Flaresim Manual (2008)

COPYRIGHT
The copyright in this manual and its accompanying software are the property of Softbits
Consultants Ltd with all rights reserved. Both this manual and the software have been
provided pursuant to a License Agreement containing restrictions on use.
Softbits Consultants Ltd reserves the right to make changes to this manual or its
accompanying software without obligation to notify any person or organisation.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval

system or translated into any other language in any form or by any means, or disclosed to
third parties without the prior written consent of Softbits Consultants Ltd.
WARRANTY
Softbits Consultants Ltd or its agents will replace any defective manual, program disks
within 90 days or purchase of the product providing that proof of purchase is evident. All
warranties on the disks and manual and any implied warranties are limited to 90 days from
the date of purchase. Neither Softbits Consultants Ltd nor its agents or dealers make any
warranty, implied or otherwise, with respect to the software.
The Flaresim software is intended for use by a qualified engineer. The interpretation of the
results from this software are the sole responsiblity of the user.
Softbits Consultants Ltd shall bear no liability for the loss of revenue or other incidental or
consequential damages arising from the use of this software.
The governing law of this warranty shall be that of England.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Softbits Consultants Ltd would like to express their gratitude to Mr. John F. Straitz III and
the National Airoil Company and GBA Ltd of Slough for assistance in the development of
some algorithms within the software.
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright Softbits Consultants Ltd, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2006, 2008

Table of Contents
1 Introduction.................................................. 1-1
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.2 Program Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
2 Installation.................................................... 2-1
2.1 Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
2.4 Flaresim File Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-44
3 Getting Started............................................. 3-1

3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2 Sonic Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
3.3 Two Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
3.4 Working With Isopleths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
3.5 Welltest Burner Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
4 Interface........................................................ 4-1
4.1 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
4.2 Menu Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
4.3 Tool Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
4.4 Log Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
4.5 File Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
4.6 About View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
4.7 Chart Control Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
5 General Setup .............................................. 5-1

5.1 Case Summary View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
1
5.2 Case Description View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
5.3 Setup Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
5.4 Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
5.5 Component Management View . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
6 Fluids ............................................................ 6-1

6.1 Fluid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
6.2 Assist Fluid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
7 Environment................................................. 7-1
7.1 Environment View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
8 Stacks ........................................................... 8-1

8.1 Stack View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
9 Tips ............................................................... 9-1

9.1 Tip View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
9.2 Size Tip View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
10 Receptors ................................................... 10-1

10.1 Receptor Point View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
10.2 Receptor Point Summary View . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
10.3 Receptor Grid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
10.4 Overlay Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
10.5 Using Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
11 Shields........................................................ 11-1
11.1 Shield View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-4
11.2 Shield Section Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
11.3 Pit Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15
11.4 Transform View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-17
11.5 Water Screen Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . 11-19
12 Calculations ............................................... 12-1
2
12.1 Calculation Options View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
13 Printing ....................................................... 13-1

13.1 Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
13.2 Graphic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
13.3 Print Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
14 Calculation Methods ................................. 14-1

14.1 Thermal Radiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
14.2 Surface Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16
14.3 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17
14.4 Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24
14.5 Purge Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-26
14.6 Water Sprays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-29
14.7 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-31
15 OLE Interface ............................................. 15-1

15.1 Overall Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5
15.2 Flaresim Application Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7
15.3 ICase Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-11
15.4 IOptions Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-12
15.5 ITips Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-18
15.6 ITip Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-19
15.7 IPoints Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-28
15.8 IPoint Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-29
15.9 IStacks Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-37
15.10 IStack Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-38
15.11 IGrids Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-43
15.12 IGrid Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-44
15.13 IShields Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-56
15.14 IShield Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-57
15.15 IEnvironments Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-61
15.16 IEnvironment Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-62
15.17 IFluids Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-67
3
15.18 IFluid Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-68
15.19 IComponents Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-72
15.20 IComponent Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-73
15.21 IAssists Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-75
15.22 IAssist Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-76
A Graphic Report Layout............................... A-1

A.1 Introduction to XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
A.2 Layout File Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
4
Introduction 1-1
1 Introduction
Page
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1.2.1 Flaresim Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2.2 Object Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2.3 Running a Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1-1
1-2
1-2
Introduction 1-3
Flaresim is a computer program designed to assist professional

engineers in the design and evaluation of flare systems. The program
calculates the thermal radiation and noise generated by flares and
estimates the temperatures of exposed surfaces.
Flaresim provides a user friendly interface that follows standard

Windowstm conventions. The program actions are by menu and
toolbar options. Data entry is through a series of data views
controlled from an overall summary view. Context sensitive help is
available at all points to assist the user in the use of the program and
selection of appropriate design parameters.
Output from the Flaresim is highly customisable with the user

having the freedom to select summary or detailed output. The
reports also include graphical output where appropriate.
Experienced flare system engineers should read the remainder of

this chapter for an overview of the way that Flaresim performs
calculations. They may then find that they will be able to use the
program with assistance from the help system without further
reference to the manual. However we would recommend study of
the manual to become familiar with the full range of options and
recommendations for using the program.
Engineers new to flare system design should work through the

examples in the Getting Started section of the manual after first
reading this chapter. The examples provide a step by step guide to
using Flaresim for flare system design and highlight some of the
critical parameters that must be determined.
1-3
1-4 Features
1.1 Features
The following features highlight the main capabilities of Flaresim.
• Equally applicable to the design of flare systems for offshore
platforms, gas plants, refineries and chemical plants.
• Data may be entered and reported in the users choice of units

and may be converted at any time.
• Correlations are available for modelling a range of flare tips

including sonic tips, pipeflare tips and steam or air assisted tips.
For assisted flares the quantity of steam or air required for
smokeless operation can be calculated.
• A number of correlations are provided to predict the fraction of

heat radiated from flames of a range of hydrocarbon fluids with
different types of flare tip.
• Liquid flaring systems can be handled.
• A wide range of algorithms for calculation of thermal radiation.

These include integrated multipoint methods in addition to the
Hajek/Ludwig and Brzustowski/Sommer methods which are
described in the API guidelines for flare system design.
• Full three dimensional flame shape analysis with complete flexi-

bility in specification of the location and orientation of multiple
stacks.
• A range of options for defining and analysing the noise spectrum

generated by flare systems including user defined spectra.
• Ability to define multiple environmental scenarios to allow rapid

evaluation of flare system performance under different wind
speeds and directions.
• Multiple stacks/booms which can each have multiple flare tips.
1-4
Introduction 1-5
• Calculation of radiation, noise spectrum and surface tempera-

tures at multiple receptor points.
• Calculation of radiation variation with wind direction and speed

at a point and display of results on a wind rose chart.
• Ability to define multiple receptor grids in multiple planes for

calculation of radiation, noise or surface temperatures.
• Plotting of grid results as isopleth contours for sterile area

definition.
• Receptor point characteristics for calculating surface tempera-

tures include mass, absorbtivity, emissivity, area, specific heat,
orientation and initial temperature.
• Modelling of water curtains or solid shields to reduce radiation

and noise transmission.
• Sizing of stack or boom length to meet radiation, noise or sur-

face temperature limits at defined receptor points.
• A setup wizard to allow new users to set up an initial model

rapidly with appropriate defaults.
• Import of files from previous DOS version of Flaresim.
• Quality Assurance options are included in the reports.
• Customisable HTML reports
• Customisable graphic reports
• An OLE interface to allow the Flaresim calculation engine to be

driven from 3rd party software.
The wide range of calculation options available within Flaresim may

lead to the possibility of selecting inappropriate correlations for a
particular combination of fluid type and flare system configuration.
1-5
1-6 Features
While we have tried to prevent the use of the move obvious

problems we have tried to allow flexibility for “one off” situations.
As with all engineering computer software, Flaresim is a tool which
should not be expected to replace sound engineering judgement.
Softbits Consultants Ltd are always interested in continuing product

development to ensure that Flaresim meets the needs of our clients.
Should you wish to see any feature incorporated in Flaresim, please
feel free to contact us at support@flaresim.com. If the request is
reasonable we will endeavour to include it in future releases of the
program.
1-6
Introduction 1-7
1.2 Program Overview

The Flaresim program has been developed to provide great
flexibility in modelling by breaking down flare systems into a
number of objects such as fluids, stacks, tips etc. These individual
objects are then linked together to define the flare system.
Flaresim provides a Case Summary view, see Figure 1-1, that

shows a tree structure of all the objects that have been defined in a
given model and provides a rapid overview of which ones are
currently complete and in use.
Case Summary Icons Figure 1-1, Case Summary view
Required object
present
Required object
missing
Optional object
Permanent object
Object data complete
Object data missing
Object ignored
1.2.1 Flaresim Objects

The objects that can be defined are:-
Case Details
Each model contains a single Case Details object which defines
descriptive information.
1-7
1-8 Program Overview
Fluids
A model can contain multiple fluid objects. Each object describes
the physical properties of a fluid to be flared such as density, lower
heating value, lower explosive limit etc. Fluids may be defined
either by entering bulk properties or by defining the composition of
the fluid to allow calculation of its properties from pure component
data. A single fluid can be flared through multiple tips.
Environments
A model can contain multiple environment objects each of which
describes a combination of wind speed, direction, humidity etc. The
variation of wind speed with direction can also be defined to support
wind rose calculations. Only one environment object can be active
for a set of calculations.
Stacks
Multiple stack objects can be defined which may be active or
ignored in any set of calculations. Stack data includes length,
location and orientation. Each stack may support multiple flare tips.
Tips
Multiple tip objects can be defined and set active or ignored in a set
of calculations. Tip data includes tip type and associated calculation
methods, dimensions and stack location data and the flow and
selection of the fluid being flared. Tip objects provide access to
flame shape and other tip specific results.
Receptor Points
Multiple receptor point objects can be defined and then set active or
ignored in a set of calculations. Receptor point data includes
location, characteristics for surface temperature calculation and
constraints for sizing calculations. Receptor point objects provide
access to results calculated for the point. The effect of wind speed
and direction on the radiation can also be calculated and displayed
as a wind rose plot.
Receptor Grids
Multiple receptor grid objects can be defined and then activated or
ignored in a set of calculations. Receptor grid data includes
orientation, location and coarseness data as well as characteristics
1-8
Introduction 1-9
for surface temperature calculations. Receptor grid objects provide

access to their calculated results including contour plots of radiation,
noise and surface temperature.
Assist Fluids
Multiple assist fluid objects may be defined and used by one or more
flare tips. Data includes assist fluid type and calculation method to
be used.
Shields
Multiple shield objects may be defined to model the reduction in
radiation and noise through the installation of water sprays and solid
shields. The transmissivity of water sprays can be specified by the
user or calculated using an internal correlation. Shields can also be
defined to model burn pits.
Calculation Options
A single calculation options object defines the correlations to be
used in the calculations. It also provides for selection of a stack to be
sized if required in design calculations.
Component Management
A single component library manager object allows maintenance of
the pure component database.
1.2.2 Object Definition

Flaresim objects are created by selecting the branch in the Case
Summary view and then clicking the Add button. Alternatively the
Add menu can be used.
Creation of an object automatically opens its view to allow its data

to be entered. When all the required data has been entered the Status
Text at the bottom of the view will indicate Complete as shown in
Figure 1-2.
Some objects have more data items than will fit on a single form so
their views have been divided into multiple tabs, for example the
Tip view as shown in Figure 1-2 has tabs for Details, Location &
1-9
1-10 Program Overview
Dimensions, Fluids, Results, Noise and Flame Shape. Individual

tabs are selected by clicking on their name.
Figure 1-2, Tip View
Existing objects can be updated by double clicking them in the Case

Summary view, selecting them in the Case Summary view and
clicking the View button or by selecting them through the View
menu.
1.2.3 Running a Model

