Vapor Jet System: An Alternative Vapor Recovery Method

Abstract

ABSTRACT The patented Vapor Jet System is an alternative to conventional vapor recovery technology for the recovery of low volumes of hydrocarbon vapors from oil production facilities' crude oil and produced water storage tanks. The Vapor Jet System utilizes a pressurized stream of produced water to serve as the operating medium for a jet pump (also known as a venturi, eductor or ejector). The potential energy (pressure) of the produced water stream is converted to kinetic energy (velocity) in the jet pump. The high velocity water stream entrains the near atmospheric pressured vapors and returns them to the facility's low pressure system for separation and sale. The water is returned to the water tankage for further degassing and reuse, disposal or waterflood injection purposes. The Vapor Jet System is simple, cost effective and virtually maintenance free when compared to the small conventional vapor recovery units (VRU's) in use in the industry today. The Vapor Jet System is ideally suited for facilities with hydrocarbon vapor volumes too small to economically justify conventional vapor recovery systems. The Vapor Jet System will operate at whatever minimum volume level emission control is desired. The Vapor Jet System can be installed for 50% of the cost of the small conventional VRU and realize significant savings in operating expenses over the conventional VRU.