Flare System: Types, Segregation, Tips, Purge

System and More

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Table of contents:

1. Types of Flare

2. Segregation of Flares

3. Flare Knock-Out Drum

4. Flare KOD Liquid Removal

5. Flare KOD sizing depends on two aspects

6. Liquid Seal Drum

7. Purge reduction seals

8. Flare Purge system

9. Flare stack

10. Flare Structure

11. Flare Tip

12. Ringlemann Chart

13. Pilot burner

14. Pilot Ignition

15. Other Accessories

Flaring is defined as a process of controlled burning of exhaust gases which generates

heat and noise. Flaring is a common practice in oil/gas exploration, production and
processing operations. A flare system consists of a flare stack and pipes that feed gas to the
stack. The type and amount of gas or liquids in the flare stack governs the sizing &
brightness of the flare.
There are many function & reason for flaring, few reasons for flaring are:
1.
During well production testing after drilling is completed
2.

For safety and during emergencies and maintenance

3.

For managing gas during compression and processing

4.

Flaring at well sites to recover oil

1. Types of Flare
1.

Elevated Flare

2.

Ground Flare
o

Enclosed Flare

Open Flare

Elevated Flare

Enclosed Flare

Open Flare

Click to enlarge figure Typical Flare System with Elevated Flare

2. Segregation of Flares
1.

2.

Service
o

Acid gas flare

Cold dry flare

Warm wet flare

Pressure

1. Atmospheric
2. Low pressure
3. High pressure

3. Flare Knock-Out Drum

1.

Objective
o

Separate bulk liquid from gas

Limit liquid droplet size entrained with gas to the flare

Provide adequate residence time for liquid

2. Sizing basis
1.

Based on API 521

2.

Separation of liquid droplet size of 300-600 microns considering the design

case for the flare

3.

20-30 minutes of liquid hold-up time based on a relief case that results in
maximum liquid

4.

No internals to facilitate separation

5.

Many orientations / options possible, horizontal KODs most preferred

Flare KO Drum elevation

3.
1.

Flare Knock-Out Drum Elevation

KO drum elevation decides pipe rack elevation based on 1:500 slope of main
flare header

Flare KO Drum elevation

2.

KO drum elevation determined by pump NPSH requirement

3.

To reduce pipe rack elevation options are

4.

Reduce KOD elevation (option 1)

Use vertical can pump

Locate pump within pit

Locate KO drum within pit

2. Use intermediate KO drums (option 2)

>Flare KO Drum elevation arrangement (Option 1)

Flare KO Drum elevation arrangement (Option 2)

4. Flare KOD Liquid Removal

Remove liquid from flare KOD after relief to avoid overfill during future relief event
1.

Options
o

Draining to evaporation pond or closed drain drums

Liquid removal by flare KOD pumps

Heater to be installed in KOD where freezing, pour point issues exist

Rate of liquid removal to consider frequency and amount of liquid release

High level in flare KOD to be considered for plant shutdown

2. Sizing of Flare KOD

Flare KO Drum
o

LLLL shall be sufficiently high to avoid any sludge deposition impacting LT

nozzle (150 mm in above figure not correct, consider 300 mm minimum for services
which are not clean).

LLLL shall be minimum 700-300 in case flare drum electrical heaters need to
be installed.

LLLL Level at which pump trips.

LLL Level at which both pumps stops

HLL Level at which first pump starts

HHLL Level at which second pump starts

HHHLL Level at which entire plant goes into pressurized trip.

5. Flare KOD sizing depends on two aspects

Liquid Hold up requirement during a major liquid or two phase release.

Sufficient distance shall be available between inlet device bottom and HHHLL. It is
possible to have manually initiated depressurization even after HHHLLL. Any possible
liquid shall be accommodated above HHHLL.

Distance between HLL and HHHLL shall be designed to accommodate maximum

liquid release scenario(?). Some standards this distance is between HHLL and HHHLL.

Residence time required for drop of liquid particles of 300-600 micron size.

Liquid particles separate

o

When the residence time of the vapor or gas is equal to or greater then the
time required to travel the available vertical height at the dropout velocity of the liquid
particles and

When the gas velocity is sufficiently low to permit the liquid dropout to fall.
This vertical height is usually taken as the distance from the maximum liquid level.

6. Liquid Seal Drum

1.

Objective
Prevent flashback from flare tip back to flare headers

o
o

Avoid air ingress into flare system during sudden temperature changes
leading to condensation and maintain positive system pressure

2. Use
1.

Used in flare gas recovery systems

2.
3.

Staged flaring between enclosed flare and full size emergency flare
Design specifications

1.

Water as liquid sealing fluid not recommended for extremely cold releases;
water-glycol mixtures of sufficient concentration used instead

Liquid Seal Drum

7. Purge reduction seals

1.

Objective
o

Prevent air infiltration into flare system at low flow rates

Reduce amount of continuous purge gas injection into flare stack

2. Design options
1.

Buoyancy seal (molecular / density seal)

2.

Velocity seal (fluidic seal)

Purge Reduction Seal

8. Flare Purge system

1.

Objective
o
o

Prevent air infiltration into flare system at low flow rates

Prevent vacuum formation in flare headers and system following steaming or
large relief event

2. Design specification
1.

Continuous purge rate with velocity in stack

1. 1-5 fps : without molecular seal

2. 01 : with molecular seal

3. 02-0.04: with velocity seal
2.

Approximate purge flow rate can be calculated using section 7.3.3.3 of API
521.

Purge Reduction Seal

Flare P&ID

9. Flare stack
1.

Objective
o
o

Combustion of relief gases at elevation to minimize radiation exposure to

personnel/ equipment/ structure
Ensure adequate dispersion of un-burnt hydrocarbons and toxic components

Flare protection
2. Design considerations
1.