In order to run calculations a Flaresim model must contain at least
one of each of the following objects in an active state.
• Fluid object
• Environment object
• Stack object
• Tip object
1-10
Introduction 1-11
While this is sufficient to perform calculations this will not calculate

any radiation, noise or surface temperature results without addition
of at least one active Receptor Point or Receptor Grid.
Calculations are started by clicking the icon in the tool bar. The
model will then be solved using the current correlations and options
selected in the Calculation Options object. Progress of calculations
and any problems encountered are reported in the Message window
at the bottom right of the Flaresim screen.
Results from the calculations may be viewed through the

appropriate tabs in the Tip view, Receptor Point view or Receptor
Grid view. Results may be viewed in tabular or graphical format
where appropriate. Alternatively results can be viewed and printed
through the File - Print menu item.
1-11
1-12 Documentation Overview
1.3 Documentation Overview

The printed Flaresim manual contains the following chapters:-
Chapter 2 describes installation of the software and activation with

license file.
Chapter 3 provides a tutorial with detailed worked examples.
The electronic documentation in the file Flaresim.pdf contains this

material and the following additional chapters which provide a full
detailed description of the program features.
Chapter 4 describes the layout and concepts of the Flaresim

interface, Menu structure, Log Panels and File Dialogs.
Chapter 5 describes the general setup views including Case

Summary, Case Details, Preferences and Component Management.
Chapter 6 describes the Fluid and Assist Fluid object views.
Chapter 7 describes the Environment object view.
Chapter 8 describes the Stack object view.
Chapter 9 describes the Tip object view.
Chapter 10 describes the Receptor Point and Receptor Grid object

views.
Chapter 11 describes the Shield object view.
Chapter 12 describes the Calculation Options view.
Chapter 13 describes the Print Preview/Report Control view.
Chapter 14 describes the calculation methods used by Flaresim.
Chapter 15 describes the Flaresim OLE interface.
Appendix A describes the definition of Graphic Report Layout files
1-12
Installation 2-1
2 Installation
Page
2.1 Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
2.1.1 Package Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1.2 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User. . . . . . . . . . 4

2.2.1 Installing the Flaresim Software . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.2 Standalone License File Installation . . . . 13
2.2.3 Obtaining A License File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2.4 Troubleshooting Standalone Installation. 18
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network . . . . . . . . . . 21

2.3.1 Installing Server Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.3.2 Installing Server License File . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.3.3 Troubleshooting License File Installation 32
2.3.4 Installing Flaresim Clients. . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.3.5 Trouble Shooting Client. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.4 Flaresim File Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

2.4.1 Install Locations on Windows XP . . . . . . . 44
2.4.2 Install Locations on Windows XP . . . . . . . 45
2-1
2-2
2-2
Installation 2-3
2.1 Installation Requirements
2.1.1 Package Requirements

Before installation, check that you have the following elements of
the Flaresim package.
• Program CD Rom
• Computer ID Key, Parallel or USB
• License File
• Getting Started Guide
The License File may be provided either on the CD Rom or sent to

you separately by e-mail as an attachment. If the latter, you should
save the file to a temporary location so that it is ready when required
by the installation process.
2.1.2 System Requirements

The following system requirements must be met to allow installation
of Flaresim.
Item Requirement
Operating system Windows 2000 or Windows XP
Disk space - program directory 30 MB
Disk space - system directory 5 MB
Computer ID key device port USB port or 25 pin Parallel port

depending on key supplied
Flaresim install files Usually supplied on CD Rom
2-3
2-4 Installing Flaresim-Single User
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User

The single user version of Flaresim is one where usage of the
program is controlled by a license file installed on the PC on which
Flaresim is running.
The installation of Flaresim is a two step process. First the software

must be installed. Then the license file must be installed to activate
the software.
2.2.1 Installing the Flaresim Software

The installation of Flaresim is similar to the installation of other
Windows programs. The steps are:-
1. Shut down other windows programs. The Windows

Explorer program may be left open to start the Flaresim
Setup program if required.
2. Insert the Flaresim CD Rom into your CD or DVD drive.
If the AutoRun feature is enabled then step 4 will be per-

formed automatically and should be skipped.
3. Start the setup program Setup.exe on the CD Rom.
This may be done through Windows Explorer by navigating

to your CD or DVD drive, locating the Setup.exe file in the
root directory of the CD and then double-clicking it.
Alternatively you can click the Windows Start button,

select the Run option, type d:\setup.exe in the pop-up dia-
log and then click the Ok button. Note that your CD or
DVD drive letter should be substituted if it is not d:.
4. The Setup program will display the following screen.
Note that if the setup program needs to update your comput-

ers version of the Windows Installer component, there may
be a delay before this screen appears.
2-4
Installation 2-5
Figure 2-1, Opening Screen
5. Check that you have closed any other Windows programs

running and click the Next button. The following License
Agreement screen should then appear..
Figure 2-2, License Agreement
2-5
Note that the setup program provides a Cancel button that

may be clicked to exit the installation procedure at any
point.
6. At this point you should read the License Agreement and

confirm your acceptance of its terms by clicking the accept
option.
Once the accept option has been selected the Next button
will be activated so click Next to continue. The following
screen, Figure 2-3, will appear.
If you do not wish to accept the license terms then click the
Cancel button to exit the setup program without installing
Flaresim. The license terms must be accepted before the
program will install.
Figure 2-3, Destination Folder
7. If you are happy with the proposed installation folder in

your Program Files directory then click Next to continue.
Otherwise click the Browse button and use the standard

windows file browser to select the destination folder for the
2-6
Installation 2-7
Flaresim program. Once you are happy with your selection

click Next to continue.
The installation type screen will appear.
Figure 2-4, Installation Options
8. On this screen select the Typical option and click Next.
The other options are included for possible future use but do
not provide any useful options at present.
The final install screen will appear..
2-7
Figure 2-5, Ready to Install Screen
9. At this point Flaresim is ready to install. Click the Next

button to start the installation process.
If you wish to change any data entered in an earlier screen

the Back button may be used to return to earlier screens.
After clicking the Next button the installation will start. If

the installer detects a conflict with any other programs run-
ning the following screen shown as Figure 2-6 will be
shown.
If this screen is displayed, close the indicated programs and

then click the Retry button. The installation will then start.
2-8
Installation 2-9
Figure 2-6, Conflicting Programs
10. The setup program will show the progress of the installation
as files are copied from the CD Rom to your install folder as
shown below.
Figure 2-7, Installation Progress
2-9
Should you need to halt the installation, the Cancel button

may be used to stop the installation. A confirmation dialog
will ask you to confirm that you wish to exit without com-
pleting the installation of the program.
11. When the installation has completed the installer may

display the following screen warning that the system will
need restarting to complete the installation. If this screen is
displayed click the Ok button to continue. Note that the
restart will not happen immediately.
Figure 2-8, Restart Warning
12. Once the installation of the program files has been

completed the Flaresim License Installer will be started to
allow you to install a local license file.
Figure 2-9, Flaresim License Installer
2-10
Installation 2-11
If you do not have your license file or you expect to be

using a network license click the Cancel button.
Otherwise click the Browse button to open a standard Win-

dows file browser and select the Flaresim license file from
either your Flaresim CD or other location. Alternatively you
can type the license file name into the field provided.
13. When you have entered the license file name, click the
Install button. If the license file has been correctly installed
the following message will be displayed. Click the Ok
button to finish the license installation process and close the
license installer.
Figure 2-10, Successfull License Installation
If there is any error in installing the license file a pop-up

message will describe the problem and you will be returned
to the main window of the Flaresim License Installer. If you
have persistent problems then you can use the Cancel but-
ton to bypass license installation at this time and complete
this later.
14. Following the closure of the Flaresim License Installer, the

following screen will be shown. Click the Finish button to
complete the installation process.
2-11
Figure 2-11, Completion Screen
15. At this point the following screen may be displayed asking

you to restart your system to complete the installation of
any components that have been updated. Click the Yes
button to restart the system immediately. If you click the No
button you should not try to use Flaresim until after the your
system has been restarted.
Figure 2-12, Restart Screen
16. At this point you must install your Computer ID key.
If you have USB computer ID key then plug it into a free

USB port on your computer. The first time this is done, you
2-12
Installation 2-13
should expect to see confirmation that a Sentinel Ultrapro

device has been detected and the driver installed.
If the key is a parallel port device with 25 pin connectors,

plug it into the parallel port of your computer. The parallel
port is the 25 pin female connector on the back of your com-
puter. The arrows on the Computer ID key show which end
connects to the computer. If you have a printer already con-
nected to the parallel port, disconnect it, connect the key
and then reconnect the printer to the female connector on
the key. You will not see any messages from the driver soft-
ware for this type of device.
17. Congratulations, Flaresim has been successfully installed.

You are now ready to run the program for the first time and
activate it by selecting it through the windows Start menu.
2.2.2 Standalone License File Installation

Flaresim requires installation of a license file before it will run. If a
license file is not found when Flaresim starts, then an error message
similar to that shown below in Figure 2-13 will be displayed. .
Figure 2-13, Flaresim License Error
Normally the license file is installed during the installation of

Flaresim from the Flaresim CD. However if you are installing a
demonstration version of Flaresim or do not have a license file
available at installation because this has been shipped separately
then you will need to install the Flaresim license using this
procedure.
2-13
If you do not have a license file see the instructions in the following
section, 2.2.3, to obtain one.
1. Firstly ensure that you have permission to write files in the

Flaresim program folder - normally
C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1. This may require Admin-
strator or other privileges.
2. Start the Flaresim License Installer from the Flaresim 2.1

folder in the Start Programs menu. The Flaresim License
Installer program will open and display the following view.
3. Click the Browse button to open a standard Windows file

browser and select the Flaresim license file from either your
Flaresim CD or any other location to which you have saved
a license file. Alternatively you can type the license file
name into the field provided.
4. When you have entered the license file name, click the
Install button. If the license file has been correctly installed
the following message will be displayed. Click the Ok
2-14
Installation 2-15
button to finish the license installation process and close the

license installer.
Figure 2-15, Successfull License Installation
If there is any error in installing the license file a pop-up

message will describe the problem and you will be returned
to the main window of the Flaresim license installer. The
most likely cause is that the installer does not have permis-
sion to write the license file to the Flaresim program folder.
If required you can use the Cancel button to close the
Flaresim license installer without installing the license.
If you have problems during the license installation or Flaresim

continues to generate error messages when you attempt to run it then
make a note of any error message messages. You should then follow
the troubleshooting guide in section 2.2.4 and/or contact
support@flaresim.com for assistance.
2.2.3 Obtaining A License File

If you have a fully licensed copy of Flaresim your license file will
normally be found on the Flaresim CD Rom. If a license file was not
shipped to you with your copy of Flaresim you will need to supply
some information about your installation to Softbits Consultants to
allow a license file to be generated and shipped to you. The
information required will depend on whether you have a full license
for the program or a demo license.
Full License
If you have a full license for Flaresim you will have been supplied
with a security key. The security key and its associated license file
2-15
will allow Flaresim to be used by any PC as long as the security key

is installed.
The procedure to obtain the license file is as follows:

1. Open the Windows Explorer program and browse to the
Support sub-folder in the Flaresim program folder (usually
C:\Program Files\Flaresim).
2. Locate the program echoid.exe and double click it to run it.

