Pyrolysis of waste flare gas for power generation

A system comprising:

• a flare header of a gas processing plant, wherein the flare header is configured to flow flare gas to a flare, wherein the flare gas comprises methane;
• a methane pipe branching from the flare header and connecting to a pyrolysis chamber, wherein the methane pipe is configured to route a portion of the flare gas from the flare header to the pyrolysis chamber;
• the pyrolysis chamber, wherein the pyrolysis chamber is configured to heat the portion of the flare gas routed by the methane pipe in the absence of oxygen to thermally decompose the methane into hydrogen and solid carbon;
• a hydrogen pipe connected to the pyrolysis chamber and a fuel gas header, wherein the hydrogen pipe is configured to flow the hydrogen from the pyrolysis chamber to the fuel gas header;
• and
• the fuel gas header connected to a power generation plant, wherein the fuel gas header is configured to flow a mixture of the hydrogen and fuel gas comprising at least one hydrocarbon to the power generation plant where the mixture is combusted to generate electrical power, wherein the pyrolysis chamber is electrically connected to the power generation plant, wherein the pyrolysis chamber is configured to receive electrical power from the power generation plant and convert the received electrical power into heat for heating the portion of the flare gas.

A method comprising:

• combusting a fuel gas comprising at least one hydrocarbon;
• generating electrical power in response to combusting the fuel gas;
• providing a first portion of the generated electrical power to a gas processing plant, wherein the gas processing plant includes a flare header that routes a flare gas to a flare;
• providing a second portion of the generated electrical power to a pyrolysis chamber;
• converting the second portion of the generated electrical power to heat within the pyrolysis chamber;
• flowing a portion of the flare gas from the gas processing plant to the pyrolysis chamber, wherein the flare gas comprises methane;
• heating, with the heat within the pyrolysis chamber, the portion of the flare gas in the absence of oxygen to thermally decompose the methane into hydrogen and solid carbon;
• and
• mixing the hydrogen from the pyrolysis chamber with the fuel gas to form a fuel gas mixture prior to combustion of the fuel gas, wherein combusting the fuel gas comprises combusting the fuel mixture.