PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST FOR A REAL-TIME FLARE …

Presented at

Air & Waste Management Association Louisiana Section

2013 Fall Conference

By

Yousheng Zeng, PhD, PE and Jon Morris

Providence Photonics, LLC

Mark Dombrowski

Surface Optics Corporation

October 30, 2013

PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST

FOR A REAL-TIME FLARE COMBUSTION

EFFICIENCY MONITOR

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A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE CONCEPT

PRESENTED AT 2012 FALL CONFERENCE

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Ref.: Zeng and Morris, “A New Method to Measure Flare Combustion Efficiency in Real-Time”, presented

at AWMA Louisiana Section 2012 Fall Conference, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 30-31, 2012

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𝐶𝐸(%) =𝐶 𝐶𝑂2

𝑖 𝑛𝑖 𝐶 𝐻𝐶𝑖+ 𝐶 𝐶𝑂2+ 𝐶 𝐶𝑂Eq. (1)

Flare Combustion Efficiency (CE):

Flare CE – Very difficult to measure

Source: TCEQ/UT

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THE CONCEPT

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Sky

Flare

Flare CE

monitor

Monitor and map flare CE in real time through a special multi-spectral IR imaging device

Not a path measurement

No scanning; high frame rate

No operator required

We call it “Flare

Efficiency

Monitoring

System” or

“FEMS”

VISION

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98 98 989898

98

9595

9292

92

95 95 95

98

98

70

Monitor flare CE in real-time

Image the full flare flame; measure both overall CE and CE at a pixel level (CE mapping)

Industrial grade device, suitable for integration with PLC or DCS

One monitor covers multiple flares on site (step and stare)

WORKING PRINCIPLE

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0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.8 5.0

α

λ(µ)

CO2COPropaneMethaneH2OCh1Ch4Ch2Ch3

HC CO2 CO

PROOF OF CONCEPT TEST

7 7

The proof of concept test was partially funded by EPA

SBIR Phase I grant.

Nitrogen

Scale

model

flare

SOC750

ImagerFlue

CO2 and CO

Analyzer

HC Analyzer

Datalogger

Propane

Steam

TEST SETUP

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Temperature

Measurement

SOC750

Hyper-Spectral

Imager

Scale model flare,

Flue w/ Sampling Probe, and

Analyzers

Distance from

the scale model flare

to the Imager: 23 ft.

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SCALE MODEL FLARE

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NitrogenFuel

(Propane)

Steam

Fuel: approx. 40k Btu/hr.

Nitrogen: varied

Steam: ~ 3 lb./hr.

FLUE AND SAMPLING PROBE

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Thermal

Couple

Scale

Model

Flare

Flue

Sampling

probe

Baffle for

mixingInside view

of the flue

ANALYZERS AND IMAGER

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Testo 350 XL

(CO2 using NDIR,

CO, O2, NOx, H2,

Temp, etc.)

3010 Mini

FID

Calibrated

to

Propane

SOC750 Hyper-

spectral imager

42 spectral channels,

operated at 22 cubes

per sec.

TEST RUNS

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS

- WITHOUT CALIBRATION

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS

- WITH AN INITIAL CALIBRATION

Repeatability

test

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS

- INITIAL METHOD TO MEASURE TEMPERATURE

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS – CE MAP

ROI #1:

CE=89%

ROI #2

CE=89%

ROI #3

CE=75%

ROI #4

CE=50%

ROI #1:

CE=82%

ROI #2

CE=79%

ROI #3

CE=69%

ROI #4

CE=60%

30 sec.

average

(670

frames)

1 frame

(~0.045

sec.)

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Extractive Sampling

- Point measurement

FEMS

- 2-D mapping/

measurement

Three Types of Measurement

PFTIR

- Path measurement

COMPARISON WITH PFTIR

PFTIR

“Scanning” - >1 sec/scan

– assuming that flare is

static during that time

Path measurement –

aiming required

Human operation

FEMS

Staring – 20-30 data

cubes/sec – match the

flare dynamics

2-D mapping of CE – no

aiming required

Automatic

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CONCLUSION

The CE determined by the new technology correlate well with the CE measured by conventional analyzers

With a further developed calibration method, real-time CE monitoring and feedback for flare optimization is feasible

The new technology can determine CE at a pixel level, generating a CE map for the entire flare flame. No aiming issue.

As a side benefit, it can also provide temperature mapping of the flare flame

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LOOKING FORWARD…

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Flare 1

Flare CE

monitor

Flare 2

DCS or

PLC

Vent Gas

Steam/Air

Vent Gas

Steam/Air

OperatorOr

OPTICAL GAS IMAGING WORKSHOP

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Contact Info. [email protected]