Investigation of oil vapor emission and its evaluation methods

In oil operations such as storage, loading, and unloading, there are many chances for oil vapor to be emitted from tanks, tankers or truck tanks into the air. Oil vapor emission (OVE), having serious harmful effects on people and the environment, is always an important research topic for scientists, engineers or managers engaged in the fields of oil production and transportation, fire prevention, and environmental protection. As the second greatest oil consuming country in the world, China has particular interests in investigating ways to better methods to realize and then control the OVE. In this paper, three evaluation methods for the OVE are introduced and summed up. In particular, a set of self-founded OVE’s appraisement methods, which work by theoretical deduced equations integrated with both a software PELES-2.0 and a simple correction method, was systematically investigated. This appraisement system can conveniently and accurately be applied to evaluate the OVE, and further it can also provide base references and/or guides for the law makers, enterprise managers and equipment developers in controlling OVEs.

Research highlights
► Oil vapor emission (OVE) leads to a series of serious harmful effects on people and the environment.
► Three methods, which can be used to evaluate the OVE, are discussed and summed up.
► A set of self-founded OVE’s appraisement methods is systematically constituted and demonstrated.
► This appraisement system can conveniently and accurately be applied to evaluate the OVE.