SmokelessAirAssistandFlareGasRecoveryTechnologyfor

ContinuousFlareManagement
ScotSmith
Director,ZeecoFlareProducts
NigelPalfreeman
Director,ZeecoEurope
MazenMashour
SeniorProjectEngineerPMT,SaudiAramco
GregSeefeldt
SeniorFlareApplicationsEngineer,Zeeco

Presentedatthe
JubailGasFlaringReductionConference
1920February2013
Jubail

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Introduction
Flaresareanimportantsafetyfeatureofmostoilandgasproducingandprocessingfacilities,providinga
safeandeffectivemeansforburningwastegasesduringaplantemergency.Theseemergency
conditionsoftencoincidewithpoweroutages,lossofsteam,fireintheplant,oravarietyofother
scenarios.Flaresarealsousedtosafelyburnanycontinuousreliefcasesthatcanresultfromongoing
processes,controlvalveleakage,purge,etc.Inrecentyears,localgovernments,airqualityagencies,
environmentalgroups,andendusershavepushedtoreducetheamountofcontinuousflaring.These
particularflaringcasesareviewedaswasteful,polluting,andpotentiallyhazardoustohumans.This
paperwilldiscussseveraldifferentmethodsforreducingand/ormitigatingtheimpactofcontinuous
flaringaspartofaFlareImpactMitigationPlan(FIMP).

InanFIMP,oneofthefirststepsshouldbetobetterunderstandthecontinuousflaringsourcesina
facility.Thiscanbeachallengingprocess,asthelocaloperatorsmayhaveatendencytounderestimate
theamountofcontinuousflaringthatoccursatafacility.Arealisticestimateoftheflaringmustbe
obtainedinordertodeterminethebestandmosteconomicalcourseofaction.

Somefacilitieshaveflaregasthermalmassorultrasonictypeflowmetersinstalledintheflarelinesthat
measureandrecordflaregasflowratesonacontinuousbasis.Eachtypeofflowmeterhasalimited
turndowncapability,soitcanbedifficulttoobtainaccurateflowratereadingsinlargeflareheaders(36
andlarger).Theflowrateshouldbeaveragedoveraperiodofseveralweeksormonthstocaptureboth
emergencyandcontinuousflaringconditions.Theoperationofthefacilityshouldalsobeevaluatedto
determineifthereareanyregularorplannedmaintenancescenariosthatoccuronafrequentenough
basistobeconsiderednormalconditions.

Aftercollectingthedata,eachfacility(orenduser)shouldmaketheirowndeterminationofwhat
flowrateisconsideredthenormal,continuousrateandwhatflowrateisconsideredemergencyflaring.
Localregulationsmayonlyallowacertainnumberofhoursofemergencyflaringwithina24hour
period.Locationofthefacilityshouldalsobeevaluated.Iftheplantislocatedinaremotearea,then
flaringeventsmaynotaffectlocalcommunities.Apreferredsolutionintheseparticularcasesisto
upgradetheflaretoensurethatthecontinuousratesoperatewithoutproducinganyvisiblesmoke.
However,ifthefacilityisinclosevicinitytourbanareas,itmaybenecessarytocompletelyeliminate
anycontinuousflaringduetopublicconcern.

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Afterthedataandlocationareconsidered,thecontinuousflowratesshouldbemitigated.Themost
commonmethodsforflaringmitigationincludeimprovementstothefacilityconsistingofthefollowing:
Reduceflareheadersweeprates
Installpurgereductiondevicestoreducecontinuouspurgerate
Replaceleakingpressuresafetyvalves(PSV)andcontrolvalvesthatrelievetotheflareheader

TherecouldbealargenumberofPSVsandcontrolvalvesinafacility,andupgradingthesedevicesmay
notbeaneconomicalsolution.Insomecases,itmaybemorepracticaltoleavetheexistingequipment
inplaceandinstallaflaregasrecoveryunit(FGRU)torecovertheflaregas.

Aftermakingallreasonableimprovementstothefacility,itisimportanttoreviewthenewaverage
continuousflaringratestodeterminewhatmethodshouldbeutilizedasthenextstep.Oneenduserin
theMiddleEastregionappliedthefollowingcriteriaascompanyprocedure:
Atfacilitieswithcontinuousflaringflowratesupto1MMSCFD,applyasmokelessairassisted
flaretechnologytoreducethevisibilityofflaringandreducesmokeproduction.FGRUinthese
casesisnotlikelycosteffective.
Atfacilitieswithcontinuousflareflowratesgreaterthan1MMSCFD,aFGRUisconsideredcost
effectiveandshouldbeused.

