New-York tribune., 1922-06-11
Expert to Take
More Gasoline
From Air Waste
Federal Bureau of Mines
Suggests Method TO In
crease National Output
By 120,000.000 Gallons
Tests Reveal Huge Loss
Improved Process Planned
for Better Condensation
of Petroleum Napor

WASHINGTON, June 10 Possibility
OF Increasing the output OF gasoline by
l2O.OOO.OOO gallons through more COM
plcte condensation Of still yapors a,
the petroleum refncrios. was suggested
to-day by the Bureau OF Mines after an
investigation By d. b. Dow. the bu-
reau's petroleum engineer.
Mr. Dow estimated that 500oo.0 900
gallons were recovered from uneon-
dcns-d still yapors at rehncries in
1921.
application OF the system TO all re-
fnerics would give n possible gasoline
recovery By this method Of i70.OOO,OOO
gallons yearly" the bureau said IN a
statement.
"Ths calculations Of the Bureau Of
Mines are based on results obtained in
rcuucrics whose general methods are
more efficient than those employed IN
the hundreds OF swaller skimming
plant, that have no recovery systems.
II is assumed that in the less efficient
skimi.ing plants. located in sections
where the supply Of cold water, so es-
sential Tor condenser use. is schice'
greater recovcrics could be made than
In the large rehncrics studied. ms
should be especially true Of Oklahoma
north Texas and Louisiana sk.mming
plants. where summer temperatures are
high and where cold water Is scarce
survey Of these plants. u Is believed
would show that their losses IN uneon-
densed still vapors would be much
higher than in the plants where the
studies Of the Bureau Of Mines were
conducted
Magnitude Of Loss
The magnitude of the loss from
non.eordcnsa:ion of these vapors mas
been realized only by a few renncrs
Judging by the number Of plants tha'
have recovery systems. The thirteen
f, rcfneries studied b. the Bureau oi
Mines are obtaining l2s.65l gallons n
gasoline daily from uncondensed stu
vapors. These plants are situated ~
the various refining centcrs other thar
the Pacific Coast and are running
crude representatives OF the producing
fields east o. the Rocky Mountains
/ In addition several arc running MeNi'
can crude. Information from Califor-
/ MIA rehncries indicates that on account
Of the smaller gasoline content of ths
/ California crude there arc no recov
ory plants OF importance in that state
F The average recovery % gasoline at th'
reGncries Investigated by the Bureau
/ OF Mines amounted 90 four-tenths Of q
gallon q barrel OF crude oil charged.
Unless preventive measures are
adoptcd. losses OF gasoline from fail.
urc 20 condensc still vapors Will in
crease in the future. because crrdes are
being handled in the field with more
land more care 20 avoid evaporation
and will therefore contain much light.
or and more volatile fractions than a'
present.
CONDENSATION of the vapors formed
By heating crude oil IS effected in the
refinery by leading rapors through
cells OF pipe submerged IN water. Or
/ cooling most Of the vapor becomes
! liquihcd. but q certain amount Of yapor
due 20 insufficient time for proper
cooling or the fact that its condensini
point is lower than the temperature
Of the water. will remain uncondensed
Also certain other fractions will not
be condensed. for the reason that thfii
+ liouifcation noints are affected by thC
presence o. other hydrocarbons. :
small part OF this uncondensed vapoi
+ is dissolved in the liquid that has con
dcrsed
Condensation Process Shown
/ "Condersation Of the vapofs comm.
from the still into liquid is accom-
plished either hy passing them through
pipes or shells having large surfaces
cxposed 20 the air or through coil.
submerged in water.
atmospheric temperature is on i'm
portant factor in the production OF
gasoline from uncondcnsed refner,
vapors. II is found that during win'ei
months. due 20 more complete con
densation Of the vspors. the production
Of the gas plant will fall of 20 some