UPGRADING A TERMINAL VAPOUR RECOVERY SYSTEM

Vapour recovery systems at tank storage facilities have been in use for more than 40 years. They were developed to address environmental regulations, primarily regarding the control of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions generated during the transfer of petroleum products. Vapour treatment may also be required due to odour or toxic exposure concerns. Over the years, there have been many different evolutions and improvements to vapour control equipment, not only in the design, processes, and efficiency of the units, but also in the ability to achieve lower emissions. This article describes how Zeeco assisted a tank storage facility in making strategic upgrades to its existing vapour recovery unit (VRU). These upgrades improved system reliability while reducing operating costs and carbon footprint.   SITUATION Activated carbon VRU systems are widely used in tank storage facilities. An activated carbon unit is essentially a large filtration system. Tank vapours are routed to a bed of activated carbon that removes the hydrocarbons from the vapour by a process called adsorption. Once the bed becomes saturated with hydrocarbons, the bed is isolated and additional vapours...