Eachenduserorfacilitywillneedtoperformtheirownevaluationstodeterminetheappropriate
breakingpointbetweentechnologies.

Inthelast10years,SaudiAramcohasbeenimplementingitsownFIMP.Oneofthefirststepstheyhave
takenistoeliminatethecontinuoussmokeproducedfromtheflaresintheirGasOilSeparationPlants
(GOSP)intheSouthernArea.Itwasdeterminedthatthecontinuousflaringattheseremotefacilities
wasnotenoughtojustifyinstallationofaFGRUsystem,buteliminationofthecontinuousflaresmoke
wasneeded.IncollaborationwithSaudiAramco,Zeecoupgradedtheseflaresystemswithanew
smokelessflaretechnologycalledHighPressureAirAssistSystem(HPAAS).

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FIMP Solution 1: HPAAS Flare Systems

TheHPAASsystemisapatentedSaudiAramcoflaretechnology,licensedtoaZeecoJointVenture
company.ThemaincomponentsofaHPAASsystemincludeaflaretipwithsupersonicairinjection
nozzles,anairsupplylineontheflarestack(normally2or3diameter),aflowcontrolsystem,anair
receivertank,andanaircompressor[1,2].Asanalternative,insomecasesthesystemcanalsobe
suppliedwithairfromtheexistingplantinstrumentairheader.

Figure1.HPAASSystemComponents
TheHPAASincludesautilityflaretipwithalargewindshield.Inthegapbetweenthewindshieldandthe
flaretipbarrel,ahighpressureairinjectionmanifoldismounted.Theairmanifoldincludessupersonic
nozzlesthataredirectedupwardtowardthecombustionzoneattheflaretipexit.Figure2showsthe
maincomponentsofaHPAASflaretip.

Figure2.HPAASFlareTipComponents

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Compressedairissuppliedtothehighpressureairline,whichfeedssupersonicnozzlesthatarelocated
ontheairmanifoldinsidetheflaretipwindshield.Thesenozzlesinjectairupwardsintothecombustion
zone.Theairsuppliedbythenozzlesprovidesonlyasmallportionoftheairrequiredforsmokeless
combustion.Mostofthesmokelessassistairispulledinfromthesurroundingenvironmentbythehigh
velocityoftheairnozzles.Thepathofairwithinthewindshieldspace,airjetpattern,airmomentum,
windshielddesign,andnozzleorientationareallcriticaldesignfeaturesoftheHPAAStip.Theairmixes
withthecombustiongasatthetipexittoproducesmokelessflaring.

Advantages of HPAAS
ThekeyadvantagesoftheSaudiAramcoHPAASdesignareasfollows:
EasyRetrofitTheHPAASflaretipeasilyboltstotheexistingflarestack.Theairsupplylineeasily
attachestotheflarestackwithpipesupportbrackets.Formostapplications,thissupplylineisa2or3
diameterpipe,whichhasaminorstructuralimpacttotheexistingflarestack.Normalshutdowntimefor
afullHPPASflareupgradeisoneweekorless.
RobustDesignThemainairinjectionnozzlesusedintheHPAASdesignarelocatedseveralfeetdown
fromthetopoftheflaretip,outsideofthehighheatzone.Thisdurabledesignproducesarobustflare
tipdesignthatcanevencontinueoperationforperiodswhenthecoolingairsupplyislost
AdaptableEachHPAASflaretipisprovidedwithmultipleconnectionportsforthesupersonicnozzles.A
varietyofnozzlescanbeinstalledintheseconnectionportstoprovidedifferentairflowrates,flow
patterns,andexitvelocities.Thisallowsasignificantnumberofmodificationstoasingleflaretipin
ordertoadjusttoawidevarietyofprocessconditions,eveniftheychangeaftermanyyearsof
operation.Changestothenozzledesigncanbemadeduringturnaroundswithoutremovingtheflaretip
fromthestack.
LowCostandFastDeliveryWhencomparedtotheoptionofcompletelyreplacinganexistingsmoking
flarewithanewsmokelessflare,theHPAASdesignoffersasignificantcostandscheduleadvantage.
Additionally,whencomparedtoinstallinganFGRUsystem,theHPAASsystemisalsoamuchlowercost
optionandcanbeprovidedinasignificantlyshortertimeframe.
ThefollowingsectionshowsoneofthejobsiteswherethisHPAAStechnologywassuccessfully
implemented[3].

Field Example
TheflareatJobsiteCislocatedjustoverthehillfromoneofthemajorpersonnelcompoundsinthis
areaofSaudiArabia,whichputsitincloseproximitytoapopulatedarea.Theoriginalflaresystem
producedconsiderablesmokeonadailybasis,whichwasnoticeablebythesurroundingpersonnel.
Additionally,duetotheshortheightoftheflaresystem,italsopresentedapossiblehazardwithsmoke
impactingdrivervisibilityonanearbyhighway.Figure3showsthesystembeforethecurrentHPAAS
upgrade.

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Figure3.JobsiteCWithoutSmokelessHPAAS
In2009,theflaretipatJobsiteCwasreplacedwithaHPAASflaretip.Theimprovementswerenoticed
immediately.Thenewdesignprovidedaclean,smokelessflamethatwasvirtuallyunnoticeablefrom
thehighway.SaudiAramcopersonnelhavebeenespeciallyhappywiththeperformanceofthisflare
systemgivenitshighlyvisiblelocation.

Figure4.JobsiteCWithHPAASUpgrade

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FIMP Solution 2: Flare Gas Recovery

Incaseswheretheuserwantstocompletelyeliminatecontinuousflaring,theFlareGasRecoveryUnit
(FGRU)istheidealsolution.AnFGRUisausefulmeanstoreducetheamountofflaring,whilestill
maintainingthepropersafetyandoperationswithinafacility.GasesthatarerecoveredbyanFGRUcan
beusedwithinthefacilitytooffsetfuelgasusage.Thisprovidesanetreductioninfuelgasusageaswell
asanenvironmentalimprovementbydecreasingCOandhydrocarbonemissions.
Inatypicalfacility(withoutanFGRU),gasesareconstantlysenttotheflarefromavarietyofsources.In
afacilitywithanFGRU,thecontinuousoperationbypassesthenormalgasflowratesintotheFGRU
systemwheretheyarecompressedandsentbackintotheplant(Figure5).Duringthesecontinuous
conditions,theonlygasbeingburnedattheflaresystemisthestandingpilots,aswellasany
combustiblegasthatthecustomerisusingfortheflarestackpurge.Ifnitrogenisavailable,itcanbe
usedasanoncombustiblepurgegastofurtherreduceflaring.Aspeciallydesignedliquidsealorstaging
valveensuresthatthesmaller,continuousreliefcasescanbesenttotheFGRU,butduringemergency
reliefs,thegascanstillbesenttotheflaresystemforsafeburning.

Figure5.TypicalFGRUArrangementinaRefinery

Main Components of an FGRU System

LiquidSealorStagingValve:InordertodivertthegasesfromtheflarestacktotheFGRU,aliquidseal
orstagingvalve(withabucklingpinbypassdevice)isnormallyrequired.Theseisolatetheflaresystem
fromtheflareheaderanddivertnormalflowstotheFGRU.Attimeswhenthegasflowrateexceedsthe
capacityoftheFGRUsystem,thedeviceopens(thewatersealisbrokenorthevalveopens)toprovidea
safereliefpathtotheflare.ItshouldbenotedthatthestandardliquidsealdesigndescribedinAPI521
willnotworkproperlyinaflaregasrecoveryapplicationduetoitsintended6sealdepth[4].Flaregas
recoveryapplicationsrequiresealdepthsof24to100ormore.Animproperlydesignedliquidseal
drumwillresultinexcessivesloshinginsideoftheseal,whichcancausesurgingattheflare,smoke
signals,internaldamagetothesealdevice,orevenlargeliquidcarryoverattheflare.

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LiquidsealdevicesprovideseveralotherbenefitsfortheFGRUsystem.First,theyallowtheflareheader
tooperatewithsomebackpressure.Thisincreasestheefficiencyoftheflaregasrecovery
compressor(s).Secondly,theyprovidesomeprotectionagainstairpullingintothesystem(throughthe
flaretip)duringanoperationmalfunctionofthecompressorturndownsystem(thecompressorsystems
arecapableofpullingavacuumontheflareheader).

Figure6.DeepLiquidSealDrumforanFGRUSystem
Compressors:Theseunitscompressthegasfromlowerpressuresuptoahigherpressure.Thehigher
gaspressureallowsthegasestobeusedelsewhereintheplantaspilotgas,assistgas,orforother
purposes.ForsmallerFGRUs,thiscanbeasinglecompressor,whileforlargersystemsitcanbemultiple
compressorsoperatinginparallel.
TurndownandControlSystem:FlaregasratescomingintoanFGRUcanvaryovertime.Aproper
turndownsystemmustbeprovidedtoensurethatthesuctionpressure(i.e.thepressureintheflare
header)remainsatarelativelyconstantlevel.Thisturndownisnormallyhandledbythemonitoringand
controlsystemwithlogicinalocalPLCorintheplantDCS.AtypicalFGRUwillincludemanydifferent
instrumentsthatarecontinuouslymonitoredinthecontrolsystem.Thecontrolsystemmakesconstant
adjustmentstothedifferentsystemsettingstoensurethattheFGRUisalwaysoperatingwithinthe
idealrange.

AuxiliaryEquipment:AvarietyofauxiliaryequipmentcanbesuppliedwithaFGRUdependingonthe
specificapplication.Thiscanincludethefollowing:

Suctionscrubbers:Canbesuppliedtoremoveanyliquidsfromtheincomingflaregas.
Coolers:Requiredforavarietyofpurposesincludingcoolingofrecycledserviceliquidsforthe
compressors,interstagecoolingofflaregases,andaftercoolingofcompressedgases.Theseare
typicallyaircooledheatexchangersorshellandtubeheatexchangers,dependingonthe
jobsitelocationandtheavailabilityofcoolingwater.
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Figure7.AirCooledHeatExchangerforanFGRUSystem

Separatorsystems:Normallyareprovideddownstreamofliquidringcompressorsandflooded
screwcompressorstoseparateworkingliquidfromrecoveredflaregas.
Pumps:Oftensuppliedformovingoilinfloodedscrewcompressorsystemsorforevacuating
waterorhydrocarboncondensatefromseparatorvesselsorliquidsealdrums.
Noiseenclosures:Canbeinstalledaroundcompressorsand/ormotorstoreducetheoverall
noisefromtheFGRUwhenlownoiselevelsareneeded.
Vibrationmonitoringsystems:Utilizedtoensurereliableandsafeoperationoftherotating
equipment.

Compressor Technologies
SelectionofthepropertypeofcompressorisakeypartoftheFGRUdesign.Thereareseveralcommon
typesofcompressortechnologiesandeacharediscussedbelow.
LiquidRingCompressors:LiquidringcompressorsaremostcommoninFGRUapplications.Animpeller
rotatesinsidethecasing,pushingtheservicewatertotheoutsideofthecasing.Theshapeofthe
housingproducesanopenspacenearthetopandbottomoftheimpeller.Flaregasisinjectedfromthe
insideoftheimpeller.Astheimpellerrotates,thegasiscompressedastheopenspacereduces,andthe
gasisthendischargedoutofthecompressor.

Advantages:
Handlesliquidslugsanddirtygaseswell
Handlesawiderangeofgastemperaturesandcompositions
Lowspeedoperation(9001800RPM),resultinginlownoiseandlowvibrationlevels
ProventechnologyinFGRUapplications
Managesdirtygases
Easyaccessandmaintenanceofcompressorwhensystemissuppliedwithabackpullout
bearingframedesigncompliantwithAPI681
Lowheatofcompressionserviceliquidremovesmostoftheheat

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Disadvantages

Typicallylimitedtomaximumdischargepressureofaround150psig
Compressorsoperateatsinglespeed,soturndownisachievedbystagingcompressorsand/or
usingarecycleline.
Requireswaterforoperation.

