Telescoping Flaring Stack for Portable Gas Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable flaring apparatuses face challenges in efficiently and safely burning excess gas from abandoned oil or gas wells due to the size and portability limitations of the flaring stack, which restricts the number of flare tips and flaring rates, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A portable flaring apparatus with a telescoping stack and a detonation flame arrester, allowing for safe and efficient flaring by minimizing the stack height during transport and maximizing the number of flare tips, while ensuring robustness and high flaring rates through a combination of a movable platform, hydraulic assembly, and adjustable air intake mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stack height is increased to provide proper venting of emissions, then the flaring efficiency and safety are improved, but the portability of the apparatus deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stack is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can be extended vertically when deployed and collapsed for transport. This segmentation allows the stack to achieve sufficient height for safe flaring operations while maintaining portability during transportation to abandoned well sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The stack employs a telescoping mechanism that dynamically adjusts its height between a compact configuration for transport and an extended configuration for operation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing both portability and adequate venting height as needed.
2Productivity
If the number of flare tips is increased to maximize flaring rate, then the gas processing efficiency is improved, but the stack size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flare tip array is organized in a modular fashion within the telescoping stack segments, allowing multiple flare tips to be distributed across different segments. This modular arrangement increases the total number of flare tips for higher flaring rates while keeping each individual segment manageable in size and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple flare tip assemblies are nested within the telescoping stack segments, with smaller segments containing flare tips that can be deployed at different heights. This nesting arrangement maximizes the density of flare tips within the available stack volume without proportionally increasing overall stack complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the stack is made compact for easy transport, then the portability is improved, but the flaring capacity and safety are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping stack provides dynamic height adjustment, collapsing to a compact form for transport and extending to full operational height at the flaring site. This dynamic capability ensures both excellent portability and full flaring capacity are achieved at different stages of deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented telescoping structure allows the stack to be transported in a compact, collapsed state and then extended to provide sufficient height and flaring capacity at the operational site, resolving the contradiction between compact transport and full flaring capability.
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 enables safe and efficient flaring of excess gas at high rates without compromising health or safety, facilitating efficient abandonment of wells by allowing for a higher density of flare tips and improved gas flow management.
Implementation Method 1
a flame suppressor, which may be a detonation flame arrester, of sufficient strength to allow for the safe flaring of gas at a high rate
Implementation Method 2
The stack may comprise multiple segments of varying diameters that can be telescoped in order to reduce the height of the stack during transport
Implementation Method 3
a flame suppressor, which may be a detonation flame arrester, of sufficient strength to allow for the safe flaring of gas at a high rate
Data Source
AI summary
A portable flaring apparatus is disclosed. The flaring apparatus comprises a stack comprising multiple segments of varying diameters, which may be configured to be telescoped for transport. The flaring apparatus further comprises one or more inlets for the intake of gas, an arrester for suppressing flames and detonation within the flaring system, and a plurality of combustion tips for flaring gas. The components of the flaring apparatus may be affixed to a trailer platform for portability.