The program will check the security key and report the
information required through a message window as shown
below.
Figure 2-16, Security Key Information
3. Report this information by e-mail to support@flaresim.com

together with your name and contact details. Your license
file will be generated and returned to you by e-mail.
Demo License
If you have a demo license for Flaresim you will not have a security
key. A license file will be supplied to activate Flaresim for the single
PC on which it is installed and for a limited period.
The procedure to obtain the license file is as follows:

1. Open the Windows Explorer program and browse to the
Support sub-folder in the Flaresim program folder (usually
C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1).
2-16
Installation 2-17
2. Locate the program wechoid.exe and double click it to start

it. The program will start and display the screen shown
below.
Figure 2-17, Wechoid Program
3. Clear all the Locking Criteria check boxes except that for
Disk ID as shown above. Note the Locking Data displayed
at the bottom of the screen. If the Locking Criteria check
boxes have been set correctly, the Locking Data selector
will be 0x4. Unless otherwise instructed ensure that the
radio button at the bottom of the view is set to “New Style”
to generate a long 16 character code.
4. Report the Locking Data by e-mail to

support@flaresim.com together with your name and contact
details. Your license file will be generated and sent to you
by e-mail. When you receive the license file use the
procedure described in section 2.2.3 to install it.
2-17
2.2.4 Troubleshooting Standalone Installation

If an error message similar to Figure 2-13, is seen when starting
Flaresim for the first time or an error message is seen when trying to
add the Flaresim license then there are two possible causes.
• The Computer ID Key is not correctly installed
• There is a Sentinel LM server in your network that is responding
to license requests and interfering with the operation of the local
license for Flaresim. The Sentinel LM system is used by other
products apart from Flaresim for example the Aspentech suite of
software.
Checking Computer ID Key Installation.
The first of these problems can be tested for by running the program
wechoid.exe which can be found in the support sub-folder of the
Flaresim program folder (normally C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1).
Running this program should give an output similar to that shown in

Figure 2-18. If the Computer ID entry is visible and holds a value
then the security device is correctly installed
If the Computer ID section of the wechoid.exe output is greyed out

or no data is shown then the security device is not correctly installed.
A possible solution to this problem is to reinstall the Computer ID
Key device drivers from the Drivers folder on the Flaresim CD. If
the Computer ID key still cannot be seen by wechoid.exe even after
reboot then the security device may be faulty and you should contact
support@flaresim.com.
2-18
Installation 2-19
Figure 2-18, Wechoid.exe Output
Manual Installation of License File
If the license file cannot be installed by the Flaresim License

Installer, it is possible to install the Flaresim license file manually
as follows.
1. Open Windows Explorer and browse to the Flaresim CD.
Locate the license file - it should be the only file with a .LIC
extension and copy this to the Flaresim program folder (nor-
mally C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1.
2. In Windows Explorer, right click the license file in the

Flaresim program folder and select the Rename option.
Rename the file to “lservrc” note the quotes should be
omitted and the file should have no file extension.
Forcing Flaresim to Use a Local License
If a Sentinel LM server is present in your network to support the use

of other products e.g. the Aspentech suite of software then it is
possible that it may be detected by Flaresim when starting and
2-19
respond to license requests which then fail, preventing Flaresim

from starting. In these circumstances Flaresim must be configured to
force it to use a local license.
There are two methods of doing this:-

• Create a lshost file to help the Flaresim client locate the server.
This is a simple text file called “lshost” containing the word
“NO-NET”. A copy of this file can be found in the support sub-
folder of your Flaresim program folder. To use it simply copy it
to the Flareism program folder. Alternatively you can create the
file lshost using a text editor. The file must not have a .txt exten-
sion and must contain a single line with the word NO-NET.
• Set up an environment variable called either LSHOST or
LSFORCEHOST and set this to the value NO-NET.
Note that environment variables LSHOST and LSFORCEHOST

take precedence over the contents of an lshost file (if any). If an
LSHOST or LSFORCEHOST environment variable has already
been set up to support a different product then it will be necessary to
start Flaresim from either a batch file or a script file that resets these
variables to values appropriate to for the Flaresim server before
starting Flaresim. Examples of both approaches can be found in the
files Start Flaresim NoNet.bat and Flaresim NoNet.vbs in the
Support sub-folder of the Flaresim program folder. These examples
will require update to reflect the precise details of your installation
if you have not used the standard installation folders..
2-20
Installation 2-21
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network

The network version of Flaresim allows the use of Flaresim from
multiple client systems with the total number of copies in use being
controlled by a central Flaresim license server.
Installing the Flaresim network version is a 3 step process. Firstly

the server software must be installed. Then the license file must be
added to the server. Finally the Flaresim client software must be
installed on each machine that will run Flaresim.
Note the Flaresim license server is any PC on which the server

software is installed. It does not have to be an existing network file
server
IMPORTANT NOTE
If you already have a Sentinel LM server version 7.2 installed for a

previous version of Flaresim it must be uninstalled and replaced
with the new Sentinel RMS version 8 server that ships with Flaresim
2.1.
2.3.1 Installing Server Software

The Flaresim server software is the Sentinel RMS product from
Rainbow Technologies. Full details of this product are given in the
online manuals which can be found in the SysAdminHelp sub-folder
of the Server folder of the Flaresim CD.
The following instructions are provided as a quick guide to installing

your server software with a basic configuration. For more detailed
information on the management of Sentinel RMS servers consult the
online manuals.
The installation of the server software is similar to the installation of

other Windows programs. The steps are:-
Explorer program may be left open to start the server setup
program if required.
2-21
2-22 Installing Flaresim - Network
If the AutoRun feature is enabled then the screen shown

below will appear inviting you to start a client installation.
If this happens click the Cancel button to exit the client
installation.
Figure 2-19, Flaresim Client Screen
3. Open Windows Explorer, select the Flaresim install CD and

browse to the folder \Server\Setup. Double click on the
program Setup.exe to run it.
Alternatively you can click the Start button select Run and
then type [Drive]:\Server\Setup\Setup.exe where [Drive] is
the drive letter of your CD. Hit Enter to start the setup
program.
On starting the server setup program the following screen

will appear
2-22
Installation 2-23
Figure 2-20, Server Setup Opening Screen
4. Click the Next button to continue. The following license

agreement screen will be displayed
Figure 2-21, Server Setup License Agreement
5. Click the appropriate radio button to accept the server

software license agreement and click Next to continue. You
2-23
must accept the license agreement in order to be able to run

the Flaresim server software.
The following screen will then appear.
Figure 2-22, User Selection
6. This screen defines whethe the software will be installed for

all users of this computer or only the current user. Generally
you will want to install it for all users. Once you have made
your selection click Next to continue. The following screen
will be shown.
2-24
Installation 2-25
Figure 2-23, Server Software location
7. This screen defines the location to which the server

software will be installed, click Next to continue. The
following screen will be displayed.
Figure 2-24, Select Installation Options
2-25
8. This screen allows selection of the Installation Options.

Since Flaresim licenses are locked to Computer ID keys you
must select the Complete option to install the device drivers
for the keys as well as the server software. Click Next
button to continue. The following view will be displayed.
Figure 2-25, Firewall Settings
9. A port must be opened through any server firewall to allow

communication between the Flaresim server and client PCs.
This screen allows you to tell the installer to do this
automatically. Note that if you are using 3rd Party firewall
software you may need to do this separately. The system
administrators help system has the information you need to
do this (Server\SysAdminHelp folder on CD).
Select the check box and click Next. The following screen
will be displayed.
2-26
Installation 2-27
Figure 2-26, Ready to Install
10. This confirms that you are ready to begin installation of the
Sentinel RMS server software. Click the Install button.
The server software install process will then start. On

completion the following screen will be displayed.
Figure 2-27, Server Installation Complete
2-27
11. At this point the server software is installed and the server
service will have been started. Click the Finish button to
close the window.
12. You may wish to confirm that the server service has
installed correctly by checking the list of running processes
through the Task Manager. The server service is called
lservnt.exe.
By default, this service will be set to start automatically

each time the computer is started.
13. Optionally copy the server utility programs to your server as

follows.
Open Windows Explorer and browse to the directory

[Drive]:\Server\Admin.net\W32 where [Drive] is the drive
letter of your CD drive.
Select and copy all the files from this directory to an

appropriate place on your server. It is up to your local
policies whether to make these file available to Flaresim
users as well as server administrators.
2.3.2 Installing Server License File

The Flaresim server software requires installation of a license file
before it will be able to authorise Flaresim client software to run.
This license file will normally be locked to the Computer ID key
supplied with Flaresim.
The procedure to install the Computer ID key and license file is as

follows. The license file will normally be found on the Flaresim CD.
1. Locate and install your Computer ID key on your server
system.
If you have USB computer ID key then plug it into a free

USB port on your computer.
2-28
Installation 2-29
If the key is a parallel port device with 25 pin connectors,

plug it into the parallel port of your server. The parallel port
is the 25 pin female connector on the back of your compu-
ter. The arrows on the Computer ID key show which end
connects to the computer. If already have a printer on the
parallel port, disconnect it, connect the key and then recon-
nect the printer to the female connector on the key.
2. Open Windows Explorer and use it to browse to and start

the program WlmAdmin.exe from either the Flaresim CD or
the location to which you copied the server utility software.
When open, the program will display the following screen.
Figure 2-28, WlmAdmin Program
2-29
3. Expand the tree of SubNet servers by clicking the

symbol next to the SubNet servers entry. If your system is
the only Sentinel server on the network then you will see
only its name in the list. If other servers are present locate
the server to which you have connected the Flaresim
security device.
4. Right click the name of your server in the SubNet server

list. From the pop-up menus select Add Feature, From a
File, To Server and its File as the options appear as shown
below.
Figure 2-29, WlmAdmin - Adding license
2-30
Installation 2-31
5. Left click on the To Server and its File option. Select the
license file (.lic extension) from your Flaresim CD in the
browser and click Open. Your license should be added to
the server and displayed in the tree below the server name.
6. You will now be able to click the Flaresim license to display

its details as shown below. Note that the WlmAdmin
program can be used to show usage details of licenses at any
time.
Figure 2-30, WlmAdmin License details
2-31
2.3.3 Troubleshooting License File Installation

Should you get an error message when installing the license file
perhaps of the form shown below then the first thing to check is that
the Computer ID key is plugged in and accessible.
Figure 2-31, License Installation Error
This can be done by running the program wechoid.exe which can be

found in the folder Server\Admin.net\W32 on your Flaresim CD.
Running this program should give an output similar to that shown

below. If the Computer ID entry is visible and holds a value then the
security device is correctly installed.
Figure 2-32, Wechid.exe Output
2-32
Installation 2-33
If the Computer ID section of the wechoid.exe output is greyed out

or no data is shown then the security device is not correctly installed.
A possible solution to this problem is to reinstall the security device
drivers from the Drivers folder on the Flaresim CD. If the security
device still cannot be seen by wechoid.exe even after reboot then the
security device may be faulty and you should contact
support@flaresim.com
If the license file will not install when the wechoid.exe output shows
that the security device is visible then there may be a problem with
the license file and you should contact support@flaresim.com.
2.3.4 Installing Flaresim Clients