DryScrewCompressors:AcommontypeofcompressorusedinFGRUs,whereamaleandfemalerotor
rotateinsideofthecompressorhousing.Themotorshaftdrivesthemalerotorandatimingchain/gear
drivesthefemalerotor.
Advantages:

Nowaterrequired
Highdischargepressuresavailable
Multiplestagesofcompressorscanbecombinedtoachieveveryhighdischargepressures
Handlessomeentrainedliquidcontentintheflaregases
Managesdirtygases
Canbeturneddownabout7075%ofmaximumcapacitywiththeVFDtoconservepowerusage
Recyclelineisusedforadditionalturndown

Disadvantages:

Highspeedoperation(7,000to9,000RPM),resultinginhighernoiseandvibrationlevelsthan
liquidringcompressors
Highheatofcompression,resultingintheneedformultiplestagesofcompression(withinter
cooling)toachievehighpressures
Highcost

FloodedScrew:Thesecompressorsareasimilarconcepttoadryscrew,butthereisnotiming
chain/geartodrivebothscrews.Instead,onlythemalerotorisconnectedtothedrivemotorandit
turnsthefemalerotor.Oilisusedinthecompressorhousingtoallowcontactbetweentherotors
withoutdamage.

Advantages:

Nowaterrequired
Highdischargepressuresavailable
Turndownispossibletoabout20%capacityusinganinternalslidevalveinthecompressor

Disadvantages:

Lubricationoilcanbecontaminatedbyflaregas.
Highcostforoilreplacement.
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Waterintheflaregasorcondensationduringcompressioncancauseprematurebearingor
rotorfailure.
Mediumspeedoperating(3,0005,000RPM),resultinginhighernoiseandvibrationlevelsthan
liquidringcompressors.

ReciprocatingCompressors:CanbeusedinFGRUsandusemultiplecrankshaftdrivenpistonsto
compresstheflaregas.

Advantages:

Highdischargepressuresavailable
Highvolumetricflowavailable

Disadvantages:

Largesize,noisy,andhighvibrationlevels
Frequentmaintenancerequired
SignificantauxiliaryequipmentisrequiredincludesinterstageanddischargeKOdrums,
interstagecoolers,aftercoolers,andjacketwatercooling
Highheatofcompression

SlidingVaneCompressors:Usearotatinghubwithvanesorfinstohelpcompressgases.
Advantages:

Smallplotspace
Lowcost
SystemturndownwithaVFD

Disadvantages:

Typicallylimitedtomaximumdischargepressureofaround150psig
Materialofconstructionofthecompressorhousingiscast/nodularironandisnotan
acceptablematerialforsomeendusersduetofirerisk
Smallcontinuousoilusage
Inabilitytomeetdemandingcustomerspecificationsormaterialrequirements

Design Parameters of FGRU Systems

ManyfactorsareconsideredinthedesignofanFGRUsystem.AnimproperlydesignedFGRUisnotonly
ahindrancetooperators,butalsoimpactsthesafetyofthefacilityduetoitscloseinteractionwiththe
flaresystem.BelowisalistingandbriefdescriptionofthemainsystemdesignparametersforanFGRU
system:

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SystemCapacity:Propersizingiscritical.Anundersizedsystemwillhavefrequentreleasestotheflare
system,whileanoversizedsystemwillbeinefficientandunprofitable.

SystemSuctionandDischargePressure:Thedesignoftheliquidsealdeviceandthepipingdesign
betweentheliquidsealandthecompressorskidsetthesuctionpressure.Theprocessingrequirements
(forH2Sremoval),deliverylocation,andfinalusefortherecoveredgaswillsetthenecessarydischarge
pressurefromtheFGRU.

FlareGasComposition:Theusefulnessofthegasintheplantisdependentonthecompositionofthe
gas,itsheatingvalue,itscleanliness,andH2Scontent.Additionally,therangeofflaregascompositions
willimpactthetypeofcompressorthatcanbeused,thecompressorsperformance,andtherequired
materialsofconstruction.

GasTemperatures:Theexpectedrangeofgastemperaturescomingintothesystemaffectsthe
compressorselection,thedesign/selectionofoilforfloodedscrewcompressors,thesystemshutdown
points,andthedesignofheatexchangers.

LocationofFGRU:ThephysicallocationoftheFGRUandtheavailableplotspaceinfluencesthe
equipmentselection,design,andplacement.

AvailabilityofUtilities:Theavailabilityoflowvoltageand/ormediumvoltagepowerfortheFGRUisan
importantconsideration.

NumberofFlaresConnectedtoFGRU:Itiscommonformultipleflaresystemstobetiedintothesame
FGRUsystem.However,thiscomplicatesthesystemdesign,layout,operatingstrategy,andcontrol
system.Theproperisolationofflareheadersfromoneanothermustbeaconsiderationtoensuresafe
plantoperation.

