US3830040A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vapor recovery system
Assignee: Vaporex Inc
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Filing: 1972-02-25
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Granted: 1974-08-20
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Expires: 1992-02-25
Abstract
Abstract The vapor of a volatile liquid entrained in a gas is recovered by providing an insulated relatively large volume body of the liquid, continuously recirculating liquid from the body along a closed flow path through a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to the body, and introducing the gas into the condensation zone for direct contact with the recirculating refrigerated liquid within the zone after presaturation of the gas by the liquid from the body, stripping of the free liquid from the presaturated gas and compression of the gas, whereby the entrained vapor is condensed and admixes with the recirculating liquid. Freezing of any water vapor condensed from the gas is prevented by introducing into the gas prior to its contact with the refrigerated liquid a vaporized freezing point depressant which condenses with the water vapor to provide an anti-freeze and is then recovered by fractionation and recycled back to the incoming gas to be processed to repeat the cycle. The primary application of the invention involves processing the hydrocarbon vapor-laden air expelled from a transport tanker for a volatile hydrocarbon liquid, such as gasoline to prevent atmospheric pollution and reclaim the hydrocarbon content of the air. In this application, hydrocarbon liquid from the primary condensation zone is subjected to fractionation to recover a heavy hydrocarbon liquid fraction which is recycled through a secondary condensation zone in direct contact with the air from the primary condensation zone and in indirect contact with the cold primary liquid to effect condensation of any remaining hydrocarbon vapor in the air and a light hydrocarbon fraction which is recycled back to the incoming vapor-laden air to be processed. The vapor recovery apparatus is preferably mounted on skids or other ground support means to permit its fabrication in a factory and subsequent transportation to a point of use.
Inventors
- 👤 L Hendrix
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 03:14
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B65; B65D; B65D90/00; B65D90/22; B65D90/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
The method of recovering a vaporized volatile liquid entrained in a gas, comprising the steps of: providing a body of said liquid, continuously recirculating liquid from said body along a closed flow path containing a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to said body, whereby refrigerated liquid from said refrigeration zone flows through said condensation zone back to said body, introducing said gas into said flow path for direct contact of the gas with the liquid within said condensation zone, whereby said liquid vapor is condensed and admixed with said liquid, and mixing liquid from said body with said gas to presaturate said gas with said liquid, then stripping free liquid from the presaturated gas, and finally compressing and cooling the gas all prior to entrance of the gas into said flow path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
53 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 2 wherein: said gas is compressed within a compressor, and said method includes the additional step of recycling gas from the compressor outlet back to the compressor inlet at a rate which is regulated to maintain at least a predetermined minimum gas flow rate through the compressor.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
207 words
The method of recovering a vaporized volatile liquid entrained in a gas, comprising the steps of: providing a body of said liquid, continuously recirculating liquid from said body along a closed flow path containing a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to said body, whereby refrigerated liquid from said refrigeration zone flows through said condensation zone back to said body, introducing said gas into said flow path for direct contact of the gas with the liquid within said condensation zone, whereby said liquid vapor is condensed and admixed with said liquid, said gas is air and said liquid is a product such as gasoline, and said method includes the additional steps of separating the liquid and air emerging from said condensation zone, subjecting the liquid from said condensation zone to fractionation within a fractionation zone to recover a heavy hydrocarbon fraction, passing said heavy fraction through a secondary condensation zone, introducing the emerging air from said primary condensation zone into said secondary condensation zone for direct contact with said heavy fraction whereby removing liquid vapor entrained in said air is condensed and admixed with said heavy fraction, and stripping within a scrubbing zone the free liquid from the air emerging from said secondary zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 4 including the additional steps of: venting to atmosphere the air emerging from said scrubbing zone, and recycling the liquid emerging from said scrubbing zone back to said fractionating zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 5 wherein: said fractionating step also recovers a light hydrocarbon fraction, and said method includes the further step of recycling said light fraction back to the incoming gas prior to its contact with said liquid within said primary condensation zone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 6 including the additional steps of: injecting into the incoming air prior to its contact with said liquid a vaporized volatile freezing point depressant which condenses to prevent freezing of any condensed water vapor from said air, subjecting said liquid after contact with said air to fractionation to recover said depressant and recycling the recovered depressant back to the incoming air, and mixing liquid from said body with said air to presaturate said air with said liquid, then stripping free liquid from the presaturated air, and finally compressing and cooling the air all prior to entrance of the air into said flow path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 7 wherein: said air is compressed within a compressor, and said method includes the additional step of recycling air from the compressor outlet back to the compressor inlet at a rate which is regulated to maintain at least a predetermined minimum air flow rate through the compressor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The vapor recovery method of claim 8 wherein: said liquid body has substantial volume and is thermally insulated to provide a refrigerated liquid reservoir.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