The installation of the Flaresim client software is similar to the
installation of other Windows programs. The steps are:-
Explorer program may be left open to start the Flaresim
Setup program if required.
If the AutoRun feature is enabled then step 3 will be

performed automatically and should be skipped.
3. Start the setup program Setup.exe on the CD Rom.
This may be done through Windows Explorer by navigating

to your CD or DVD drive, locating the Setup.exe file in the
root directory of the CD and then double-clicking it.
Alternatively you can click the Windows Start button,

select the Run option, type d:\setup.exe in the pop-up
dialog and then click the Ok button. Note that your CD or
DVD drive letter should be substituted if it is not d:.
4. The Setup program will display the following screen.
2-33
Note that if the setup program needs to update your

computers version of the Windows Installer component,
there may be a delay before this screen appears.
Figure 2-33, Opening Screen
5. Check that you have closed any other Windows programs

running and click the Next button. The following License
Agreement screen should then appear.
Note that the setup program provides a Cancel button that

may be clicked to exit the installation procedure at any
point..
2-34
Installation 2-35
Figure 2-34, License Agreement
6. At this point you should read the License Agreement and

confirm your acceptance of its terms by clicking the accept
option.
Once the accept option has been selected the Next button
will be activated so click Next to continue. The following
screen, Figure 2-35, will appear.
If you do not wish to accept the license terms then click the
Cancel button to exit the setup program without installing
Flaresim. The license terms must be accepted before the
program will install.
2-35
Figure 2-35, Destination Folder
7. If you are happy with the proposed installation folder in

your Program Files directory then click Next to continue.
Otherwise click the Browse button and use the standard

windows file browser to select the destination folder for the
Flaresim program. Once you are happy with your selection
click Next to continue.
The installation type screen will appear.
2-36
Installation 2-37
Figure 2-36, Installation Options
8. On this screen select the Typical option and click Next.
The other options are included for possible future use but do
not provide any useful options at present.
The final install screen will appear..
Figure 2-37, Ready to Install Screen
2-37
9. At this point Flaresim is ready to install. Click the Next

button to start the installation process.
If you wish to change any data entered in an earlier screen

the Back button may be used to return to earlier screens.
After clicking the Next button the installation will start. If

the installer detects a conflict with any other programs
running the following screen shown as Figure 2-38 will be
shown.
If this screen is displayed, close the indicated programs and

then click the Retry button. The installation will then start.
Figure 2-38, Conflicting Programs
2-38
Installation 2-39
10. The setup program will show the progress of the installation
as files are copied from the CD Rom to your install folder as
shown below.
Figure 2-39, Installation Progress
Should you need to halt the installation, the Cancel button

may be used to stop the installation. A confirmation dialog
will ask you to confirm that you wish to exit without
completing the installation of the program.
11. When the installation has completed the installer may

display the following screen warning that the system will
need restarting to complete the installation. If this screen is
displayed click the Ok button to continue. Note that the
restart will not happen immediately.
2-39
Figure 2-40, Restart Warning
12. Once the installation of the program files has been

completed the Flaresim License Installer will be started to
allow you to install a local license file.
13. Since we are installing a network client then we do not need

to install a local license so click the Cancel button. The
Flaresim License Installer will close and display the
following screen. Click the Finish button to complete the
installation process.
2-40
Installation 2-41
Figure 2-42, Completion Screen
14. At this point the following screen may be displayed asking

you to restart your system to complete the installation of
any components that have been updated. Click the Yes
button to restart the system immediately. If you click the No
button you should not try to use Flaresim until after the your
system has been restarted.
Figure 2-43, Restart Screen
15. Congratulations, Flaresim has been successfully installed.

You are now ready to run the program for the first time by
selecting it through the windows Start menu.
2-41
2.3.5 Trouble Shooting Client

If the Flaresim client program fails to find a server license when it
starts up the following message will be displayed.
Figure 2-44, License Error
If you see this message you should click the Ok button to close the
window.
The following check list offers possible reasons why Flaresim might
not be able to locate the license server to obtain a license.
• All available licenses are in use.
• Client system does not have network access to the server.
• Server may not be active.
Checking Available Licenses
The first step in resolving these problems is to run the WlmAdmin

program from the client system and open the list of subnet servers.
If the Flaresim server can be seen, open the Flaresim license to check
whether there is a license available. If all are in use the client must
wait until a license becomes free. It can take up to 5 minutes for a
license to become free after another user has shut down Flaresim.
Configuring Server Location
If an available license can be seen on the server but the Flaresim

client still will not load then it may be caused by Flaresim being
either unable to locate the Flaresim server or by Flaresim locating
another Sentinel server for another product e.g. Aspentech products.
2-42
Installation 2-43
In this case it is necessary to specify the name of the host to

Flaresim. There are two options for this:-
• Create a lshost file to help the Flaresim client locate the server.
To do this create a simple text file called lshost (note no .txt
extension) in the Flaresim client program directory. Edit the con-
tents of this file so that it contains the name of the Flaresim
server. For example in the case of the server installation shown
in section 2.3.2 of this file would have the text
“orac.flaresim.co.uk”.
• Set up an environment variable called either LSHOST or
LSFORCEHOST to specify the name of the server. For example
in our example the environment variable would be
set LSHOST=orac.flaresim.co.uk
Note that environment variables LSHOST and LSFORCEHOST

take precedence over the contents of an lshost file (if any). If an
LSHOST or LSFORCEHOST environment variable has already
been set up to support a different product then it will be necessary to
start Flaresim from either a batch file or a script file that resets these
variables to values appropriate to for the Flaresim server before
starting Flaresim. Examples of both approaches can be found in the
files Start Flaresim.bat and Flaresim.vbs in the Support sub-folder of
the Flaresim program folder. These examples will require update to
reflect the precise details of your installation.
Checking Access To The Server
If the WlmAdmin program does not list a Flaresim server when run
on the client then the problem likely lies in the client system not
having network access to the server. You will need to check all
elements of the network routing (e.g. firewalls, routers) to ensure
that the server can be seen by the client system.
Further help on license server setup and possible problems can be

found in the online manual in the SysAdminHelp folder on the
Flaresim CD.
2-43
2-44 Flaresim File Locations
2.4 Flaresim File Locations

A Flaresim client installation comprises a number of files split into
the following groups.
Program Files Program - Flaresim.exe
Graphics support - Contour.dll
License installer - FSWLicense.exe
Licensings support - RelLic.dll
Installed license file - lservrc
Help files - FSWHelp.chm, *.HLP
Documentation folder - Flaresim.pdf
Support Files Layout files - *.lay

Default case file - Default.fsw
Default report definition - Flaresim.xsl
Units definitions - Units.xml
Component database - LibraryComponents.xml
Default preference file - Preferences.xml
Default preferences file - PrintPreference.xml
Report logo file - Logo.gif
Sample Files Examples - *.fsw

Report sub-folders
2.4.1 Install Locations on Windows XP

The default install locations for the different groups of files when
Flaresim is installed on Windows XP are as follows.
Program Files C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1
Support Files C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1
Sample Files C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1\Samples
2-44
Installation 2-45
2.4.2 Install Locations on Windows XP

The default install locations for the different groups of files when
Flaresim is installed on Windows Vista are as follows.
Program Files C:\Program Files\Flaresim 2.1
Support Files C:\ProgramData\Softbits\Flaresim 2.1
Sample Files [My Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 2.1\Samples
2-45
2-46 Flaresim File Locations
2-46
Getting Started 3-1
3 Getting Started
Page
3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
3.1.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1.2 Initial Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1.3 Initial Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.1.4 Add Additional Receptor Point . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.5 Print Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2 Sonic Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3.2.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.2 Open Starting File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.3 Create Sonic Tip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.4 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.5 Compare Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.3 Two Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.3.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.3.3 Update Tip Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.4 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.5 Update Pipe Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.4 Working With Isopleths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3.4.2 Adding a Simple Drawing Overlay . . . . . . 30
3.4.3 Import Scaled Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3-1
3-2
3.5 Welltest Burner Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

3.5.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3.5.2 Open Starting File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3.5.3 Add New Fluid Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3.5.4 Add New Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
3.5.5 Add Welltest Burner Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
3.5.6 Add New Receptor Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
3.5.7 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . .39
3.5.8 Add Water Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
3.5.9 Evaluate Rate of Temperature Rise . . . . . .42
3.5.10 Check Safety Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3-2
Getting Started 3-3
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the use

of Flaresim. The examples show how Flaresim may be used to
calculate thermal radiation, noise and exposed surfaces temperatures
arising from flaring at one or more flare stacks. The examples begin
with a simple flare stack design which is then refined and expanded.
The examples attempt to highlight some of the critical parameters to
be considered when designing a safe flare system.
The examples build up in stages. If you wish to skip a particular

stage, the Samples sub-folder of the Flaresim program folder has
model files saved at each stage.
3-3
3-4 Simple Flare Stack Design
3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design
3.1.1 Objective and Data

The objective is to design a flare stack for an offshore platform. It is
assumed that an inclined flare boom will be used mounted on the
side of the platform which faces the prevailing wind. The design is
to be based on thermal radiation limits as follows:-
• 1,500 btu/hr/ft2 at the base of the flare stack.
• 600 btu/hr/ft2 at the helideck located 150 ft from the side of the
platform and 30 ft above the base of the flare stack.
The following design data is available

Fluid
Material Hydrocarbon Vapour
Flow 100,000 lb/hr
Mol Wt. 46.1
Vapour Temp. 300 F
Heat of combustion 21,500 btu/lb
Heat Capacity ratio 1.1
Tip Diameter 18 in
Wind Velocity 20 mph
3.1.2 Initial Setup

1. Start the Flaresim program through the windows Start
button in the usual way.
New File Icon 2. We are going to build our first model through the Setup
Wizard. For a new installation of Flaresim this will open
automatically ready to build a new model. If this does not
appear then you should select the File - Preferences menu
option and select the “Show setup wizard” checkbox on the
Files tab. Then select File - New or the New File icon on
the toolbar to create a new case with the Setup Wizard.
3-4
Getting Started 3-5
3. In the opening view of the Setup Wizard, set the unit set to
Default Field as shown. Then click the Next button to
move to the Fluid definition tab.
Figure 3-1, Setup Wizard Opening View
4. In the Fluid tab of the Setup Wizard enter the following

data items, using the tab key or the mouse to move from
field to field.
Temperature = 300 F
Mole Weight = 46.1
LHV = 21500 btu/lb
Cp/Cv = 1.1
Note that value of the Cp/Cv was originally displayed in red

denoting a default value. When you entered a value the col-
our has changed to blue denoting a specified value. A speci-
fied value displayed in blue can be reset to its default value
by selecting it and hitting the delete key at any time. Other
3-5
LEL is used only by the specified values displayed in black are required input and
Brzustowski flare radiation
method. cannot be defaulted.
The remaining values for Ref Pressure, LEL and Saturation

can be left at their default values. The finished view is
shown below
Figure 3-2, Setup Wizard Fluid Tab
Note that Flaresim requires the lower heating value for a

fluid for its calculations. We are are assuming that the value
we have been given is the lower, net heating value rather
than the higher, gross heating value.
When the entries are complete click the Next button.
5. In the Tip tab select the radio button to set the tip type to a
Pipe Tip. In the table for selection of F Factor method select
the checkbox to select the Generic Pipe method.
3-6
Getting Started 3-7
The F Factor, i.e. the fraction of heat radiated by the flame,

is a critical design parameter for flare system design. The
Generic Pipe correlation has been developed to predict F
Factors across a range of exit velocities and fluid molecular
weights and is generally recommended for initial calcula-
tions. For final designs, we would always recommend con-
sulting a flare system vendor for advice on the appropriate F
Factor for a specific fluid and specific flare tip.
6. Still in the Tip tab, enter the Fluid Mass Flow Rate as
100,000 lb/hr. After this entry has been completed, the Tip
Diameter field is updated to show the tip diameter required
for the default Mach number of 0.45. In our case we know
the tip diameter is 18 in so we update the calculated value to
18 in. The Mach number will be updated to 0.199 to
indicate the velocity for the new diameter.
When complete the view should be as shown in Figure 3-3.
Figure 3-3, Setup Wizard Tip Tab
3-7
Click the Next button to move to the next tab.
7. In the next tab, the Environment tab, enter the windspeed.

