Air-Assisted Gas Flare Tip for Smokeless Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas flares in petroleum refineries and chemical plants face environmental concerns due to incomplete burning of gases, leading to methane release and legal liabilities, as they struggle to handle both low and high pressure surges effectively.
Innovation Solution
A clean burning gas flare tip with an air-assisted design that ensures lean burning conditions by supplying sufficient air, using a dual pressure configuration with separate low and high pressure risers, and incorporating a blower mixing chamber and air blower to mix flammable gases for complete combustion, reducing smoke and soot emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional gas flare is used to burn off excess gases, then the pressure relief function is provided, but incomplete burning occurs leading to methane release and environmental harm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the combustion parameters by introducing an air-assisted system that supplies sufficient oxygen to the flame. The air blower delivers controlled amounts of air through mixing chambers, transforming the combustion from oxygen-deficient (incomplete burning) to oxygen-sufficient (complete burning), thereby eliminating methane release while maintaining pressure relief reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary substance between the fuel gas and the environment. The air blower and mixing chambers serve as intermediary components that facilitate complete combustion by mediating the oxygen supply, transforming harmful incomplete burning into clean complete combustion without direct contact between the discharged gases and the atmosphere
2Device complexity
If a single flare stack is used, then device complexity is reduced, but it cannot effectively handle both low and high pressure surges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single flare stack universal by incorporating multiple pressure handling capabilities. The system includes both a low-pressure flare line with a first air blower and a high-pressure flare line with a second air blower, allowing the same flare stack structure to effectively handle both low-pressure and high-pressure gas surges through selective activation of appropriate blowers and lines
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the flare system into distinct low-pressure and high-pressure handling pathways while maintaining a unified stack structure. The low-pressure flare line and high-pressure flare line are separated with dedicated air blowers and mixing chambers for each, allowing independent optimization for each pressure regime while sharing the common discharge stack
3Object-generated harmful factors
If more air is supplied to achieve complete burning, then VOC destruction efficiency increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by supplying air in controlled, optimized amounts rather than excessive quantities. The air blower delivers precisely the amount of air needed to achieve complete combustion of the discharged gases, avoiding both oxygen deficiency (incomplete burning) and oxygen excess (wasted energy). The system activates only the necessary blower (first or second) based on pressure conditions, further optimizing energy use
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves 98% or greater VOC destruction efficiency, eliminating the need for a second flare stack and associated costs, while ensuring environmentally friendly and aesthetically appealing operation by completely burning both low and high pressure gases.
Implementation Method 1
The air blower may supply blower air to mix with flammable gases from both the at least one high pressure riser and the plurality of low pressure risers for clean burning
Implementation Method 2
a low pressure blower mixing chamber enclosing at least one high pressure riser and a number of low pressure risers
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure presents a clean burning flare stack, or gas flare. The gas flare is air assisted to ensure clean burning. The disclosed gas flare provides smokeless clean burning of released gases. For example, the gas flare burns the released gases in a lean burning condition such that sufficient air is supplied to the surges of gases. In addition, the gas flare, by using a low pressure blower mixing chamber, is capable of handling low pressure gases and high pressure gases. As such, different flow rates may be provided to the gas flare when different amounts of low pressure and high pressure flammable gases are mixed with sufficient blower air to provide a clean burning condition. The disclosed smokeless gas flare is thus environmentally friendly and aesthetically appealing.