There are always bosses asking how to judge whether vapor recovery equipment is needed. Generally speaking, whether vapor recovery is needed is determined by environmental protection requirements and economic benefits (that is, whether it makes money). Generally speaking, the social benefits (environmental protection) of vapor recovery are greater than the economic benefits. At the same time, vapor recovery is also a systematic project. It does not mean that installing a set of equipment will be useful, but it is related to many aspects: such as supporting facilities, management level and operation level, etc. Otherwise, the gains will outweigh the losses.
Generally, vapor recovery is mainly used for loading and unloading. At the same time, car loading must be matched with the lower loading car to make sense, and vapor recovery on the upper loading car is basically unnecessary. Train loading must have a matching and sealing device with the large crane pipe. Is there any economic benefit in vapor recovery? Of course there is, but few people can say how much it is. At least, not many people can clearly understand how much vapor evaporates during the loading process, and all the current vapor recovery environmental protection analyses are also very different, and the concentration of vapor before treatment varies by dozens of times! However, no one can really do the basic work and actually analyze how much there is! Therefore, whether it is vapor recovery manufacturers or users, they are very impetuous. They should first really figure out: how much loss will be if vapor recovery is not used, and how much benefit can be obtained if vapor recovery is used?
The design and implementation of vapor recovery systems are mainly to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may have a negative impact on air quality and public health. Therefore, environmental regulations are an important driving force for the popularization of vapor recovery systems. In many countries and regions, environmental regulations require that vapor recovery systems must be installed, especially during the loading and unloading of petroleum products.
From an economic point of view, although vapor recovery systems can reduce the loss of oil products by volatilization, their installation and maintenance costs are relatively high. Especially when the amount of vapor volatilization during loading and unloading is relatively small, the economic benefits may not be as significant as the environmental benefits. Therefore, whether to install an vapor recovery device usually needs to be weighed according to specific economic benefits and regulatory requirements.
Working principles of various types of vapor recovery devices
We always say that vapor recovery devices can help companies reduce costs and reduce environmental pollution, but many companies still don't know the principles of vapor recovery devices, because there are various models, and many companies will only know to buy vapor recovery devices when they are fined. Today, the editor will talk about the principle of vapor recovery devices. The working principle and process of vapor recovery devices can vary according to different application scenarios (such as gas stations, tanker refueling, oil storage, etc.), but their basic working principles are roughly the same.
Working principle of vapor recovery device
vapor generation:
During the refueling process, liquid oil flows from the tanker into the oil gun of the refueling machine and the oil storage tank of the gas station. Due to the volatility of oil products, especially when the temperature and pressure change, part of the liquid oil will evaporate into vapor. These vapor are usually rich in organic solvents and hydrocarbon compounds, which are harmful to the environment and human health.
vapor collection:
When the oil gun of the refueling machine is inserted into the car tank for refueling, vapor will be released from the tank. The vapor recovery device absorbs the vapor released into the air into the recovery system through a specially designed recovery pipeline, usually through the vapor recovery pipeline of the gas dispenser to guide the vapor to the recovery device.
vapor transportation:
vapor are transported to the main recovery unit of the recovery device through the pipeline system. The recovery pipeline is generally connected to the oil tank, the gas dispenser, the vapor collection device, etc. Through the air pump and the pipeline, the vapor are guided to the processing unit of the recovery system.
vapor treatment:
The vapor entering the recovery device need to be separated and purified. According to the different types of recovery devices, common treatment methods are:
Adsorption: Use activated carbon to adsorb the organic volatile components in the vapor. The activated carbon after adsorption will be replaced regularly or regenerated by heating.
Condensation: Cool the vapor through the condensation tower and condense it into liquid oil, which can be recycled again.
Absorption: Absorb organic matter in the vapor through an absorbent (such as water or chemical solvents) to remove harmful gases.
vapor recovery and reuse:
The treated vapor are separated into liquid oil, which is returned to the oil storage tank or other recovery facilities as a reusable raw material or fuel. The treated gas will be filtered and purified to remove residual harmful substances, and then discharged into the environment (in compliance with standard emission standards).
vapor concentration monitoring and control:
vapor recovery devices are usually equipped with a monitoring system to monitor parameters such as vapor concentration, pressure and temperature in real time. These data can help adjust the working state of the device and ensure that the vapor recovery device is always operating under optimal working conditions. Modern vapor recovery devices are also equipped with automatic control systems. When the vapor concentration is abnormal, the system will automatically trigger an alarm and take corresponding measures, such as stopping refueling or adjusting the equipment working mode.
Emissions and compliance:
In some efficient vapor recovery devices, the remaining gas that has been recovered and purified (such as volatile organic compounds that have not been recovered) will be discharged into the atmosphere. Before being discharged, these gases will undergo strict treatment to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and emission standards.
Therefore, vapor recovery devices are definitely indispensable devices at this stage.
Many customers come up and ask if we can send them some oil and gas recovery equipment information. We don't know what your parameters are, so we can't judge whether you need to purchase our equipment. So generally speaking, what parameters do you need to know to judge whether you can use VOCs equipment?
First of all, it is necessary to clarify what type of gas is being recovered (such as methanol, acetone, dichloromethane, etc.). Different gases have different physical and chemical properties, which determines the choice of recovery technology. If the gas is flammable, explosive, or corrosive (such as methanol, certain chlorides, etc.), special attention should be paid when selecting equipment.
For example:
Explosive gas: Explosion-proof equipment may be required to ensure that all equipment, pipelines and instruments meet explosion-proof standards.
Corrosive gases: such as dichloromethane, etc., may corrode materials such as stainless steel, so it is necessary to select materials with good corrosion resistance (such as special alloys, coating materials, etc.).
The second is our gas volume.
For example, 100 cubic meters per hour or 1000 cubic meters per hour, we need to clarify the size of the gas volume during recovery. The volume refers to the gas flow rate per hour, usually in cubic meters per hour (m³/h). This is crucial to determine the size of the required equipment, processing capacity, and process flow selection.
If the volume is small (such as 100 cubic meters per hour), you can consider small recovery equipment or modular equipment.
For large-volume gas recovery (such as more than 1000 cubic meters per hour), it may be necessary to design larger-scale condensers, adsorption beds and other equipment, and the working efficiency and energy consumption of the equipment are also important factors to consider.
Finally, there is the concentration of a detail. The concentration refers to the content of a specific gas in a mixed gas, usually in grams per cubic meter (g/m³) or percentage (%). The composition of a single detail will be relatively simple. For a single gas, the recovery process is relatively direct, and the process design and recovery efficiency are also relatively easy to control. We only need to provide how many grams of each.
If it is a mixture of multiple gases, you need to consider how to separate these gases first. Certain gases may interfere with each other during the recovery process, resulting in a decrease in recovery efficiency. Therefore, it is best to choose a suitable separation or recovery method based on the characteristics of the gas. Too many gas components will affect our recovery efficiency. This is why, as an oil and gas recovery manufacturer, we need to ask you for many parameter data in detail. This is really for your consideration.
