South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-14
SUGGEST new PLAN
FOR INCREASING
GASOLINE OUTPUT
Project. if Successful, Would
Increase Output by l20,-
100000 Gallons.


WASHINGTON. June 1J.-P0esi.
bnity OF increasing the Outi,.t OF
gasoline by 120.OO0.000 rlUons
through more complete conder~atiOn
a. Still vap0rs az the petroleum re-
fneries. was suggested today Icy the
Bureau Of Mines after an investiga-
ton by % p. Bow. the bureaus Pc
trOleum engineer.
1fr. Dow estimated that so 200 900
gallons were recovered from uncon-
deused stil yapors at rehnerles in
1921.
Application OF the system q all
refnerles would give a possible gas
oune recovery o. this method Of
10000. 600 gallons yearly TIE bu-
reau said IN statement.
The calculations Of the bureau
% Mines are based on results obtain
Cd in redneries whose general Meth
DDS are more efficient than those en-
ploved IN the hundreds Of smaller
skimming plants that have no re-
coVery systems. IT Is assumed that
in the less efficient skimmlng plants,
located in sections where the supply
denser use. is scarce. greater recov-
cries could be made than IN the
large rednerIes studied. This should
be especially true Of Oklahoma, north
Texas and Louisiana skimming
plants. where summer temper lures
are high and where cold water is
scarce. A survey OF these plants, II
Is believed would show thar their
losses in uncondensed still Vapors
would be much higher than IN the
plants where the studies OF the Blu
raau of Mines Were conducted
1.-THE magnitude of the loss from
non condensation of these vapors has
been realizedsby only a few rehners.
judging from the number Of plants
that have recovery systems. The l3
rehneries studied by the Bureau of
Mines are obtaining 1851 gallons
OF gasoline daily from uncondensed
stil vapoTs- These plants are sit
uated in the various refining centers,
other than the Pacific coast. and are
running crude representative Of all
the producing fields east Of the
Rocky Mountains In addition. sew
eral are running Mexican crude. In
formation from California refineries
Indicates that on account Of the small
Ter gasoline content of the California
crude. there are no recovery plants
Of importance I'm that state. The
average recovery OF gasoline al the
rehneries investigated by the Bureau
OF Mines amounted 90 four tenths
gallon per barrel OF she Crude oil
charged.
Unless preventive measures are
adopted. losses Of gasoline from fail
IRE 20 condense still vapOrs VIII in
crease in the future. because crude
are being handled in the field with
more and more care 10 avoid evap-
grafton and viii therefore contain
much lighter and more volatile frac-
tions than at present
CONDENSATION of the vapOrs form
ed By heating crude >oil is effected in
the refinery by leading vapors
through coils Of pipe submerged in
wafer on COOLING most OF the
xapor becomes liquefied. but a GER
tain amount OF vapOr. due 10 insult
client time for proper cooling or the
fact that its condensing point Is
lower than the temperature o. the
water. viii remain uncondeused.
Also. certain other factions viii not
be condensed. for the reason that
their Hquefaction points are affected
by the pressure o. other hydrocar-
hons A small part OF this uuCOn-
deused vapor is dissolved in the
liquid that has condensed,
Condensation OF the vapors COM
ing from the still into liquid = ac-
compushed either by passing them
through pipes or Shells having large
surfaces exposed 20 the air or
through pipes or shells having large
surfaces exposed 20 the air through
coils submerged in water
Atmosphere temperature is an
important factor IN the production
OF gasoline from uncondensed refin-
cry vapors To IS found that during
winter months. due 10 more complete
condemnation OF the vapOrs. the pro-
ductior OF the gas plant will fall
OF 70 some extent An unusual ex-
ample OF this is a certain Swimming
plant which produces about 5000
gallons Of compression gasoline dali
1v through the summer months. but
drops 20 as low as 500 gallons per
day in winter. Ordinarily the diff
ference Is far less. but there is al
ways a tendency for production &c
drop IN cooler weather.
THE cost Of installing recovery
plants viii necessarily vary, depend
ing on local conditions such as the
distance between different stills
which arc sources OF gas. the nature
OF gas. especially in regard % sui
phur content. and the plant efHcien-
cv However, a cost OF aps roXi-
mately SIS per gallon OF gasoline
daily capacity should be sufficient
The operating cost Of the gas plant
IS relatively low"