University of Alberta Flare Research Project : interim report November 1996-Jun 2000

The Flare Research Project at the University of Alberta is an ongoing multi year study into the emissions, combustion process and fluid mechanics related to flaring, which is commonly used in the energy and petrochemical industries to dispose of unwanted combustible gases by burning them in an open flame. This report focused on the emissions and efficiency of flares under operating conditions typical of solution gas flares. While most solution gas produced in Alberta is conserved, it is estimated that 6 per cent of these gases are flared with significant changes in the volumes flared from site to site. The median volume of flared or vented gas was approximately 60,300 m3/year and 95 per cent of battery sites flare and vent less than 1,000,000 m3/year. The goal of this project is to experimentally study the scaled-down generic pipe flares under well-controlled conditions to better understand the performance of flares. Research was conducted in a closed-loop wind tunnel to determine the effects of wind on flaring. Other objectives of the research are to develop methods for measuring the overall combustion efficiency of flares with either gaseous flare streams or those containing liquid droplets. Models for the scaling of plumes that disperse the products of combustion from flares as a function of wind speed, exit velocity and flare stack diameter were also examined. And finally, this research project measured the emissions of selected toxic compounds in both their vapor and soot phases. 38 refs., 10 tabs., 56 figs