Professional Documents
Culture Documents
R.V.
RE/U&O Flares-2
Purpose of Flare
Gas Composition
Flow Rate
Gas Pressure Available
Initial Investment
Operating Costs
Gas Temperature
Energy Availability
Environmental
Requirements
Safety Requirements
Social Requirements
Sizing must also comply with Federal Register (40 CFR 60.18) for
maximum velocity of steam-assisted, elevated flares:
Net Heating Value of Vent Stream
Bv (Btu/scf)
300
300-1000
> 1000
Maximum Velocity
Vmax (ft/sec)
60
log10(Vmax) = (Bv + 1214)852
400
It is standard practice to size the flare so that the design velocity of flow
rate Qtot, is 80 percent of Vmax:
Dmin (in) = 12*[((4/PI)(Qtot/60sec/min))/(0.8*Vmax)]^0.5
Dmin (in) = 1.95 * (Qtot/Vmax)^0.5
Where:
Qtot = Q + F (measured at stream temperature and pressure)
Dmin should be rounded up to the next largest available commercial size
Btu/scf * 0.0373 = MJ/scm and ft/sec * 0.305 = m/s
Flare
Stack
PI
TI
Instrument
Air
Vent
Emergency
Gas Purge
Switch
LIAH
LGR
Solenoid
Valve
(With Manual
Reset)
RO RO
Purge Gas
Gas To
Pilot
PI
TAH
Grade
Pilot Ignition
Systems Locate
At Flare Knockout Drum
Normal
Gas Purge
Steam
Pressure Relief
From Process Units
Slop To
Slop Tank
PI
PC
Fuel
Gas
Plant
Air
Ground Flare
System
Knockout Drum
Pumpout Pump
PI
TI
LGR
LIAH
Switch
PI
Instrument
Air
Vent
Emergency
Gas Purge
Solenoid
Valve
(With Manual
Reset)
Ground Flare
Retention Dike
Burners
Grade
Stage
Header
PO PO
Normal
Gas Purge
Purge Gas
Main
Header PC
Pressure Relief
From Process Units
Slop To
Slop Tank
Gas To
Pilot
PI
Pilot Ignition
Systems Locate At
Flare Knockout Drum
PC
Fuel
Gas
Plant
Air
Seal
Flare
Stack
Flare Knockout Drum
Knockout Drum
Pumpout Pump
PI
TI
LGR
LIAH
Switch
PI
Instrument
Air
Vent
Water
Seal
Solenoid
Valve
(With Manual
Reset)
Enclosed
Ground
Plane
Gas To
Pilot
Pilot Ignition
Systems Locate At
Flare Knockout Drum
Emergency
Gas Purge RO RO
PI
Normal
Gas Purge
Purge Gas
Pressure Relief
From Process Units
PC
Slop To
Slop Tank
Water
Fuel
Gas
Plant
Air
Grade
Flare Stack
Structure
Self
Supporting
Guy
Supported
Derrick Type
Normal Position
is A then can
be lowered for
work on the tip
to position C
Allows for easy
replacement of
tip
RE/U&O Flares-12
Riser assembled in
sections
Designed to
accommodate
multiple risers
Designed so that one
flare can be taken
out of service while
others are still in
operation
RE/U&O Flares-13
Conventional
Pressure Relief Valve
RE/U&O Flares-14
Balanced-Bellows
Pressure Relief Valve
RE/U&O Flares-15
RE/U&O Flares-16
Radiation Theory
6
5
4
Threshold of Pain
3
2
Safe Limit
1
0
10
550
740
920
1500
2200
3000
3700
6300
30
40
Radiation Intensity
Btu/hr-ft2
20
Kilowatts per M2
1.74
2.33
2.90
4.73
6.94
9.46
11.67
19.87
60
40
30
16
9
6
4
2
50
60
Protection
Required for
Personnel
Boundary for
Radiant Heat Intensity
(3000 Btu Hr/Sq.Ft.)
Environmentally
acceptable
combustion
Tips normally
proprietary in
design
Flame stability
Ignition reliability
Exit velocity 1 to
600 ft/s (.3 to 183
m/s)
Exit velocity at
50% of sonic
velocity
Multiple pilot
burners
Surrounding
windshield
Flare
Tip
Air
A To Pilot #1
H
J
Gas
To Pilot #2
To Pilot #3
E
C
Gas To Pilots
Pilot Burners
Automatic systems
may be activated by:
Thermocouples
Infrared Sensor
Ultraviolet Sensor
(ground flare
application)
Installation of Thermocouples
Correct Installation
Incorrect Installation
Pilot Windshield
Multiple Pilots
Multiple pilots
allow one pilot
to fail
Most flares
have two to
four pilots
Equally
spaced around
the flare
Troubleshooting Pilots
Problem Possible Cause
Corrective Action
Plugged
Pilot Tip
Plugged
Pilot Tip
Unsaturated Fuel
Hydrocarbons
Remove manually or by
high pressure blowing
then return to fuel gas
Damage
Pilot Tip
Incorrect
Fuel
Purging
Fuel Gas
Inert Gas
Nitrogen
Purge Rate
Flare Stack
Linear velocity 1FPS to
5FPS (.3 to 1.5 m/s)
Flare stack with molecular
seal
0.10 FPS to 0.20 FPS
(.03 to 0.06 m/s)
Dry Seals
Molecular Seals
Double Seals
Fluidic Seals
Airrestors
Molecular Seal
Flare
Assembly
Molecular
Seal
Liquid
Drain
Prevents explosions
Prevents entry of air
Reduces purge gas
Performs silently with
small pressure drop
Smoking
Steam injection
High pressure gas injection
Low pressure air
Internal energized flare
Steam Control
Valve
Monitor
Flux Density
Signal
Controller
Control Scheme
Minimizes steam
consumption
Controlled by the
flame appearance
Calibrated to a
particular
frequency in the
infrared spectrum
Knockout Drums
Principle Features
Cause
Action
High Frequency
Noise
Most likely
associated with
steam injection
Combustion Roar
(low frequency)
Intense
combustion
Visible flame
Excess flow
Smoke
Air starvation
Smoke
Low gas
pressure
Smoke
Steam/support
air shortages
100
80
60
40
1 sec
1.0 sec
0.01 sec
0.001 sec
Increasing
Residence
Time
20
0
600
800
Fuel
Exhaust
Combustion
Air
(Fume)
Natural Gas/
Inerting Gas
Enriching
Gas
Detonation
Analyzer
Arrestor
Vapor
Mover
Hydrocarbon Vapor
to Control Device
Knockout
Drum(s)
Discharged
Vapors
Sump
Pump
Ship
or Barge
Dock Facilities
Condensate
to Tanks
Shoreside Facilities
Flare gas
recovery
compressor
designed to
capture flare
gases and
compress to
fuel gas
pressure
Reduce natural
gas purchases
RE/U&O Flares-43
RE/U&O Flares-44
RE/U&O Flares-45
Potential Saving of
$1,000,000 per year have
been recorded
Relates acoustic signal level
to gas losses for various
valve types of different valve
sizes and working pressure
range
RE/U&O Flares-47
The End
RE/U&O Flares-49