Laser Backscatter Gas Plume Mapping for Flare Combustion Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The global oil and gas industry faces challenges in disposing of excess hydrocarbons during well testing due to the lack of transport infrastructure, leading to environmental pollution from burning, which releases harmful gases into the atmosphere.
Innovation Solution
A well fluid processing system with integrated gas monitoring and combustion efficiency measurement, utilizing laser-based spectroscopy to analyze gas plumes and determine combustion efficiency in real-time, allowing for optimized hydrocarbon disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrocarbons are burned to dispose of excess hydrocarbons, then the problem of hydrocarbon disposal is solved, but pollutant gas emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors combustion parameters (temperature, oxygen concentration, pollutant levels) and adjusts the burning process in real-time based on feedback signals. Sensors detect combustion efficiency and emit alerts or control signals to optimize the burning process, reducing pollutant emissions while maintaining effective hydrocarbon disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as air-to-fuel ratio, combustion temperature, and oxygen concentration to optimize burning efficiency. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves more complete combustion, reducing the formation of harmful pollutants like CO, NOx, and unburned hydrocarbons while maintaining effective disposal.
2Reliability
If real-time combustion monitoring is implemented, then environmental compliance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is designed to perform multiple functions using integrated sensors and processing units. A single system architecture monitors combustion efficiency, detects pollutant emissions, tracks operational parameters, and provides compliance reporting, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors itself and generates its own compliance reports without requiring external manual intervention. The monitoring system self-diagnoses, self-regulates, and produces compliance documentation automatically, reducing the operational complexity and resource requirements for maintaining environmental compliance.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If combustion optimization is pursued, then pollutant emissions are reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous optimization of the combustion process through ongoing monitoring and adjustment. By keeping the combustion process in an optimal state continuously rather than intermittently, the system achieves consistent reduction in pollutant emissions while minimizing energy waste from repeated adjustments or suboptimal operation.
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
Enhances environmental compliance by reducing pollutant emissions and improving combustion efficiency through real-time monitoring and data-driven control of hydrocarbon disposal processes.
Implementation Method 1
emit a laser beam through the gas plume and measure an intensity of a backscatter of the laser beam
Implementation Method 2
A gas monitoring system may comprise a laser system located in association with the burning device and operable to emit a laser beam through the gas plume
Data Source
AI summary
A gas monitoring system for determining a property of a gas plume produced by burning of a hydrocarbon effluent via a burning device. The gas monitoring system can include a laser emission system operable to emit a laser beam along a plurality of paths passing through the gas plume. The system also includes a detection system operable to facilitate determining intensity data indicative of intensities of the laser beam that has been backscattered by a surface after passing through the gas plume, and a processing system with computer program code. The computer program configured to control laser emission system, output concentration path length; discretize the concentration path length data in the form of a concentration path length map, find a plume region of the concentration path length map; and determine mean concentration path length of the predetermined gas.