Since we the value is 20 mph we either need to convert the
value to ft/s ourselves or we can ask Flaresim to do this for
us by entering a space and then the units i.e. enter “20 mph”
The value will be converted to 29.3 ft/s.
The humidity value is only The remaining items can be left at their default values
used when calculating the namely Wind Direction as 0 (i.e. North), Temperature 59
transmissivity.
F, Humidity 10% and the User Transmissivity 1.0 with
the Transmissivity Method as Default. Note the default
transmissivity method is User defined which at the defined
value of 1.0 is the most conservative option.
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-4. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-4, Setup Wizard Environment Tab
3-8
Getting Started 3-9
8. In the Stack tab, select the radio button to set the Vertical
Orientation to 60 degrees from horizontal. Then set the
Stack Horizontal Orientation angle to 0 (i.e. North). The
Stack Length will be left at its default value of 0.0 to have
Flaresim calculate the stack length for us.
The completed form is shown as Figure 3-5. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-5, Setup Wizard Stack Tab
3-9
9. In the Receptors tab, click on the default receptor point

RP_ID and rename it to “Stack Base”. Set its Distance
Downwind from Stack to 0 ft and confirm that the
Allowable Radiation for the point is 1500 btu/hr/ft2.
Note our design brief requires us to consider the radiation at

the Helideck but this is at a different elevation to the stack
base so a receptor point for this location cannot be added
through the Setup Wizard. It will be added later using the
Add Receptor point option.
The completed form is shown as Figure 3-6. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-6, Setup Wizard Receptors Tab
3-10
Getting Started 3-11
10. In the Calculations tab, select the checkbox to set the

Calculation Method to Mixed and set the Flame Elements
to 25.
As discussed in the Methods chapter, the Mixed method is a

compromise designed to give the best accuracy for calculat-
ing radiation both close to and further away from the flame.
As such it is a good default method. 25 flame elements is
usually sufficient to calculate the flame shape with a reason-
able degree of accuracy.
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-7. At this points

we have completed the Setup Wizard so click the Finish
button.
Figure 3-7, Setup Wizard Calculations Tab
3-11
11. When the Finish button is clicked, the Setup Wizard takes
the data we have supplied and uses it to create the Flaresim
objects that we need for our initial model. The Case
Summary view will be displayed to list all of these objects
as shown in Figure 3-8. Note that the icon is shown
against all the objects to indicate that the model is ready to
calculate.
At this point you can open each objects view by double

clicking on them in the Case Summary to see how the
Setup Wizard has initialised the values.
Figure 3-8, Case Summary
12. This is a suitable point to save the data we have entered so

far. Use the File - Save menu option or the icon. Since
we have not yet saved the file, a File Dialog window will
appear to allow us to specify the location and name of the
file.
3-12
3.1.3 Initial Calculations

13. At this point we are ready to run the calculations by clicking
the calculate icon in the tool bar. As the calculation
runs messages will be output to the Error/Warnings/Info log
to show progress as shown below.
Figure 3-9, Error/Warnings/Info log
Note that the scroll bars can be used to review earlier mes-
sages. Also the log window can be resized by dragging the
separator bar above it.
14. We can now review the results. First click Stack_1 in the
Case Summary view and click the View button. The view
will show that the stack length has been calculated as 158ft.
Next double click the Default_Grid item in the Case Sum-

mary view and then click the Radiation tab. Then select
Plot in the Display drop down. The radiation isopleths are
displayed as shown below.
3-13
Figure 3-10, Receptor Grid Isopleth Plot
Finally open the view for the Stack Base receptor point by
double clicking it in the Case Summary. The Thermal
Results tab shows that our design radiation limit of 1500
btu/h/ft2 has been met.
Save the case.
3.1.4 Add Additional Receptor Point

Our design criteria also included a radiation limit for the Helideck,
150ft downwind of the stack base and at 30ft elevation. Therefore
we must add a second receptor point for this location.
15. Select the Receptor Point branch in the Case Summary

view and click the Add button to create the new receptor
3-14
point that we will need. The Receptor Point view will

open.
Figure 3-11, Receptor Point View
16. Enter the data for the receptor point as shown in Figure 3-11
Name = Helideck
Location, Relative To = Origin
Location, Northing = -150ft
Location, Easting = 0ft
Location, Elevation = 30ft.
Sizing Constraints, Radiation = 600 btu/hr/ft2
As location data is entered in
Cartesian coordinates, the
Polar coordinates are auto- 17. Now click the icon to re-run the model. Once the run is
matically updated. We could complete, double click the stack object to check the new
also enter data in Polar
coordinates stack height which is 246ft.
Click the Receptor Point branch of the Case Summary

and click View. The summary view shown below will open.
This indicates that the radiation limit for the receptor point
3-15
we defined for the Helideck is the limiting factor in our

design since the thermal radiation received at this point
exactly meets our limit of 600 btu/hr/ft2. The thermal radia-
tion at the Stack Base is much less than our allowed value of
1500 btu/hr/ft2 at 766 btu/hr/ft2.
Figure 3-12, Receptor Point Summary
18. This completes our initial design. Save the case.
3.1.5 Print Results

19. Select the File - Print menu option. The Report Preview
view shown below opens. Note that this is a modal view and
you cannot work with any of the other Flaresim views until
it is closed.
3-16
Figure 3-13, Report Preview
20. Select the report elements you wish to see printed. To see
what the report will look like with the current set of
elements you will need to click the Refresh button to
update it.
In order to allow us to compare these results with future

results you will need to ensure that the Stack Configuration,
Tip Results - General and Flame Shape elements and the
Receptor Point results are included.
21. When you are happy with the options you have chosen click
the Print button to send the report to your default printer.
3-17
3-18 Sonic Tip Design
3.2 Sonic Tip Design

The design that we produced in Example 1 meets our design
radiation limits but requires a long 246ft stack. Since we are
designing a flare stack for an offshore platform we wish to minimise
the length and hence the weight of the flare stack as much as
possible. Therefore we will attempt to reduce the required flare stack
length by redesigning the system using a sonic flare tip.
The fluid data, environmental data and radiation limits are the same
as for Example 1.
3.2.2 Open Starting File

1. If you are continuing from Example 1 you should save your
case before continuing using the File - Save menu option or
the icon from the toolbar. Skip to step 3.
2. Otherwise use the File - Open menu option or the icon.

In the File Open dialog that appears, browse to the Samples
sub-folder in the Flaresim installation folder (usually
C:\Program Files\Flaresim) select the file “Example 1 -
Result.fsw” and click the Open button.
3.2.3 Create Sonic Tip

3. Create a new tip by selecting the Tip branch in the Case
Summary view and then clicking the Add button or by
selecting the Add - Tip menu option.
3-18
4. On the Details tab of the Tip view that opens enter the
following data:
Name = “Sonic Tip”

Tip Type = Sonic
Number of Burners = 1
Seal Type = None
Fraction Heat Radiated Method = High Efficiency
Combustion Noise Method = Standard Reference.
5. Move to the Location & Dimensions tab and enter the

following data:
On Stack = Stack_1
Length - 3.28ft
Angle to Horizontal = 90
Angle to North = 0
Exit Diameter = 18in
Effective Opening = 10%
Riser Diameter = 18in
Contraction Coefficient = 1.0 (default)
Exit Loss Coefficient = 1.0 (default)
Roughness = 9.843e-4in (default)
Calc Sonic Opening = Selected
6. Click on the Fluids tab and enter the following:
Fluid Name = Flared Gas

Fluid Mass Flow = 100,000lb/hr
7. At this point the Status Text at the bottom of the Tip view
should indicate that the tip data is complete. Close the view.
8. In the Case Summary, select the branch labeled Tip_1 and

then click the Ignore button. The icon beside the label
should turn to a icon to confirm that the tip will not be
included in the calculations.
3-19
3.2.4 Run & Review Calculations

9. We are now ready to run the calculations. Confirm that the
mode indicator in the Tool Bar is still set to Sizing and click
the icon to run the model.
Check the Errors/Warnings/Info log panel to confirm that

the expected calculations for the two Receptor Points have
been completed. Note that if earlier messages in the log
panel are causing confusion, you can click the right mouse
button over the log panel to access a pop-up menu which
provides a Clear option to remove the current log messages.
10. We are now ready to review the results. Open the Stack
view for the Main Stack. The new length calculated for the
stack is 67ft.
11. Open the Receptor Summary view. As shown below, this

indicates that the Stack Base receptor point is now the
controlling limit since the thermal radiation at this point is
calculated as 1500 btu/hr/ft2. The radiation at the Helideck
receptor point is 544 btu/hr/ft2.
Figure 3-14, Sonic Tip, Receptor Summary
3-20
12. Save the new design.
13. Generate a report for this new case using the File - Print
menu option.
3.2.5 Compare Results

Our new design with the sonic flare tip is clearly better since it leads
to a much shorter stack that will save a great amount of weight and
hence cost over our initial design using the pipe flare tip. It is worth
doing a detailed comparison to understand the difference between
the designs.
14. Find the reports you printed for both examples. If you have
not done this you can use your Internet browser to view the
saved report files “Example 1 - Result.html” in the
“Samples\Example 1 - Result” sub-folder and “Example 2 -
Result.html” in the “Samples\Example 2 - Result” sub-
folderin the Flaresim installation folder (usually C:\Program
Files\Flaresim).
15. Find the Tip Data - Results section in the reports. The
fraction of heat radiated value for the Pipe flare design is
0.35 while that for the Sonic design is 0.1.
The fraction of heat radiated by a flare is a critical parame-

ter in the design. Pipe flares exhibit relatively poor mixing
of air with the flared fluid and as a result the flame contains
many partially combusted luminescent carbon particles that
give it an orange colour and a relatively high fraction of
heat radiated. Sonic flare tips are designed to maximise the
mixing of air and the flared fluid and so burn with a clearer
flame with lower heat radiation.
By selecting the appropriate F Factor method to calculate

the fraction of heat radiated in both our designs we have
allowed the program to calculate an appropriate value for
the different tips. However since this is such an important
factor in the design, the heat radiation factor to be used
3-21
should be confirmed with your flare system vendor prior to

the final design. Should you wish to use a heat radiation fac-
tor supplied by a vendor you should set the method to User
Specified and enter the value.
16. Still in the Tip Data - Results section of the reports find the
flame length. For the Pipe flare design this is 173 ft. while
for the Sonic flare design the flame length is 88ft. Note that
the flame length calculated by the API method is the same
in both cases.
Sonic flare tips by their design and by their greater gas exit
velocities lead to a flame shape that is shorter and stiffer
compared to that of a pipe flare. As a result the flame is less
affected by wind and stays closer to the tip and thus further
from the platform. This can be seen most clearly by compar-
ing the 3D plot of the Flame Shape in the reports.
Finally in the Tip Results section of the reports find the tip
backpressure i.e. tip inlet pressure. For the Pipe flare this is
14.7 psi while for the Sonic flare it is 26.0 psi.
The fact that the sonic tip is operating at choked conditions

means that the pressure drop over this type of tip is much
higher than for the pipe tip. Thus a sonic tip can only be
used if the resulting backpressure on the flare system is not
so high as to prevent safe relief of the gas.
3-22
3.3 Two Tip Design

Comparison of our two designs using the pipe tip and the sonic tip
shows that the sonic tip is much the better since it produces a
shorter, stiffer and above all a lower emissivity flame than the pipe
flare. This means that the flare stack can be much shorter while still
meeting radiation limits. Given the advantages of the sonic tip it
might appear that we should always specify this type of tip.
However we have also seen that the sonic flare tip results in higher
back pressures on the flare system. In many cases this additional
back pressure will be too high to allow safe relief from all the
possible relief sources in the process. Therefore it is common to see
designs with both high and low pressure flare systems relieving
through different tips.

The relieving sources in our process have been reviewed to confirm
that the new back pressure resulting from the sonic tip is acceptable.
The review has shown that 10,000 lb/h of the material being flared
cannot be relieved safely at the new higher back pressure. As a result
we have decided to split our design so this 10,000 lb/h is relieved
through a low pressure flare system leading to a pipe tip with the
remaining material flowing through a high pressure flare system to
a sonic tip.