A vapor recovery system for recovering a vaporized volatile liquid entrained in a gas comprising: a holding tank for containing a body of said liquid, means for continuously recirculating liquid from said body along a closed flow path containing a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to said body, whereby refrigerated liquid from said refrigeration zone flows through said condensation zone back to said body, means for introducing said gas into said flow path for direct contact of the gas with the liquid within said condensation zone, whereby said liquid vapor is condensed and admixed with said liquid, and means for mixing liquid from said body with said gas to presaturate said gas with said liquid, then stripping free liquid from the presaturated gas, and finally compressing and cooling the gas all prior to entrance of the gas into said flow path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 10 wherein: said last mentioned means includes a compressor for compressing said gas, and said system includes means for recycling gas from the compressor outlet back to the compressor inlet at a rate which is regulated to maintain at least a predetermined minimum gas flow rate through the compressor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
212 words
A vapor recovery system for recovering a vaporized volatile liquid entrained in a gas comprising: a holding tank for containing a body of said liquid, means for continuously recirculating liquid from said body along a closed flow path containing a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to said body, whereby refrigerated liquid from said refrigeration zone flows through said condensation zone back to said body, means for introducing said gas into said flow path for direct contact of the gas with the liquid within said condensation zone, whereby said liquid vapor is condensed and admixed with said liquid, said gas is air and said liquid is hydrocarbon product such as gasoline, and said system includes means for separating the liquid and air emerging from said condensation zone, subjecting the liquid from said condensation zone to fractionation within a fractionation zone to recover a heavy hydrocarbon fraction, passing said heavy fraction through a secondary condensation zone, introducing the emerging air from said primary condensation zone into said secondary condensation zone for direct contact with said heavy fraction whereby removing liquid vapor entrained in said air is condensed and admixed with said heavy fraction, and stripping within a scrubbing zone the free liquid from the air emerging from said secondary zone.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 12 and further including: means for venting to atmosphere the air emerging from said scrubbing zone, and recycling the liquid emerging from said scrubbing zone back to said fractionating zone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 13 wherein: said fractionating system also recovers a light hydrocarbon fraction, and said system includes means for recycling said light fraction back to the incoming gas prior to its contact with said liquid within said primary condensation zone.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
114 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 14 and further including: means for injecting into the incoming air prior to its contact with said liquid a vaporized volatile freezing point depressant which condenses to prevent freezing of any condensed water vapor from said air, means for subjecting said liquid after contact with said air to fractionation to recover said depressant and recycling the recovered depressant back to the incoming air, and means for mixing liquid from said body with said air to presaturate said air with said liquid, then stripping free liquid from the presaturated air, and finally compressing and cooling the air all prior to entrance of the air into said flow path.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 15 wherein: said last mentioned means includes a compressor for compressing said air, and said system includes means for recycling air from the compressor outlet back to the compressor inlet at a rate which is regulated to maintain at least a predetermined minimum air flow rate through the compressor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The vapor recovery system according to claim 16 wherein: said liquid body has substantial volume and is thermally insulated to provide a refrigerated liquid reservoir.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
139 words
A vapor recovery system for recovering a vaporized volatile liquid entrained in a gas comprising: a holding tank for containing a body of liquid, means for continuously recirculating liquid from said tank along a closed flow path containing a refrigeration zone and a following primary condensation zone back to said tank, whereby refrigerated liquid from said refrigeration zone flows through said condensation zone back to said tank, means for directing said gas into heat transfer relation with the recirculating liquid in said condensation zone to effect condensation of vapor from the gas, and means for mixing the condensate with said gas to presaturate the gas with said condensate, then stripping free condensate liquid from the presaturated gas, and finally compressing and cooling the gas all prior to entrance of the gas into heat transfer relation with said recirculating liquid.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-19 | 1978-02-18 | 1978-08-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-19 | 1982-02-18 | 1982-08-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-19 | 1986-02-18 | 1986-08-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |