Membranes for Gasoline Fuel Management

Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) proposes to develop small, automated membrane systems that will remove oxygen from the air space in gasoline storage tanks and simultaneously recover any gasoline vapors from the vest gas emitted from these tanks. By maintaining the air space at a low oxygen concentration and at a slight sub-atmospheric pressure (0.5 - 2 inches of water) the risk of fire caused by vapor leaking from a tank or sparking in a tank is much reduced. The U.S. EPA estimates that 0.25% of volatile fuels are lost as air emissions during fuel transfer operations. By recovering the bulk of these vapors, the membrane system will cover its cost after a few years' operation while simultaneously enhancing the tank's safety. In the Phase I program, the properties of the membranes required will be measured. This data will be used to design a prototype system to be built and demonstrated in the Phase II program.