April 2013Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
A flare stack or gas flare is an elevated vertical stack or chimney found on oil wells and oil rigs and in refineries, chemical plants and landfills used for burning unwanted gas and liquids. It is primarily a safety device through which a sudden excess of gas can be removed and burnt in an environmentally friendly manner.
During processing, hydrocarbons are often put under pressure into storage vessels, when this pressure becomes too high it has to find an outlet through a safety valve. These valves are connected to a flare stack by large piping runs, known as flare or vent headers. Inside the flare stack combustible gases mix with oxygen and ignite by contact with a pilot flame at the top of the stack. In order to keep the flare stack functional a small amount of waste gas is continuously burned, so it is ready for its primary function as an over pressure safety system.
Some flares are used to burn off waste flammable gases or by-products. This practice is being reduced around the world in favour of gas recovery systems that reduce the waste and emissions, though flare stacks still fulfil an important role in many plants.
The correct mix of stream and hydrocarbons guarantees clean combustion, a clear flame and no harmful emissions to the atmosphere. The analysis of flare stack gases generally falls into two categories:
1. The measurement of oxygen to prevent the build up of a potentially explosive mixture of flammable gas and oxygen building up. Such a mixture could ignite at the burner causing a flash-back of burning gases into the plant. Typically, alarms are generated by the analysis equipment when the oxygen level exceeds about 1%.
2. The measurement of hydrocarbon components. The variance of gases to be destroyed in the flare may generate instability within the flame and only be partially burnt. In certain types of chemical plants, it is necessary to know the composition of the bulk gas mixture being fed to the burner.
Servomex paramagnetic, laser and infrared analysers allow these measurements to be performed close to the flare stack. The ServoToughE SpectraExact 2500 is used to measure hydrocarbons or total hydrocarbons in the header to the flare stack to optimise and guarantee combustion, ie, control of the steam. Excess steam is wasting money. Not enough steam means incomplete combustion. The SpectraExact can be used to help prevent both of these conditions.
The Servomex 2500 series of infrared analysers can be configured to analyse many of the components present in gas feeds to flare stack, as well as solvents which may also be vaporised and flared. Typical gasses measured are ethylene, whilst solvents include acetone and isoproponal. The infrared analyser can also be incorporated into the sampling system used with the oxygen analyser, further reducing installation and overhead costs.
The analyser employs a single beam, dual wavelength measurement technique, which gives increased measurement sensitivity and a high degree of stability. This technique is virtually unaffected by contamination on the sample cell windows. Maintenance requirements are low and the cells can easily be changed or cleaned. The analyser utilises a rugged construction and is certified for use in hazardous areas.
Ensuring occupational health and safety in mining
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Probe Integrated Mining Technologies (Probe IMT) has partnered with M3SH Technology to offer state-of-the-art environmental monitoring solutions that address these dual requirements.
Read more...Sustainability of surface water Endress+Hauser South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
The sustainability of surface water is critical for South Africa’s economic development, social well-being and environmental health. Endress+Hauser has a full range of liquid analysis sensors and transmitters to measure important parameters and has an excellent global track record in water and wastewater process plants and various surface and industrial water monitoring sites.
Read more...Keeping an eye on invisible radiation Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
At its peak in 1994, the energy generation capacity of the UK’s nuclear power stations was 12,7 GW across 16 plants. In 2024, the capacity has fallen to around 5 GW, and the number of stations is down to nine. However, this is far from the end of the story as spent nuclear fuel remains radioactive for centuries, and requires rigorous safety processes to safeguard against leaks.
Read more...Effective dust control in sugar processing
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
BLT WORLD specialists work in conjunction with the global ScrapeTec team to offer dependable solutions for specific problems at the transfer points of conveyor systems in many industries where dust and material spillage are concerns, including the sugar sector.
Read more...A benchmark for lubricant reliability in mining
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
According to Craig FitzGerald from ISO-Reliability Partners, mines can save R500 000 or more on their yearly mill cleaning costs, while electricity consumption can be reduced by up to 12%, and lubricant consumption lowered up by up to 60% when using Bel-Ray Clear Gear lubricant.
Read more...Safeguarding precision in industrial radiometric measurements Mecosa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
In the complex landscape of industrial plant operations, precision is paramount, especially when it comes to weld inspections to test for structural integrity of pipes. Berthold has the ideal answer to this challenge – X-Ray Interference Protection.
Read more...New indoor air quality monitor RS South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
RS South Africa has available a new indoor air quality (IAQ) monitor that provides continuous, easy-to-read, and accurate real-time monitoring of air quality in indoor environments.
Read more...A quick guide to disinfection Endress+Hauser South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
The distribution system in a drinking water network provides a reliable supply of high-quality water to consumers. Endress+Hauser’s range of robust, low-maintenance sensors are ideal for monitoring disinfectant levels in the water.
Read more...Optimising energy consumption in the chemical industry Anton Paar
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
To optimise energy consumption and save valuable resources on chemical process plants, operators have to continuously measure parameters such as concentration, raw density, sound velocity and refractive index. With Anton Paar’s wide product range, the process application team has many options for cutting-edge laboratory measurement technologies, and can develop tailor-made mathematical models for every application.
printer friendly version