VRU Design, Installation, and Preventive Maintenance

A vapor recovery unit is comprised of a scrubber, compressor and switch, the purpose of which is to recover vapors which have formed inside crude oil or condensate tanks. The vapor recovery unit then converts the recovered vapor into a usable product.

COMM packages vapor recovery units such as rotary vane and rotary screw compressors. As a packager of a wide range of vapor recovery compressor styles, we are able to focus on the gas stream in question and design the most cost effective and profitable solution for compressing this gas stream to our customer’s requirements.

Mechanical Vapor Recovery Units

COMM is now packaging the latest mechanical compression packages for the industry, featuring Copeland Scroll™ compressors designed for natural gas. Comm's Vapor Recovery Unit packages can pick up atmospheric natural gas and boost to an intermediate pressure system up to 200 psig in a single stage. Our Vapor Recovery Unit also utilizes a variable frequency drive.

CVRU - Single Package

Ejector Vapor Recovery Unit (EVRU™)

As a more reliable solution for vapor recovery, COMM developed and patented the EVRU™ technology that uses non-mechanical venturi jet ejectors to compress natural gas. The EVRU™ recovers vent or flare gas using a high-pressure motive gas to entrain hydrocarbons from low-pressure systems such as crude oil storage tanks. The combined discharge gas stream exits at an intermediate pressure and can be injected into the suction of a compressor or into the process system (e.g., fuel gas, low pressure separator).

The EVRU™ is a closed loop system designed to boost and recover natural gas as a usable and profitable product. As an added benefit, it reduces the emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are contained in natural gas. The EVRU™ replaces traditional mechanical vapor recovery units and requires virtually no maintenance with no moving parts.

USEPA Performance Test Results (click here to go to EPA's web site)

Tank Vapor Recovery

Crude oil holding tanks can produce large amounts of gas vapor, which when vented or flared release harsh compounds into the atmosphere. Numerous oil producers are starting to realize the advantages of installing tank vapor recovery units, because of their ability to capture harmful vapors, convert them back to liquid state, and either re-insert them back into the crude oil holding tank, or use them as fuel for other applications.

The benefits of installing a vapor recovery unit on a crude oil storage tank can be realized almost immmediately upon installation. Capable of capturing up to 95% of the expelled vapor, tank vapor recovery units significantly reduce both the level of vapor wasted, and the emission of harmful, volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere.