e nggcyclo pe dia.

co m

http://www.enggcyclo pedia.co m/vent-flare-systems/

Vent and Flare Systems

Buoyancy seals and velocity seals- Buoyancy seal typically uses the dif f erence in densities of the purge gas and ambient air to keep the air f rom entering f lare system. Velocity seal is a cone-shaped obstruction placed inside the f lare tip so as to obstruct the inf iltrating air f rom hugging the inner wall. T he purge gas f low coming through the cone is a f ocused stream which sweeps away the inf iltrating air along with it. Continuous purge gas flow requirement in flare networks One of the ways to avoid air ingress into the f lare stack, vent KO drum, f lare network and subsequent catastrophic consequences, is to continuously purge a small f low rate of hydrocarbon gases. T his continuous hydrocarbon gas purge f low in the f lare network helps to build up some positive backpressure at the vent knock out drum. Emissivity coefficient for flare tip Emissivity coef f icient f or a f lare tip is the f raction of heat generated at the f lare tip that is radiated to surroundings. Not all the heat that is generated by burning hydrocarbon gases at the tip of a f lare is radiated. Major f raction of the heat generated by a f lare is carried to the surroundings in the f orm of hot gases by convection and the f raction of this heat is simply radiated to surroundings. Flare radiation plots / isopleths Radiation plots are representative of the incident radiated heat f rom f lare reaching at dif f erent locations in the surroundings. Radiation plots typically consist of isopleths. Isopleths are curves on a map of the f lare surroundings which connect geographical points receiving the same intensity of heat radiated f rom the f lare. Flare tip burn back Burn back of the f lare tip is caused by low exit velocities of the gas at f lare tip. T he f lare tip and f lare stack diameter are designed handling f or the maximum possible f low in the f lare network. However, the normal gas f low in the f lare stack is much lower than the design f low rate, resulting in low exit gas velocities at the f lare tip. Low gas velocities mean that the gas begins to burn much closer to the f lare tip than desired, thus causing burn back of the f lare tip. Liquid Seals on Flare/Vent Stack liquid seal at the f lare stack base is essentially a cylindrical volume of liquid into which the gas inlet to f lare stack is dipped. T his volume allows the f low of f lared gas f rom inlet pipe to the stack in f orm of bubbles rising through the liquid. Liquid seal volume does not permit any air f low entering the gas inlet pipe, thus preventing air ingress into the f lare network.