PaybackPeriod:Unlikesmokelessflareimprovements,FGRUprojectsdohavethepotentialof
becomingcashflowpositive.Todeterminethepaybackperiod,thefollowingitemsaretypically
evaluated:
Expectednormalflowrateofgasthatwillberecovered.
Monetaryvalueofrecoveredgasintheplant.
CapitalcostoftheFGRU
InstallationcostoftheFGRU
OperatingcostoftheFGRU
RequiredSystemTurndown:Affectsthecompressorselectionandthesystemdesign
RequiredServiceLifeofEquipmentandFrequencyofShutdowns:Impactsthecompressorselection,
theamountofredundancyincluded,andtheselectionofmaterialsandcomponents.

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AccessofEquipmentforMaintenance:Importanttotheequipmentlayoutanddesign.

Figure8.ZeecoFloodedScrewCompressorSkid
CustomerSpecificationsandApprovedVendorLists(AVL):Candirectlyaffectsystemcost,materials,
andthedeliveryschedule.
ExtentofModularization:Dependingonthesizeoftheunits,FGRUsystemscanbesuppliedas
individualpiecesofequipmentthatareassembledtogetheronsite,asmultipleskids,orevenasasingle
skid.

Figure9.ZeecoLiquidRingFGRUSystem
RequiredDeliveryDate:Affectsthesystemdesignandlayout,aswellasthecompressorselection.
ProjectBudget:Impactsmanyofthechoicesmadeinequipmentselectionanddesign.

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Special Design Considerations for the Middle East Region

Thefollowingdesignconsiderationsshouldbeevaluated:
FacilityType:FGRUscanbeinstalledatavarietyoffacilitiesincludingrefineries,chemicalplants,gas
plants,productionplatforms,etc.Eachfacilityisdifferent,andidenticalFGRUscannotbeusedforall
applications.AnFGRUmustbespecificallydesignedforeachapplication,usingthepropertechnology
thatistailoredforthatfacility.
AvailabilityandProcessingofWater:Liquidsealsandliquidringcompressorsrequirewaterforproper
operation.Ifwaterisnotavailableorisveryexpensive,itcanimpactthechoiceofacompressor.
Additionally,thewaterfromaliquidsealoverflowlinemustbeprocessedinthefacility,whichisfurther
complicatedifthereisH2Sorothercontaminantsinthegases.Theselectionoftheheatexchangertype
(shellandtubeoraircooled)isbasedontheavailabilityofcoolingwaterandambienttemperature.

HighAmbientTemperatures:HighambienttemperaturesintheMiddleEastregioncanresultinhigher
waterevaporationratesinliquidsealvesselsandliquidringcompressors,whichimpactthecontinuous
waterusage.Itcanalsorequiretheuseofspecialmotors,ormotorsthathavebeenderatedtobe
suitableforhightemperatures.Instrumentsandcontrolshavetobeproperlyspecifiedanddesignedto
protectthemfromtheheatandsunlight.

SandStormsandHighSandContent:ThesandyenvironmentoftheMiddleEastmustbeconsideredin
thedesignandselectionofcomponents,sincemanycompressorsandpumpshaveclosetolerances
betweenparts.

SourFlareGases:HighH2Scontentisproblematicatmanyfacilities.Thiswillcausecontaminationofoil
andwater,andwillrequiretheuseofspecialmaterialsofconstruction.

Warnings
Theconceptofflaregasrecoveryseemssimple,butthisisacriticalpieceofequipmentthatisdirectly
connectedtotheflare.TheflaresystemandFGRUshouldbeviewedasasinglesystemthatshouldbe
designed,supplied,andguaranteedbyasingleresponsiblesupplier.Whilesomecompressorcompanies
maytrytopackageandsellFGRUs,thesecompanieshavenoknowledgeorexperienceofflaresystems.
ThislimitstheirabilitytoproperlycombinetheFGRUandflaresystemstoensuresafeandseamless
operation.Compressorcompaniesalsohavenoexperiencedesigningliquidsealvesselsandcannotoffer
equipmentassistance.Belowisalistingofjustafewseriousproblemsthatcanoccurinanimproperly
designedFGRUsystem:
ManifoldingofMultipleFlarestoCommonFGRU:Ifnotdesignedproperly,thiscanresultinbackflowof
flaregasesfromoneflaresystemintoanotherflaresystem.Iftheprocessconditionsdifferbetween
flares,thiscanhavedangerousresults.

