Beyond Guesswork
Author(s)
Miguel-Ángel Navarro and Miquel-Àngel Alós (Inprocess)
Magazine
2020. Hydrocarbon Engineering. October, Pages: 81 – 84
Abstract/Summary
During a flare release, the temperature of the flare network has a strong dependence on the relief source and on ambient conditions. During a relief of hot gases, contraction of the gases could occur due to the cool-down to ambient conditions. The rate of contraction velocity is accelerated if cooling leads to condensation of the contained gas components. The risk associated with this contraction is the depression of the header below atmospheric pressure, allowing outside air to enter into the flare system. Infiltration of air can lead to flame burn back, which in turn could initiate a destruction detonation in the system. The most common method for the prevention of air infiltration through the stack exit is to introduce purge gas. The amount of purge gas required depends on the released gas and on the gas purge composition, as well as the size and design of the flare.
