Vapor recovery with ambient cooling

Claim 2

A VAPOR RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR RECOVERY VOLATILE LIQUID VAPORS, SAID VAPOR RECOVERY SYSTEM COMPRISING A FIRST ABSORBER-SEPARATOR FOR RECEIVING COLLECTED VAPORS, FIRST COMPRESSOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST ABSORBER-SEPARATOR FOR DELIVERING COLLECTED VAPORS TO SAID FIRST ABSORBER-SEPARATOR AT A FIRST PRESSURE, A SECOND ABSORBER-SEPARATOR FOR RECEIVING A VAPORAIR MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST ABSORBER-SEPARATOR, SECOND COMPRESSOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND ABSORBER-SEPARATOR FOR DELIVERING VAPOR-AIR MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST ABSORBER-SEPARATOR TO SAID SECOND ABSORBER-SEPARATOR AT A SECOND AND HIGHER PRESSURE, MEANS FOR DELIVERING CONDENSED VAPORS FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND ABSORBER-SEPARATORS TO A COLLECTION AREA, AND MEANS FOR UTILIZING ONLY AMBIENT AIR FOR COOLING SAID VAPORS.

Claim 3

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein ambient cooling means are disposed between at least one of said compressor means and that one of said absorber-separators associated therewith.

Claim 4

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein said collection area is in the form of a storage tank and cooling means are disposed between at least one of said compressor means and that one of said absorber-separators associated therewith, said cooling means being in the form of an aftercooler having volatile liquids from said storage tank at storage temperature circulating therethrough as a coolant.

Claim 5

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein there are means for returning collected vapors as a liquid to said collection area from said second absorber-separator by way of said first absorber-separator.

Claim 6

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with means for exhausting all air ejected from said system from said second absorber-separator, and means for flowing all collected liquid from said first absorber-separator.

Claim 7

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein said system includes a flash separator and means for delivering liquid to said flash separator from said first absorber-separator.

Claim 8

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein said system includes a flash separator receiving liquid from said first absorber-separator, said flash separator including means for delivering vapors from said flash separator to said first compressor means for recirculation through said system.

Claim 9

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein said first and second compressors are first and second stages of a single multiple stage compressor.

Claim 10

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein ambient cooling means are disposed between each compressor means and that one of said absorber-separators associated therewith.

Claim 11

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with a flash separator for removing entrapped air from recovered vapor collected as a liquid, and means for returning collected vapor as a liquid to said collection area from said second absorber-separator by way of said first absorber-separator and said flash separator.

Claim 12

The vapor recovery system of claim 9 in which each ambient cooling means is in the form of a finned tube.

Claim 13

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein collected vapors are returned as a liquid to said collection area from said second absorber-separator by way of said first absorber-separator, the first absorber-separator includes a first separator and also includes a pipe that provides the absorbing function, and said pipe receives liquid from said second absorber-separator and, compressed vapor for delivery to the first separator.

Claim 14

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 wherein said collection area is in the form of a storage tank, said second absorber-separator includes a spray head, and means for supplying liquid from said storage tank to said spray head.

Claim 15

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with a saturator-flash separator for receiving collected vapors and enriching the liquid content thereof prior to delivery thereof to said first compressor, and a liquid line connected to said saturator-flash separator for supplying recovered condensed vapors thereto for the removal of entrapped air.

Claim 16

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with means for returning collected vapors as a liquid to said collection area from said second absorber-separator by way of said first absorber-separator, and said first absorber-separator having a spray nozzle receIving liquid returning from said second absorber-separator prior to the return thereof to said collection area.

Claim 17

The vapor recovery system of claim 15 wherein said second absorber-separator includes a spray nozzle receiving liquid being circulated from said collection area.

Claim 18

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with a vapor line between said first compressor and said first absorber-separator and a recirculating line between said second absorber-separator and said vapor line for maintaining gas flow through said first absorber-separator to said second compressor.

Claim 19

The vapor recovery system of claim 17 wherein a control valve is mounted in said recirculating line, and means responsive to pressure within said first absorber-separator controlling the actuation of said control vlave.

Claim 20

The vapor recovery system of claim 1 together with a saturator positioned in advance of said first compressor for saturating collected vapors prior to the delivery thereof to said first compressor, and means connecting said saturator to said first compressor for delivering saturated collected vapors thereto.

Claim 21

The vapor recovery system of claim 19 in which there is a vapor line between said saturator and said first compressor, and a vapor recirculating line between said first absorber-separator and said vapor line for recirculating vapor through said first compressor.

Claim 22

The vapor recovery system of claim 20 wherein a control valve mounted in said recirculating line, and means responsive to pressure within said saturator controlling the actuation of said control valve.

Claim 23

A vapor recovery system comprising a storage tank for volatile liquid, means delivering liquid from said storage tank to a receiving tank, means for directing a mixture of air and vapor of said liquid expelled from said receiving tank to a saturator, means directing a portion of said liquid from said storage tank to said saturator for saturating said air-vapor mixture, means directing said saturated mixture at a relatively low pressure to a first ambient air cooler for cooling said mixture and then to a first absorber separator for absorbing vapor into a portion of said liquid and for separating the absorbed liquid from the remaining air vapor mixture, means directing air-vapor mixture from said first absorber-separator at a relatively high pressure to a second ambient air cooler and then to a second absorber-separator for further absorption of vapor into said liquid and further separation of air and vapor from said absorbed liquid, means directing liquid from said saturator to at least one of said absorber-separators and then to a flash separator for separating out gases entrained therein, and means for returning gases from the flash separator to said saturator and for disposing of the liquid in said flash separator.

Claim 24

A vapor recovery system comprising a storage tank for volatile liquid, means delivering liquid from said storage tank to a receiving tank, means for directing a mixture of air and vapor of said liquid expelled from said receiving tank to a saturator, means directing a portion of said liquid from said storage tank to said saturator for saturating said air-vapor mixture, means directing said saturated mixture at a relatively low pressure to a first ambient air cooler for cooling said mixture and then to a first absorber separator for absorbing vapor into a portion of said liquid and for separating the absorbed liquid from the remaining air vapor mixture, means directing air-vapor mixture from said first absorber-separator at a relatively high pressure to a second ambient air cooler and then to a second absorber-separator for further absorption of vapor into said liquid and further separation of air and vapor from said absorbed liquid, means directing liquid from said saturator to at least one of said absorber-separators and then to a flash separator for separating out gases entrained therein, and means for returning gases from the flash separator to said saturator and for disposing of the liquid in said flash separator.

Claim 25

The system of claim 22 together with means for directing liquid from said second absorber-separator to the first absorber-separator and then to said flash separator.

Claim 26

The system of claim 22 together with means for also delivering liquid from said storage tank directly to said second absorber-separator for absorbing vapor therein.

Claim 27

The system of claim 22 together with means for returning the liquid from the flash separator to the storage tank.