid gasoline from gasoline vapor that collects in the headspace of the gasoline storage tank as the liquid gasoline is drawn therefrom, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a source of inert gas;
- (b) introducing inert gas into the gasoline storage tank as liquid gasoline is drawn therefrom so that liquid gasoline drawn from the tank is displaced by inert gas and gasoline vapor mixes with the inert gas in the headspace of the tank;
- (c) collecting the inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture from the headspace of the gasoline storage tank as the tank is refilled from a gasoline tanker truck;
- (d) cooling the inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture to a temperature sufficient to condense the gasoline vapor in the mixture to liquid gasoline but not sufficient to liquify the inert gas in the mixture;
- (e) separating the condensed liquid gasoline from the inert gas;
- and
- (f) delivering the condensed liquid gasoline to a remote location for subsequent use.
A method of recovering liquid gasoline as claimed in claim and wherein step (a) comprises providing means for generating inert gas for delivery to the gasoline storage tank.
A process for recycling gasoline vapor that collects in the headspace of a gasoline storage tank as liquid gasoline is drawn progressively from the tank, said process comprising sealing the storage tank against ingress of atmospheric gasses, introducing an inert gas into the headspace of the storage tank as liquid gasoline is drawn from the tank to displace the withdrawn liquid gasoline with the inert gas and to establish an inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture in the headspace of the tank, periodically recovering the inert gas/gasoline vapor mixture from the gasoline storage tank, transporting the recovered mixture to a processing site, introducing the recovered mixture into a condensing vessel, condensing the gasoline vapor to liquid gasoline within the vessel, and removing the condensed liquid gasoline from the vessel for use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.