	US 12,281,267 B2
	Recovering gaseous hydrocarbons as fuel on site
Darren Schmidt, Williston, ND (US)
Assigned to Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation, Grand Forks, ND (US)
Filed by Energy and Environmental Research Center Foundation, Grand Forks, ND (US)
Filed on Sep. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/463,479.
Application 18/463,479 is a continuation of application No. 18/171,019, filed on Feb. 17, 2023, granted, now 11,814,591.
Application 18/171,019 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/047,378, filed on Oct. 18, 2022, granted, now 11,697,773.
Application 18/047,378 is a continuation of application No. 17/811,016, filed on Jul. 6, 2022, granted, now 11,505,750.
Prior Publication US 2024/0010925 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. C10G 5/06 (2006.01); C10G 31/06 (2006.01)

CPC C10G 5/06 (2013.01) [C10G 2300/4012 (2013.01); C10G 2400/28 (2013.01)]

19 Claims

1. An apparatus for recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace as a fuel on-site, the apparatus comprising:

a compressor that accepts a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a separator, wherein the separator accepts a crude hydrocarbon input stream and outputs a crude liquid hydrocarbon stream to the tank;

a cooling unit that accepts a compressed mixture from the compressor and that forms a cooled composition comprising liquid hydrocarbons;

a flowline from the cooling unit for flowing the cooled composition to a buffer tank to form a buffered fuel composition; and

an outlet from headspace of the buffer tank that outputs a fuel gas composition for use as an on-site fuel.