Radiation: Limit radiation, either continuous and peak, on off-site properties

and persons, equipment, buildings and personnel on the installation. Applicable to
impacted area, restricted area and equipment lay-out.

2.

Flammable gas: Avoid ignition of a flammable gas cloud released from a cold
vent or in case of flare flame out.

3.

Toxic hazards: (Mainly for H2S and SO2, but not limited to) limit the risk of a
toxic gas cloud to reach off-site population, provide means of alarm and adequate
protection to personnel present in the restricted area.

4.
5.

Noise: Limit both continuous and peak noise

Stack height is determined by HSE group based on permissible radiation level
as per project philosophy or API 521.

6.

Taller stack will result in smaller sterile zone.

7.

Locate process plant upwind of flare.

10. Flare Structure

Self supported flare stack

Guy wired supported flare stack

Derrick supported flare stack

More than one flare may be supported on the same structure

Flare Stack Support

11. Flare Tip

Produce desired destruction/combustion efficiency of maximum specified relief gas

Establish and maintain proper ignition

o

Pilot gas /Pilot burners/ Ignition system

Ensure stable combustion

Windshield

Retention rings
Result in smokeless operation at normal continuous flows or at100% flows

Steam

Air (high pressure or low pressure)

High pressure water

No external medium, maintain high pressure at tip by staging

Flare Tip

Flare Tip

Flare Tip: Velocity Seal (top view)

Based on velocity of gas exit from tip, flare tips are considered as sonic and subsonic
(pipe flare) type. This is the term used by process designer for high pressure flares and
low pressure flares.
General stack pressure drops are as given below.

Sonic flare 2 to 4 bar

Subsonic flare 0.2-0.5 bar

Open Pipe flare tips: These are used for combustion of gases that do not produce
smoke, gases with a low heating value, or for installations where smokeless combustion
of heavy hydrocarbons is not required. These flare tips are one of the lower capital cost
options for safe disposal of waste gases. In general these kind of flares have tips with
very low pressure drop.

Open pipe flare tips with steam injection: Steam injection is provided reduce
the smoke formation.

Open pipe flare tip with high pressure gas injection: This will increase the
turbulence at flare tip and reduce the smoke formation. Fuel gas can be generally
used as assist gas. Fuel gas injection can be either continuous or initiated manually
based on monitoring of flare tip.

Air assisted flare tip: When smokeless flaring is desired and neither steam nor assist
gas is available, blowers can be used to inject combustion air directly into the waste gas
stream as it exits the flare tip. Combustion efficiency of flared gas is increased by
installing air blower which will reduce smoke formation.

Multiple nozzle type flares: They are used where high flare gas pressures are
available (1 barg and up) and where it is preferred to have some smokeless burning
capability and also lower radiation levels. These kinds of flares are used for HP flare
application. They have good combustion efficiency and less chances of smoke formation.

Coanda flare tip: The Coanda effect is a gas-adhesion principle that dramatically
enhances the combustion process, resulting in maximum destruction of waste gases.
Coanda Effect occurs when gas is passed over and adheres to a carefully profiled,
curved surface, creating a near vacuum that pulls in substantial amounts of air. The air
turbulently mixes with the gas flow, resulting in high-efficiency combustion.

Open Pipe Flare

Multi Nozzle Flare

Coanda Flare

12. Ringlemann Chart

A series of charts, numbered 0 to 5, that simulate various smoke densities by

presenting different percentages of black.

Ringelmann No. 0 is clear smoke

Ringelmann No. 5 is 100 percent black.

Ringelmann No. 1 is equivalent to 20 percent black

Ringleman Chart

13. Pilot Burner

1.
o

Objective
Provide flame for reliable ignition of main flare gas at all times

2. Design specifications
o
Pilot system to comply with API 537
Minimum number of pilots

Flare burner outer diameter, DN

1 (2 for toxic gas)

Up to 200

>200 to 600

>600 to 1050

3.
o

>1050 to 1500

To be agreed with purchaser

>1500

Pilots designed to remain lit and capable of being relit at wind speeds up to
160 km/h under dry conditions

Pilot gas line

14. Pilot Ignition

1.
o

High Energy Ignition (HEI)

Electrode capable of high energy or high voltage discharge near pilot tip
o

Does not require propagation of a flame front as in FFG system

Does not require compressed air, self aspirating pilots

Simple and easy to use and automate, require little training or maintenance.
Re-ignition takes few seconds

Shutdown of flare system required for maintenance

Back up FFG ignition (when using HEI) may be considered for

Very tall flares that are difficult to access

Flare systems that can be off line only once in more than 3-5 years

Offshore platforms in corrosive and salt environments

Electrical Ignition Panel

2. Flame Front Generator (FFG)
1. Ignition line from panel to flare pilot filled with flammable fuel gas- air mixture and
spark introduced. Mixtures ignited and flame front travels through piping to ignite pilot
at flare tip
2. FFG panel located at grade
3. Panel operated manually or automated to reignite of pilot flame out detection. Reignition can take several minutes
4. Moisture accumulation can lead to corrosion, flame extinguishment Ignition lines to be
heat traced

FFG Panel

FFG System

15. Other Accessories

Flow measurement
Monitoring relief devices leaks during normal operation

Assess flaring of gases due to pressure control operations

o
o

Note relief flows for assessing flare system adequacy checks and potential for
flare gas recovery

Non-intrusive ultrasonic flow meters with wide range and no pressure drop is
preferred
Smokeless flaring : medium control
Proper steam or air control is required

By measuring gas being flared and adjusting steam rate / blower

capacity

o
o

Detection smoke using infra-red analyzers

Aircraft Warning Lights
Required when flare heights exceed 61m or when site is close to airport
Type and number based on regulations