Abstract:
A system for recovering volatile combustible liquids from a vapor stream includes a saturating vessel for rendering the vapor stream non-explosive, a plurality of high-pressure ambient aircooled condensing stages, each stage compressing the vapor stream and then cooling it to ambient temperature without the use of refrigeration for forming liquid product and residual vapors, an expansion vessel for receiving the vapors from the last condensing stage and further cooling and condensing them by Joule-Thompson expansion, means for returning recovered liquid product from the condensing stages and the expansion vessel to the saturating vessel, and means for venting the residual vapors from the expansion vessel. Means is also provided for cycling compressor coolant through one of the condensing stages.
Abstract:
A system for recovering volatile combustible liquids from a vapor stream includes a vapor saturator for saturating and cooling the vapor stream with subcooled liquid product, a plurality of high pressure condenser stages, each such stage compressing and further cooling the vapor stream and condensing it by direct contact with subcooled liquid product for forming liquid product and residual vapors, a terminal condensing stage for further condensing the residual vapors with subcooled liquid product, means for venting the uncondensed vapors to atmosphere, a closed loop external refrigeration system for subcooling a portion of the recovered liquid product, and pump means for recycling the subcooled liquid product to the saturator and the condenser stages, and a reservoir for collecting the uncycled liquid product.