US 11,906,161 B2 · Apparatus for monitoring level of assist gas to industrial flare

Abstract

A remote sensing system which may be assembled with an Infrared (IR) sensor, or a plurality of IR sensors, disposed to sense IR radiance emitted as combustion products from a flare stack in two distinctive spectral bands, each band having a narrow spectral bandpass, the sensor being radiometrically calibrated to sense transmission characteristics of the two distinctive bands of the radiance from flare combustion gases; and an analyzer driven by a microcontroller, coupled to the IR sensor, to operationally respond in real time by generating an indication of flare stack's performance through a parameter derived from a ratio of the transmission characteristics of the two radiance outputs sensed by the IR sensor. The IR sensor of this flare monitoring-apparatus must be positioned in such a way that the anticipated entire flame will be captured within the Field of View (FoV) of the IR sensor, or sensors.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A process of remotely sensing combustion zone net heating values (NHVcz) of industrial flares in order to monitor the flare NHVcz, and thereby allow for the maintenance, in real time, of the regulatory NHVcz threshold of 270 BTU/scf, said process comprising the steps of:

sensing IR radiance emitted in a plurality of distinctive spectral bands by combustion products in gaseous phases or aerosols from within the combustion zone of a flare stack;
in real time, generating combustion zone net heating values for the flare by continually calculating, as a combustion index, the ratio of the radiance of the distinctive spectral bands;
in real time, calculating the NHVcz in accordance with EPA flare stack regulations;
correlating the combustion index and the NHVcz to determine flare performance;
and
continually allowing for the adjustment of assist media to the flare in order to maintain the flare performance at or above the NHVcz threshold of 270 BTU/scf.

3 more elements

A remote sensing system for remotely sensing combustion zone net heating values of industrial flares in order to monitor the flare NHVcz and thereby allow for the maintenance, in real time, of the regulatory NHVcz threshold of 270 BTU/scf, said system comprising:

an Infrared (IR) sensor disposed to sense IR radiance exhibiting two distinctive spectral bands emitted by combustion products in the form of gaseous or aerosols, each band having a spectral bandpass, the sensor being radiometrically calibrated against a blackbody calibration device to sense the radiance characteristics of the two distinctive IR spectral bands;
a flare gas net heating value instrument to measure NHVcz;
and
an analyzer comprised of a microcontroller coupled to the IR sensor to operationally respond in real time by generating an indication of flare stack's performance as a combustion index derived from a ratio of the transmission characteristics of the two radiance outputs sensed by the IR sensor, wherein the NHVcz is measured in real time by the flare gas net heating value instrument, the combustion index is continuously calculated in real time, and said combustion index is correlated with the NHVcz to determine flare performance and continually allow for the adjustment of the NHVcz to maintain the flare performance at or above the NHVcz EPA regulatory threshold of 270 BTU/scf.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for monitoring level of assist gas to industrial flare

Life of this patent

Apparatus for monitoring level of assist gas to industrial flare

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14