RECYCLE AND REUSE OF VOCS FROM FUGITIVE EMISSIONS AND SMALL VENT STREAMS

THE CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1990 INCLUDED STANDARDS FOR VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) EMISSIONS FROM EQUIPMENT LEAKS (FUGITIVE EMISSIONS) AND FROM SMALL VENT STREAMS. SUCH EMISSIONS ARE ESTIMATED TO TOTAL 330 MILLION KG/YEAR; ADDITIONAL CONTROLS REQUIRED BY THE NEW ACT ARE EXPECTED TO COST INDUSTRY ALMOST $120 MILLION/YEAR FOR THE NEXT DECADE AND BEYOND. VERY SMALL (1-3 SCFM) MEMBRANE VAPOR SEPARATION SYSTEMS WILL BE A SIMPLE, ENERGY-EFFICIENT METHOD OF VOC EMISSIONS CONTROL FOR MANY VENT STREAMS. LARGE COST SAVINGS COULD RESULT SINCE MEMBRANE SYSTEMS RECOVER THE VOC AS A CONDENSED LIQUID, ALLOWING RECYCLING TO THE PROCESS. HOWEVER, BEFORE MEMBRANE SYSTEMS CAN BE APPLIED TO THESE SMALL STREAMS, A SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATION TO THE TECHNOLOGY IS REQUIRED. THE MEMBRANE MODULE DESIGN MUST BE MODIFIED SO THAT GOOD SEPARATIONS CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH GAS STREAMS 50 - 100 TIMES SMALLER THEN THE STREAMS TREATED TO DATE. IN THE PHASE I PROGRAM, THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF A SYSTEM INCORPORATING A NEW MODULE DESIGN WILL BE DETERMINED.