Vapor recovery system with continuous inlet monitoring

In a vapor recovery system including a first reaction vessel and first bed of adsorbent, a second reaction vessel and second bed of adsorbent and a vacuum pump for selectively regenerating either of said first and second beds of adsorbent, the improvement comprising:

• a first monitor for monitoring the concentration of said vapor in said air-volatile liquid vapor mixture being delivered to one of said first and second beds of adsorbent;
• a second monitor for monitoring the total volume of flow of said air-volatile vapor mixture being delivered to said one of said first and second beds of adsorbent;
• and
• a controller for comparing a total amount of vapor adsorbed on said one of said first and second beds of adsorbent to a predetermined value and initiating regeneration of said one of said first and second beds of adsorbent in response to said total amount of vapor adsorbed on said one of said first and second beds reaching said predetermined value.

A method for efficiently controlling operation of a vapor recovery system including a first reaction vessel and first bed of adsorbent, a second reaction vessel and second bed of adsorbent and a vacuum pump for selectively regenerating either of said first and second beds of adsorbent, said method comprising:

• adsorbing vapor from an air-volatile liquid vapor mixture on said first bed of adsorbent in said first reaction vessel;
• measuring a total amount of said vapor adsorbed by said first bed of adsorbent by monitoring vapor concentration and total volume of flow of said air-volatile liquid vapor mixture being delivered to said first bed of adsorbent in said first reaction vessel and vapor concentration of said air-volatile liquid vapor mixture being exhausted from said first reaction vessel;
• comparing said total amount of vapor adsorbed on said first bed of adsorbent to a first predetermined value that is a percentage of said first bed's adsorbance capacity;
• and
• regenerating said first bed of adsorbent and adsorbing said vapor from said air-volatile vapor mixture on said second bed of adsorbent in said second reacton vessel upon reaching said first predetermined value.