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AirFlowintoFlareSystem:Ifthecompressor,recyclesystem,orliquidsealdrumisimproperly
designed,itcanresultinairbeingpulledbackintotheflareheaderthroughtheflaretip.Thiscan
produceanexplosivemixtureintheflareorflareheaderthatcanhavedisastrousresultsifthereisa
flashback,asshowninFigure10.

Figure10.DestroyedFlareStackasResultofFlashback
BypassDevice:Properdesignoftheliquidsealorstagingvalve/bucklinginvalveisnecessarytohelp
ensuresafeandsmoothtransitioningfromtheFGRUtotheflareduringemergencyreliefflowrates.
ZeecohasaproprietaryliquidsealdesignforFGRUsystemswithinternalcomponentdesignthathas
beendevelopedovertheyearsbasedonourexperience.Ourdesignhelpstoavoidsurgingthatcanlead
tounstableburningattheflare,andevenequipmentdamage.Improperlydesignedsealscanalsoresult
inliquidoverflowattheflaresystemduringemergencyreleases.

Zeeco Capabilities: Flares and FGRU Systems

ZeecoisaworldleaderinthedesignandsupplyofflaresystemsandFGRUs.Ourexperiencedand
knowledgeablestaffhasextensiveexperiencewithsmokelessflaringtechnologycanhelpdesignand
provideasystemsuitedforalmostanyapplication.OurSaudiArabiaofficeisdedicatedtotheMiddle
EastRegionandcanprovidedirection,guidance,andfullsupportservicesinanystageofaFlareImpact
MitigationPlan(FIMP)oranFGRUproject.Duringthefeasibilitystudystage,wecansendFGRU
engineerstoafacilitytocollectandanalyzecriticaldatafromthefacilitytohelpdeterminetheproper
systemdesignandsizing.Zeecoengineerswillevaluatethesystempricing,operatingcost,andvalueof
recoveredgases,todeterminethepaybackperiod.Thisinformationcanbeusedbythefacilityto
determineifaFGRUiseconomicallyfeasible.Wecanthenprovidethedetailedengineeringdesignof
thesystembeforemovingintothefabricationstagetobuildthecompleteengineeredpackage.Ourfield
specialistscanprovidesupportforoperatortraining,equipmentinstallation,precommissioning,
commissioning,andstartupofthecompletedFGRUsystem.

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Figure11.ZeecoFGRUSystem

Conclusion
Flaresplayanimportantsafetyroleatafacility,providingasafeandeffectivemeansforburningwaste
gasesduringemergencyconditions.However,whencontinuousflaringisrequired,thereisapreference
forflaringtobemitigatedoreliminated.Thepropersolutionforthischangeshouldbedeterminedas
partofaFlareImpactMitigationPlan(FIMP).

TwodifferenttypesofsolutionswerediscussedasaresultofanendusersFIMP.Thefirstisupgrading
theirGOSPfacilitieswithHPAASsmokelessflaretechnology.ThesecondisaddingFGRUsystemsto
someofthelargerfacilities.Bothofthesesolutionsprovideanattractivemethodforreducingthe
negativeimpactsofflaring.Theenergyindustryiscontinuingtomoveforwardwithmoreeffective
solutions,suchasFlareGasRecovery.ZeecoisanexperiencedFlareandFGRUsupplier,andcanprovide
avarietyofassistanceforcustomersrequiringeconomicalandeffectivesolutions.

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References
[1]Mashour,Mazen.FlareStackCombustionApparatusandMethod.U.S.Patent7,247,016B2.July
2007.
[2]M.Mashour,S.Smith,N.Palfreeman,andG.Seefeldt,NewTechnology:SaudiAramcoHigh
PressureAirAssistSystem(HPAAS)forUpgradingExistingFlarestoSmokelessCombustion,presented
atInternationalFlameResearchFoundation16thMembersConference,Boston,USA,2009.
[3]M.Mashour,S.Smith,N.Palfreeman,andG.Seefeldt,SuccessStories:SaudiAramcoHighPressure
AirAssistSystem(HPAAS)forSmokelessFlaring,presentedatAmericanFlameResearchCommittee
PacificRimCombustionSymposium,Maui,USA,2010.
[4]AmericanPetroleumInstitute(API).GuideforPressureRelievingandDepressuringSystems.API
RecommendedPractice521,FifthEdition,2007.

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