3-23
3-24 Two Tip Design
3.3.3 Update Tip Data

3. In the Case Summary view double-click the Sonic Tip
branch to open the view for this Tip. On the Fluids tab
change the flow rate to 90,000 lb/h. Close the view.
4. Open the view for the Tip_1 by double-clicking this in the

Case Summary view or by selecting it and then clicking
the View button. On the Fluids tab change the flow rate to
10,000 lb/h. Then clear the tick from the Ignore checkbox to
activate this tip again. Close the view.

5. We are now ready to run the calculations. Confirm that the
mode indicator in the Tool Bar is still set to Sizing and click
the icon to run the model.
Check the Errors/Warnings/Info log panel to confirm that

the expected calculations for the two Receptor Points have
been completed.
6. We are now ready to review the results. Open the Stack

view for the Main Stack. The new length calculated for the
stack is 96ft.
Figure 3-15, Stack View
3-24
7. Open the Receptor Summary view. This indicates that the

Main Stack receptor point is still the controlling limit since
the thermal radiation at this point is still calculated as 1500
btu/hr/ft2.
3.3.5 Update Pipe Tip

In reducing the flow through the Pipe tip we have changed its
performance.
8. Open the Tip view for the Pipe tip Tip_1. You will see on
the Details tab that the fraction of heat radiated from this tip
has been calculated as 0.38 whereas before it was 0.35. The
reason for this is the greatly reduced velocity, 0.02 mach,
through the tip which reduces the tips efficiency. For
efficient operation the velocity should be 0.2 mach or
higher.
9. On the Location & Dimensions tab, click the SizeMe

button. Set the Mach number to 0.4 and the tip size will be
calculated as 4.3in. Select the check box to select standard
sizes only and a 5 inch tip will be selected. Clear the Mach
Number to see the calculated Mach Number at the new tip
size which will be 0.29 Mach. This is acceptable so click the
Ok button. The new tip size will automatically be updated
but you will need to update the riser diameter to 5in.
Then recalculate the case. The new exit velocity is 0.40

mach and the fraction of heat radiated is now 0.34. The
improvement in efficiency of this flare reduces the calcu-
lated size of the stack to 89ft.
10. Our two tip design is complete so save the case.
3-25
3-26 Working With Isopleths
3.4 Working With Isopleths

To see details of the thermal radiation around the flare Flaresim
provides the Receptor Grid objects that will calculate the radiation
for a grid of points that can be used to generate isopleth charts
showing lines of constant thermal radiation. Similar isopleth charts
can be displayed for noise and surface temperature results.
Our model already has one receptor grid called Default_Grid. This
was automatically generated for us by the Setup Wizard. It shows a
plan view around our flare stack at the grade elevation i.e. 0ft. Since
the Helideck is the main area of interest we will update this grid for
the correct elevation.


3. Since the Helideck is one of the main areas of interest, we

will update the receptor grid to plot the radiation at this
level. Open the Default_Grid object by double clicking on it
in the Case Summary. Once open, change the name to
“Helideck Plan” and change the elevation offset to 30ft.
Also update the number of points for each axis to 41.
Note that the number of points in the grid is not critical - a

higher number will generate smoother, more accurate isop-
leths at a cost of increased calculation time.
4. In the Case Summary view select the Receptor Grid branch

and click the Add button (alternatively select the Add -
3-26
Receptor Grid menu option) to create and open the view

for a new Receptor Grid object.
5. Enter the following data to create a grid for the vertical

cross-section through the axis of the flare.
Name - Helideck Elevation,

Orientation - Elevation-Northing,
Easting - 0ft,
Elevation Min - -100ft,
Elevation Max - 300ft,
Elevation Points - 41,
Northing Min - -500ft,
Northing Max - 500ft,
Northing Points - 41.
The receptor point properties are left at the default values.
6. Re-run the case. When the run is complete you will be able
to inspect the isopleth plot by opening the grid view,
clicking on the Radiation tab and then selecting Plot as the
Display option. Similar plots for noise and surface
temperatures can be found on the Noise and Temperature
tabs.
7. You can customise the isopleth lines displayed on the plot

by selecting the Isopleth Definition Tab and entering new
isopleth limit values. A line can be removed from the plot
by clearing an isopleth value. Customise the Helideck
Elevation radiation isopleth to show only the isopleth values
for 600, 1500, 3000, 5000 and 10000 btu/hr/ft2 as shown in
Figure 3-16 below. Note the colours of each isopleth can be
customised by clicking on the line colour panel and
selecting the colour from the pop-up colour picker dialog.
3-27
Figure 3-16, Isopleth Definitions
8. Isopleth plots will be included automatically as part of

Flaresim standard reports. A plot may also be exported as a
standalone graphics file using the Export button on the
graph display tab. Clicking this displays a standard file save
dialog which allows the type of graph to be exported to be
selected from the Save as type dropdown. Allowed types are
JPG, BMP and PNG bitmap formats or WMF, EMF or DXF
vector formats. Note vector format files are more suitable
for rescaling and inclusion in reports.
9. A graphical report that displays an isopleth plot together

with a summary of the model data can be generated from
the Graphical Report tab on the Receptor Grid view.
Simply select the type of plot to be produced, the layout file
and click the Generate Graphic Report button. A sample
of the output produced is shown below.
3-28
Figure 3-17, Graphic Report View
10. Graphic reports can be printed or exported as graphics files

using the File - Print Graphic Reports menu option. For
example to export a graphic report of the radiation isopleth
for the Helideck Plan view, select the Helideck Plan in the
list of available receptors grids, select the check box for the
radiation plot and JPEG Bitmap as the file type as shown
below. Then click the Save Graphic Reports button. The
graphic reports will be automatically named and the Log
area of the Flaresim screen will list the output location of
each file. Note the layout file used will be that specified on
the Graphic Report tab for each receptor grid.
3-29
Figure 3-18, Output Graphic Report
3.4.2 Adding a Simple Drawing Overlay

Flaresim allows drawings to be overlayed on isopleth plots.
Drawings can either be imported or generated using the internal
overlay editor. In this example we will create a simple plan view.
11. Open the view for the Receptor Grid “Helideck Plan” and
select the Plot Overlay tab.
12. Click the check box “Show Stacks” to draw the stacks on
the overlay to act as guides for us as we do the drawing.
13. Click the button to put the editor in draw mode. Note
the button will then change to the symbol. Then click
the drop down and select Rectangle as the object to
draw.
14. Finally check the units drop down at the top right of the
view and ensure that this is set to ft. The dimensions of the
overlay which should still be locked to that of the
underlying grid should be shown as X min -500, max 500
and Y min -500, max 500 as shown in the following figure.
3-30
Figure 3-19, Overlay Editor Prior To Drawing
15. Now draw a rectangle to represent the platform outline from

the point -200,0 to 50,-200. This is done by moving to the
first point using the displayed X,Y coordinates at the bottom
right of the view as a guide, clicking and holding the left
mouse button then dragging to the second point.
16. Add a second rectangle to represent the helideck from the

points -50,-100 to 30, -180.
17. Click the drop down and select the ellipse object.
Now draw a circle within the helideck rectangle by moving
to the point -50, -100, clicking and holding the left mouse
button and dragging to the point 30, -180.
3-31
18. Add a letter H to the middle of the helideck circle as

follows. Click the drop down and select the text
object. Click the drawing in the middle of the helideck
circle and a vertical flashing bar will appear to indicate the
text insertion point. Type the letter H and then hit the enter
key to complete the text entry.
19. If the text entered in step 8 is not quite central, click the
button to go to Edit Mode. Then click on the text - four
white squares will appear round the text to indicate it has
been selected. It can now be moved by clicking on the text
inside the squares and dragging it to the required position.
Figure 3-20, Completed Drawing
3-32
20. Finally click the button to save the drawing. A standard

file save dialog will appear to ask you to name the file to be
saved. By default the file will be saved as a Flaresim
Graphics file with a .FSG but you may also save it as a
Windows Metafile (.WMF), Enhanced Metafile (.EMF) or
Autocad DXF file (.DXF). It is suggested that you save
background graphics files in the report subfolder for the
case i.e. in this case the subfolder “example 4 - result”.
21. To see the overlay drawing on the Radiation, Noise and

Temperature isopleth plots, ensure that the Show Overlay
checkbox is set.
3.4.3 Import Scaled Drawing

The best type of background drawing to import is a scaled vector
drawing i.e. a Windows metafile (.wmf) or enhanced metafile
(.emf). Given that the locations of the stacks etc. in your Flaresim
model are matched to the drawing on import the isopleths will be
correctly positioned in relation to the drawing. The following
example shows how this is done.
22. Open the Plot Overlay tab in the Helideck Elevation

Receptor Grid. Ensure that the dimensions of the overlay
are set to “ft” using the dropdown at the top right of the
view.
23. We know that the drawing we are going to import has

dimensions of 1050 ft wide by 750 ft high. The point
corresponding to the base of the main stack (0,0) in the
model is located at the point 500, 350 in the drawing.
24. Clear the checkbox labeled Lock To Grid. Enter the

dimensions of our drawing as follows:-
X Axis Min -500ft, X Axis Max 550ft
Y Axis Min -350ft, Y Axis Max 400ft.
Note the blue box shows the dimensions of our receptor grid
within the Plot Overlay dimensions.
3-33
25. Click the open background file button to import the

background graphics file. The file to import is called
elevation.wmf and is located in the Samples\example 4 -
result folder. You will need to select “Windows Metafiles
(.wmf)” in the “Files of Type” drop down in the File Open
view to select this. Click Ok.
26. You should now see the imported graphic as shown below.
Check the Show Overlay checkbox to enable display of the
background graphic on the isopleth plots.
Figure 3-21, Background Graphic Imported
27. Our work enhancing the isopleth plots is now complete.

Save the case.
3-34
3.5 Welltest Burner Design

Offshore platforms often include a facility for burning off liquids
produced during well tests. Flaresim is capable of modelling this
type of burner in addition to the conventional safety release flares.

