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R. A. Nichols Engineering

Vapor Recovery &

Combustion Specialists

 
 

 

Equipment
1 Stage VRU
2 Stage VRU
Vapor Burners
Portable Burners
Vapor Holders
Equalizers
Burner Booster

 

 

VRU PM.jpg (16981 bytes)Single-Stage Vapor Recovery Units

              R. A. Nichols Engineering Single-Stage VR Unit have a recovery efficiency of 83% of saturated inlet gasoline vapor, (35% vapor =1.61 gal/1000gal). The 1-Stage system emissions are 162 mg/l or 0.263 gal/1000gal vapor. With vapor return from service stations, Stage I, even in small terminals, < 4.0 M gal/mo. (4E6 gal/mo. = 160K gal/day), a single stage VRU with a tail gas burner, has lower overall costs than a burner alone. A 300 cfm unit with a larger Vapor Holder and Burner can handle terminal throughputs of >1.5 M gal/day. R.A. Nichols Engineering Vapor Recovery Economic Trade-Off's show the Return On Investment, after all costs can often pay for the Capital Cost of the System in less than two years.

RANE Units use a Vapor Holder, so the units run only when processing vapor, making operation and maintenance costs dramatically lower than carbon and/or refrigeration units. 1-Stage units are also ideal front end units for undersized carbon systems; they effectively reduce inlet vapor concentration while removing both rich hydrocarbons and oxygenates which contaminate the glycol used in the vacuum pumps.

              1-Stage VR Units are very simple; these VR Units have only two motors. The single-stage sliding vane compressor has a motor and the absorber fuel supply pump has a motor. In cases where rack supply pumps operate at pressures over 65 psig and this flow source can be used, a flow control valve then replaces the absorber pump.  A 300 cfm system has nameplate 70 hp.  Since the Units run only when processing vapor, operation and maintenance costs are dramatically lower than carbon and/or refrigeration units in operation.

             1- Stage VR Unit emissions are at a constant vapor concentration and flow rate, which ensures that a small tail gas Burner will provide effectively burning.  R.A. Nichols vapor burners do not require time at temperature operation; this typically results in a natural gas fuel savings of approximately $5K/ mo. Furthermore, the constant flow rate of the 1-Stage VR Units and emission levels of the tail gas Burners greatly simplify rack efficiency testing. whole system picture.jpg (27821 bytes)

              1-Stage units are also ideal front end units for undersized carbon systems; they effectively reduce carbon system inlet vapor concentration while removing the majority of hydrocarbons and oxygenates. Oxygenates either pass through carbon beds or contaminate the glycol used in the vacuum pumps. The 1-Stage VRU is more effective and lower cost than alternate condensation, front end systems.  For many areas, where Service Station Stage 1 is now being implemented, our 1-Stage VRU can as a front end unit for existing carbon units restoring their pre-SS Stage I recovery efficiency.  The gasoline from recovering SS Stage I vapor will often pay for the 1-Stage VRU's in less than two years.