A
gas pressure booster and a method for using it, which recovers fugitive
gas emissions such as at
atmospheric pressure, boosts them such as to the
pressure level of the low pressure gas sink, and returns them to, e.g., the low pressure gas sink, in a
single stage of compression. No
electricity or cooling water is required. All gas used to drive the
vapor recovery booster may be recovered and vented to the low pressure gas sink.In one preferred embodiment, the
gas pressure booster includes a drive cylinder and a boost cylinder interconnected by reciprocating drive and boost pistons. The drive
piston supplies force powered by a first gas
stream within the drive cylinder which exhausts to a second gas
stream at a lower pressure. Fugitive
gas emissions may be captured and transported to the lower pressure second gas
stream to eliminate gas discharged to
atmosphere. The need for boosting a gas multiple ratios is eliminated, as the pressure of the fugitive emission vapor is equalized to the low pressure gas sink at the end of the
piston suction
stroke. Preferably, a four-way valve operating on differential
gas pressure may be used to automatically actuate the reciprocating
piston.