Emission monitoring of flare systems

A system for monitoring emissions, comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• determine, in real-time, a first net heating value (NHV) of a flare gas emitted from an industrial process;
• determine, in real-time, a second net heating value (NHVCZ) of a combustion gas within a combustion zone including the flare gas, wherein the second net heating value (NHVCZ) is determined based upon the first net heating value (NHV) and a first volumetric flow rate of the flare gas;
• compare, in real-time, the second net heating value (NHVCZ) to a predetermined criterion;
• generate, in real-time, by an empirical model selected from a plurality of computational models, a first estimate of combustion efficiency of the combustion gas when the second net heating value (NHVCZ) satisfies the predetermined criterion;
• generate, in real-time, by a non-parametric machine learning model selected from a plurality of computational models, a second estimate of combustion efficiency of the combustion gas when the second net heating value (NHVCZ) does not satisfy the predetermined criterion;
• and
• output, in real-time, the selected one of the first combustion efficiency estimate or second combustion efficiency estimate corresponding to the selected model to a display communicatively coupled to the one or more processors to be viewed by a user,
• provide, to a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, a command signal configured to regulate the first volumetric flow rate of the flare gas based on the first or the second combustion efficiency estimate.

A method for flare control, comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processors, a real-time combustion efficiency (CE) estimate determined for a combustion gas flared within a combustion zone in a flaring operation, wherein the combustion gas includes at least a flare gas emitted from an industrial process;
• determining, in real-time, by the one or more processors, a first set point for flow of the flare gas based upon the received real-time CE estimate;
• determining, in real-time, by the one or more processors, a first volumetric flow rate of the flare gas;
• determining, in real-time, by the one or more processors, a first deviation between the first volumetric flow rate and the first set point;
• and
• providing, in real-time, by the one or more processors, one or more first command signals to a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more processors when the determined first deviation is greater than a predetermined first tolerance, wherein the one or more first command signals are operative to cause a flow regulator to actuate in a manner that reduces the determined first deviation.