A welltest burner capable of burning 30,000 lb/hr of liquid is to be
added to our design. The properties of the liquid to be burned are as
follows:
Fluid
Material Hydrocarbon Liquid
Flow 30,000 lb/hr
Mol Wt. 52.9
Vapour Temp. 100 F
Heat of combustion 19,550 btu/lb
Tip Diameter 12 in


3.5.3 Add New Fluid Data

3. In the Case Summary view select the Fluids branch and
then click the Add button to create a new Fluid and open its
view.
3-35
3-36 Welltest Burner Design
4. Complete the view with the following entries;
Name - Welltest Liquid,

Temperature - 100F,
Ref Pressure - 14.7psi
Mole Weight - 52.9,
LHV - 19,550 btu/lb,
Cp/Cv - 1.2,
LEL - 1.7%,
Saturation - 100%.
The Critical Temperature and Critical Pressure fields

can be left blank.
The completed view is shown below. Close the view when

the data has been entered.
Figure 3-22, Welltest Fluid View
3.5.4 Add New Stack

5. In the Case Summary view select the Stacks branch and
then click the Add button to create a new Stack and open its
view.
3-36
6. Enter data for the new stack as follows, leaving other entries
at their default values;
Name - Welltest Stack,

Northing - -200ft,
Easting - 0ft,
Elevation - 0ft,
Dimensions section
Length - 55ft,
Angle to Horizontal - 0 deg,
Angle to North - 180 deg.
These entries define our new stack as a horizontal boom on

the opposite side of the platform to our main flare stack.
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-23. Close the

view when complete.
Figure 3-23, Welltest Stack View
3.5.5 Add Welltest Burner Tip

7. In the Case Summary, select the Tips branch and click the
Add button to create and view a new Tip object.
3-37
8. On the Details tab of the Tip view enter the following data;
Name - Welltest Burner,

Tip Type - Welltest,
Number of Burners - 3,
Fraction Heat Radiated Method - User Specified
Specified Fraction Heat Radiated - 0.3
All other values should be left at their defaults.
9. On the Location & Dimensions tab enter the following,

leaving other values at their defaults;
On Stack - Welltest Stack,

Length - 0ft,
Angle to Horizontal - 0 deg,
Angle from North - 180 deg.
Exit Diameter - 12 in (Default)
Note the burner length and orientation fields serve to locate

the precise location of the flame and the initial flame direc-
tion. Even when the burner length is 0ft as here, the orienta-
tion fields must still be entered.
10. On the Fluids tab select the Fluid as Welltest Liquid and
enter the flow rate as 30,000 lb/hr. Set the Flame
Temperature to 4000F. Close the view.
3.5.6 Add New Receptor Point

11. Add a new Receptor point in the usual way. Define the
following data to locate the receptor point at the base of the
welltest burner stack;
Name - Base Welltest Stack,

Northing - -200ft,
Easting - 0ft,
Elevation - 0ft.
All other fields may be left at their default values. Close the
view.
3-38

12. In the Case Summary view, select the Stack_1 object and
click the Ignore button. This will exclude the two tips on
the main flare stack from the calculations.
13. Open the Calculation Options view. On the Sizing tab set
the stack to be sized to None. Close the view.
14. Run the calculations by clicking the icon.Check in the

Errors/Warnings/Info log panel that the case has run and
calculated correctly.
15. Open the Receptor Summary view. The results, see Figure
3-24, show that the radiation limits for our original two
critical locations that we have defined are met. The
radiation at the base of the well test burner stack is 1427
btu/hr/ft2.
Figure 3-24, Receptor Summary
16. Save the case.
3-39
3.5.8 Add Water Screen

The radiation calculated at the base of the welltest burner stack is
acceptable for brief exposure only. Since more extended exposure
might be required it is necessary to reduce the radiation. While this
could be achieved by extending the length of the stack this would be
an expensive option due to the added weight. It is normal to reduce
radiation from welltest burners using water screens.
The effect of these can be modelled in Flaresim through the

installation of shield objects
17. Add a Shield object either by clicking the Shield branch in

the Case Summary view and then the Add button or by
using the Add - Shield menu option according to your
preference.
18. Enter data in the Details tab of the new Shield view as
follows;
Name = Water Curtain,

Radiation - Type = Water Screen
Radiation - Layer Thickness Calculation = User
Radiation - Layer Thickness = 0.5 in
Noise - Transmissivity = 1.0 [default]
19. Select the Sections tab. Once there click the Add Section
button to open the Shield Section Editor view. In this view
click the Add Vertex button 3 times to create a rectangular
shield section with 4 corners or verticies.
20. Enter the following data;
Name = Water Curtain

Vertex 1 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, 50 ft, Elevation 40 ft
Vertex 2 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, 50 ft, Elevation -10 ft
Vertex 3 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, -50 ft, Elevation -10 ft
Vertex 4 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, -50 ft, Elevation 40 ft
3-40
Note it is a requirement when entering the locations of the

vertices that each point is directly connected to the next
point in the list.
The completed form is shown below.
Figure 3-25, Complete Shield Section Editor
21. Click OK to close the shield editor. The Shield view should
now show that the shield data setup is complete.
22. Run the new case and inspect the results.
The radiation value at the base of the welltest burner stack

has been reduced to an acceptable value of 342 btu/hr/ft2.
The radiation isopleth for the plan view clearly shows the
effect of the shield, see Figure 3-26...
3-41
Figure 3-26, Isopleth plot for Helideck Plan View
3.5.9 Evaluate Rate of Temperature Rise

Since we are relying on the water screen to reduce thermal radiation
in normal use, we should check the situation when the water screen
fails. Given data on the receiving surface, Flaresim is able to
calculate the rate of temperature rise.
23. Open the view for the Base Welltest Stack receptor point.
Update the Properties data for the point as follows;
On Plane - None,
Emissivity - 0.7,
Absorbtivity - 0.7,
Area Ratio - 2.0,
Mass - 10.4 lb/ft2,
Mass Cp - 0.1075 btu/lb/ft.1002,
Initial Temperature - 60F.
3-42
This data represents a steel plate, 0.25in thick. The Area

Ratio of 2.0 indicates that one side of the plate is exposed to
the flare radiation. Selecting None as the On Plane value is a
conservative assumption that means that no credit will be
taken for radiation striking the plate at an angle.
24. Select the Water Curtain shield object in the Case Summary
and click the Ignore button. Then run the calculations.
25. In the Thermal Results tab of the Base Welltest Stack

receptor point you can inspect the rate of temperature rise
results in tabular or graphical form. The results show that
the temperature will rise to 83F after 2 mins on its way to a
final temperature of 122F.
3.5.10 Check Safety Case

The results with only the welltest burner in use show that the original
design radiation limit for the helideck is met. However we still have
to consider the situation when a safety release occurs while the
welltest burner is in use.
26. Select the Main Stack in the Case Summary view and click
the Activate button to restore it to the calculations. Run the
model again.
27. Open the Receptor Point summary. The results show that
the thermal radiation at the Helideck receptor is 1147 btu/
hr/ft2, significantly exceeding our limit of 600 btu/hr/ft2.
At this point we might consider increasing the length of either the

Main Stack or the Welltest Stack in order to ensure that the radiation
limits are met again. However it may also be possible to consider the
circumstances under which the welltest burners would be used at the
same time as the main flare. Perhaps procedures could be established
to prevent helicopter operations while the welltest burner was in use
meaning that this higher radiation value is acceptable.
3-43
It is appropriate to emphasise at this point that Flaresim is a tool for

analysing the performance of flare systems. It cannot replace the
engineers judgement in selecting the appropriate conditions to
model or determining whether a particular set of results represent an
acceptable or a dangerous situation.
3-44
Interface 4-1
4 Interface
Page
4.1 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.2 Menu Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.3 Tool Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
4.4 Log Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.5 File Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4.5.1 File Save Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
4.5.2 File Open Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.5.3 Recent Files Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.5.4 Update Messages During File Open . . . . . 14
4.6 About View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.7 Chart Control Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4-1
4-2
4-2
Interface 4-3
The Flaresim interface has been designed to give you a great deal of
flexibility in the way in which you enter, modify and view the data
and results which comprise your flare model. This chapter describes
the various components of the Flaresim interface. If you need help
with any particular task, the on-line help can give you step-by-step
instructions.
4.1 Terminology
The following view of the Flaresim screen shows most of the
interface components that you will encounter. The terminology used
to describe these components is given here.
Figure 4-1, Flaresim Screen
Menu bar
Toolbar
Edit box
Tabs
Active button Radio button
View
Greyed button
Status text
Value with
Units
Popup menu
Dropdown
List Box
Checkbox
File Management
Log Scrollbars
Error/Warnings/
Info Log
Menu Bar
The menu bar provides access to the various program functions. The
options are described in more detail in section 4.2.
4-3
4-4 Terminology
Tool Bar
The tool bar is a row of icons that provide quick access to the more
commonly used program functions. The options are described in
more detail in section 4.3.
File Management Log

This area of the screen displays a record of file saving and retrieval
activity. See section 4.4 for more information.
Errors / Warnings / Info Log

This area of the screen displays a record of error messages, warning
messages and other information generated by Flaresim calculations.
See section 4.4 for more information.
Active Button
Throughout the manual,
Clicking a button or other item Buttons appear on most forms and may be clicked with the left
means using the Left mouse mouse button to perform the action indicated. Active buttons are
button unless stated otherwise.
those where the label type is black.
Greyed Button
Buttons which have an action that cannot be performed at a
particular time are displayed with the label type in grey.
PopUp Menu
PopUp menus are used to display additional choices in response to
clicking buttons or clicking the right mouse button.
View
This is the term used to describe a window containing a group of
data entry fields for a specific element of the program. Views in
Flaresim are generally non-modal which means that multiple views
can be open and used at the same time.
Views may be resized, minimised, maximised and moved around

within the Flaresim application workspace in the same way as
standard windows.
Status Text
Many views have a status field at the bottom to provide a quick
indication whether all the necessary entries have been made. The
4-4
Interface 4-5
background to this text indicates the status, green indicates ready to

calculate, red indicates missing data, yellow indicates that the object
is ignored.
Tabs
Some views have more data entry items than will fit on a typical size
window. Tabs are a way of subdividing the entries into groups
within the view. Clicking a tab heading displays the group.
Edit Box
This type of data entry field allows entry of alpha numeric values.
Generally the values entered will be checked for validity on leaving
the field.
Value With Units

Edit Boxes which expect numeric values to be entered display the
units that are expected in [] above the edit box. The default units
used for data entry and display can be set through the Preferences
View, see section 5.4. The default units can also be over-ridden as a
value is input by entering a value followed by a space and then the
text for the unit. As long as the unit text is recognised as an
appropriate unit for the item being defined the value will be
converted from the input units to the current default units and
displayed.
For example in a field expecting a windspeed value in ft/s you can

enter the text “20 mph” which will be converted to ft/s and displayed
as 29.33 ft/s.
Drop Down List Box

This type of edit box provides a downward pointing arrow to the
right which may be clicked to allow a choice to be made from a set
of options.
CheckBox
A checkbox is used to select options that can be either on or off.
Clicking a checkbox once will display a tick in the box indicating
that the option is on, also known as setting the checkbox. Clicking
the box again will clear the tick indicating that the option is off.
4-5
4-6 Terminology
Radio Buttons
Radio buttons are used to select one option from a group of mutually
exclusive options. Clicking one radio button in a group will select
that option and automatically deselect all the other options.
Scroll Bars
Where a list or a view is not large enough to display all the items
required scrollbars will appear. The up and down arrows may be
clicked to move through the view to display all the items.
4-6
Interface 4-7
4.2 Menu Bar

Figure 4-2, Menu Bar
The Menu Bar provides access to the Flaresim program actions.

The row of main menu items at the top of the main Flaresim window
provides access to dropdown menus and sub menus as shown in
Figure 4-2.
Main menu items are selected by clicking on them or by holding

down the Alt key and first letter of the menu name. Once the sub-
menu has opened the sub-menu items can be selected by clicking
them or by using the up and down arrow keys and then hitting enter.
Some sub-menu items may have a right pointing arrow next to them
indicating that a further sub-menu may be opened by moving the
mouse to the item and then moving the mouse to the right.
Alternatively sub-menu items can be opened the right arrow key.
Menu items may also have a shortcut key combination displayed

against them which can be used to select the action without using the
menu.
Flaresim provides the following menu items.
4-7
4-8 Menu Bar
Main Menu Sub Menu Description
File New Creates a new Flaresim model
Open Loads a Flaresim model from disk
Save Saves the current model to disk
Save As Saves the model to disk with a new name
Print Opens the Print view
Print Opens the Graphic Report Print view

Graphic
Reports
Print Setup Opens the Print Setup view
Preferences Opens the Preferences view
Exit Quits the Flaresim program
Recent files List of recently opened files that can be reo-

pened directly by selecting the name.
View Case Opens the Case Summary view

Summary
Case Details Opens the Case Details view
Fluid Opens a Fluid view selected by sub-menu
Environment Opens an Environment view selected by sub-

menu
Stack Opens a Stack view selected by sub-menu
Tip Opens a Tip view selected by sub-menu
Assist Fluid Opens an Assist Fluid view selected by sub-

menu
Receptor Opens a Point view selected by sub-menu

Point
Receptor Opens a Grid view selected by sub-menu

Grid
Shield Opens a Shield view selected by sub-menu
4-8
Interface 4-9
Main Menu Sub Menu Description
Calculation Opens Calculation Option view

Option
Component Opens Component Management view

Management
Add Fluid Creates a new Fluid and opens view
Environment Creates a new Environment and opens view
Stack Creates a new Stack and opens view
Tip Creates a new Tip and opens view
Assist Fluid Creates a new Assist Fluid and opens view
Receptor Creates a new Receptor Point and opens view

Point
Receptor Creates a new Receptor Grid and opens view

Grid
Shield Creates a new Shield and opens view
Window Cascade Rearranges all open windows
Close All Closes all open windows
Help Contents Opens Help file at contents page
Index Opens Help file at index page
About Displays information on program version
4-9
4-10 Tool Bar
4.3 Tool Bar

The Tool Bar provides a row of icons that may be clicked to provide
rapid access to some commonly used actions. Flaresim provides the
following options on the Tool Bar.
This icon creates a new Flaresim model.
This icon retrieves a Flaresim model from disk.
This icon saves a Flaresim model to the disk.
This icon opens the Case Summary view.
This icon adds a new object to the model.

