Burner for a flare
AssigneeNOVA Chemicals (International) S.A.
InventorGrazyna Petela
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tip burner for a flare comprises a diffuser (7) which is sealingly connected downstream to a shroud (9) comprising a tightly packed bed of granular material (13). The stream of fuel and oxidizer flows to a diffuser where is mixed and tangentially swirled by a swirler (8) located either in the diffuser or in a closed proximity to the diffuser inlet. The mixture flows next to the shroud where the granular material provides a tortious flow path for the stream, restructuring it aerodynamically and reducing its velocity, preferably to sub sonic level. A combustible mixture exits the shroud as multiple of jet, at low velocity and low turbulence. The mixture is ignited by a pilot burner installed above but in close proximity of the shroud, resulting in a stable flame which generates a low noise level.
Claims18
A burner [for a flare stack] comprising in co-operating arrangement:
- i) an open upwardly expanding truncated conical mixing diffuser having an inlet receiving a gaseous feed comprising at least one fuel and an oxidant in a ratio to provide for the substantially complete combustion of the fuel at the burner exit;
- ii) above and co-operating with the outlet of said mixing diffuser an upper shroud, which can be in a shape of an open upwardly expanding truncated cone or a cylinder;
- iii) two perforated plates which constitute the inlet and the outlet of the said shroud;
- iv) within the shroud, a bed of inert, solid or hollow rigid tightly packed granules, said bed having the height at least equivalent to one inlet radius of the said shroud, and having a total cross sectional area of interstitial voids among the granules at the shroud inlet of not less than 2 times the cross sectional area of the inlet of the said diffuser;
- and
- iv) one or more pilot burners above and proximate to the surface of the upper perforated plate which constitutes the shroud exit.
The burner according to claim 13, wherein said vanes have a tangential deflective angle greater than 5°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.