Advancing gasoline vapor recovery in oil depots: Integrating cooling and adsorption technologies

Gasoline vapor recovery during fuel distribution is crucial for public health, urban environment quality, and minimizing economic losses from evaporation. This study proposes a gasoline vapor recovery process that integrates multi-stage cooling at partial load operation and dual-vessel pressure swing adsorption with activated carbon. Demonstration in an oil depot achieved a recovery ratio of 0.8 % relative to refueling gasoline, an air pollutant reduction of 99.2 %, and a CO₂ equivalent emission reduction of 86.5 %, highlighting significant environmental and economic benefits. An integrated model, validated against field test data, was developed to assess the energetic, exergetic, economic, and environmental performance, focusing on partial-load cooling and load shifting between cooling and adsorption. The Lorenz efficiency ranges from 4.5 % to 19.6 % with current configurations and can reach 25.2 % with stepless capacity control. Exergy analysis revealed an exergetic efficiency of 0.2 %–1.7 %, with major irreversibilities in heat exchangers designed to prevent frosting. Profitability analysis indicated a net present value of 27.6 million CN ¥ (3.88 million USD) and a payback time of 2.3 years. Considering efficiency and economic factors, the gasoline vapor recovery process is optimal at lower cooling temperatures and with smaller pressure swing adsorption configurations for future applications.