A sub-menu allows selection of the type of object added.
This icon starts calculations.
The Tool Bar also provides a status indicator to show the current
calculation mode, Rating or Sizing.
While Flaresim is calculating the status indicator will change to

Running and a progress bar will be displayed showing the
approximate progress of the calculations.
4-10
Interface 4-11
4.4 Log Panels

Figure 4-3, Log Panels
The log panels at the bottom of the Flaresim main window are used
to output messages from the program. There are two panels.
The left panel is known as the File Management Log and records
details of file creation, file retrieval and file saving actions.
The right panel is known as the Errors/Warnings/Info Log and

records messages generated by Flaresim as it calculates.
The size of the log panels can be set by moving the cursor to the top
boundary of the panels or the boundary between the panels. At the
point where the cursor changes to a pair of resizing arrows, the left
mouse button may be clicked and dragged to resize the panel.
Both panels provide a popup menu with local options that can be
opened by clicking the right mouse button.
In the File Management Log this popup menu provides a single
option:
Clear - clears all messages from the log.
In the Errors/Warnings/Info Log, the popup menu provides the

following options:
Clear - clears all messages from the log.
Verbose - sets verbose mode so that all messages will be output. A
tick will appear against the menu option to show that verbose mode
is selected.
Save Messages - displays a standard file dialog to allow the current

message list to be saved to an external log file.
4-11
4-12 File Dialogs
4.5 File Dialogs

Flaresim uses standard Windows file dialogs to save and retrieve
files.
4.5.1 File Save Dialog

The File Save Dialog appears when you select the File - Save As
menu item or the File - Save menu item or Save tool bar icon for an
unnamed case. The dialog also appears when you click the Export
button to export results data from Receptor Grid or Tip views.
Figure 4-4, File Save Dialog
File List
The main elements on this Dialog are:
Filename
Combobox
Allows you to enter the name of the file to save the Flaresim model
to. As you type the name, the dropdown list element of the
combobox allows you to select an existing file that matches the
name to overwrite if you wish.
The file name entered will be given the extension type specified in
the Save As Type field unless you enter a different file extension.
4-12
Interface 4-13
Save As Type
Dropdown List of allowed file types
Allows you to select the required file type.
File Description Allowed Types
Model Files Flaresim for Windows files .FSW
XML data files .XML
Table Export Comma separated value files .CSV
Graphics Export JPEG files .JPG
Portable network graphic files .PNG
Windows bitmap files .BMP
Windows meta files .WMF
Enhance windows meta files .EMF
Save In
Dropdown List of available storage locations
Allows you to select from the list of available storage locations
configured for your computer system.
File List
List Box
Shows the files and folders in the current folder. The list may be
used to navigate the folder tree or to select files.
Folders can be opened and made the new current folder by double
clicking on them. You can move up the folder tree by clicking the
Previous Folder icon. New folders can be created by clicking the
New Folder icon and entering the new folder name in the File List.
Files can be selected for overwriting by clicking on them.
Save
Button
Saves the file once you have entered the name or selected a file to
overwrite. If the file selected already exists you will be asked to
confirm that it should be overwritten.
4-13
4-14 File Dialogs
Cancel
Button
Cancels the file save.
Previous Folder -
Icon
Moves up the folder tree. The File List will be updated to show the
contents of the folder one level up the tree.
New Folder -
Icon
Creates a new sub-folder in the current folder. The folder will be
created with the default name “New Folder” and you will then be
able to rename as required.
4.5.2 File Open Dialog

The File Open Dialog appears when you select the File - Open
menu item or click the Open icon on the tool bar.
Figure 4-5, File Open Dialog
The elements of this dialog are essentially the same as the File Save
Dialog with the exception that the Save button is replaced by an
Open button.
4-14
Interface 4-15
If you wish to open a .FSM file from the previous DOS version of
Flaresim use the Files of Type drop down to select the .FSM file
type.
4.5.3 Recent Files Menu

The File Menu displays a list of recently used files which can be
used to re-open one of these files directly by selecting it from the
menu.
Figure 4-6, Recent Files Menu
4.5.4 Update Messages During File Open

When opening a file from earlier versions of Flaresim it is possible
that the program will detect parameters that have changed in the
current version or detect results that will be changed as a result of
changes in the program. When this happens a dialog will be
displayed and the user will be asked to acknowledge the information
or possibly make a descision between a number of choices.
Further information on these dialogs can usually be found in the help

system by pressing F1.
4-15
4-16 About View
4.6 About View

The About View is opened using the Help - About menu option.
Figure 4-7, About View
The purpose of this view is to provide information on the version of

the program that may be required when seeking Technical support.
Ok
Button
Closes the About view.
System Info
Button
Opens the System Information program in the operating system.
This provides details of the computer hardware and software
environment that Flaresim is running under. This information may
be of use in resolving technical support issues.
4-16
Interface 4-17
4.7 Chart Control Dialog

The Chart Control Dialog provides access to options for
customising the appearance of the plots found on the Tip views. It
may be accessed by clicking the right mouse button on the chart.
Figure 4-8, Chart Control Dialog
A detailed explanation of the options available through this dialog

may be found in the help files 2D Chart Control and 3D Chart
Control installed with the Flaresim program. Links to these help files
are also available through the Flaresim Help file.
4-17
4-18 Chart Control Dialog
4-18
General Setup 5-1
5 General Setup
Page
5.1 Case Summary View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5.2 Case Description View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
5.3 Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5.3.1 Setup Wizard - Common Items . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.3.2 Setup Wizard - Opening View . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.3.3 Setup Wizard - Fluid Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
5.3.4 Setup Wizard - Tip Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5.3.5 Setup Wizard - Environment Page . . . . . . 16
5.3.6 Setup Wizard - Stack Page . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.3.7 Setup Wizard - Receptors Page . . . . . . . . 20
5.3.8 Setup Wizard - Calculations Page . . . . . . 21
5.4 Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.4.1 Units Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.4.2 Files Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.4.3 Plots Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.5 Component Management View . . . . . . . . . 33
5-1
5-2
5-2
General Setup 5-3
5.1 Case Summary View

The Case Summary view, shown in Figure 5-1, provides a
summary view of the Flaresim model, showing the objects that have
been added to the model and their status. It also provides quick
access to any of the object views and enables objects to be added to
and deleted from the model.
Figure 5-1, Case Summary View
The Case Summary view shows the Flaresim model as a tree with
the branches showing the different types of object that make up the
model.
The Case Summary is used by clicking a branch of the tree to select

it and then clicking one of the command buttons to perform that
action on the selected object. If a branch with sub-branches is
selected a popup menu will be displayed to ask which of the sub-
branches the command will apply to. For example in the case shown
as Figure 5-1 clicking on the Tip branch and selecting View will
display a popup menu asking which of the two existing tips is to be
viewed. A branch can also be double-clicked which will act the same
way as the View action.
5-3
5-4 Case Summary View
The command buttons have the following functions:-
View
Opens the view for the selected object to allow its data to be viewed
or updated.
Add
Creates a new object of the selected type and opens its view ready
for data input. If an existing object is selected in the tree rather than
the parent branch, a new object of the same type is created.
Delete
Deletes the selected object. No confirmation is required.
Activate
Clears the ignored status for the selected object which restores it to
the calculations. Not all objects can be ignored and restored and this
button will be greyed out if the action cannot be applied to the
selected object.
Ignore
Sets the ignored status for the selected object which means that it
will not be included in the calculations. Not all objects can be
ignored and restored and this button will be greyed out if the action
cannot be applied to the selected object.
The icons displayed against each branch and object in the Case
Summary view have the following meanings.
This icon identifies a branch of the model tree that contains
a single object that is a permanent part of the model and
cannot be added or deleted. Examples of this type of object
are the Case Description and Calculation Options object.
When a branch of this type is selected the Add, Delete,
Activate and Ignore buttons are greyed out since they are not
applicable.
This icon identifies branches of the model that contain

objects that are not essential to the running of the model.
Examples of this type of object are the Receptor Point and
Assist Fluid objects.
5-4
General Setup 5-5
This icon indicates a branch of the model that contains

objects that are essential to the calculation of the model
where the required objects are either missing or have
incomplete data. Examples of this type of object are the Tip
and Stack objects.
This icon indicates a branch of the model that contains

objects that are essential to the calculation of the model
where the required objects are complete and ready for
calculation. Examples of this type of object are the Tip and
Stack objects.
This icon indicates an object that has been set to an ignored

status. Ignored objects are not included in the calculations.
Normally where multiple objects may be defined e.g. Tips
and Stacks, multiple objects may be ignored as long as there
is at least one left active for calculations. The exception is the
Environment object where only one can be active; all the
others being set to ignored.
This icon indicates an object whose data is incomplete or in

error in some way.
This icon indicates an object whose data is complete and

ready to calculate.
This icon indicates a branch that has sub-branch objects

defined that are not currently displayed. Clicking this icon
will expand the tree to show the sub-branch objects.
This icon appears against a branch with displayed sub-

branch objects. Clicking it will collapse the branch and hide
the sub-branch objects.
5-5
5-6 Case Description View
5.2 Case Description View

The Case Description view (see Figure 5-2) allows the user to enter
information to describe the Flaresim model. The Case Description
view is opened either by using the View - Case Description menu
option or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the
View button.
Figure 5-2, Case Description View
Title
Text
Text entered in this field will be printed as the model title on reports.
Author
Text
Identifies the author of this Flaresim file.
Revision
Text
Identifies the revision of the Flaresim file.
Checked By
Text
Identifies the person responsible for checking the model.
5-6
General Setup 5-7
Case Description
Text
Descriptive information relevant to the model. For example it is
good practice to note sources of environmental data and the
contingencies represented by the fluid data.
Last Modified
Calculated Text
Tracks the date that the model was last updated. It is automatically
updated each time the model is saved and cannot be manually
updated.
5-7
5-8 Setup Wizard
5.3 Setup Wizard

The Setup Wizard view provides a step by step guide to setting up
a basic Flaresim model. It is intended for use by new users to provide
the simplest possible interface for defining a new model.
The Setup Wizard provides pages or tabs that allow the user to
define in turn the fluid to be flared, details of the flare tip,
environment details, details of the flare stack, location of critical
receptor points and the calculation options to be used. Each page
must be completed before the user can move to the next page. Where
possible default data values and options are provided to allow the
setup of a new case to be made as simple as possible. When the final
page is completed and the Finish button is selected the wizard will
automatically create the Flaresim objects required to define the case.
By default, the Setup Wizard will be automatically displayed when

starting Flaresim or when creating a new case. If the user does not
want to use the Setup Wizard then its view can be simply closed.
Experienced users who do not wish to use the Setup Wizard at all
can select this option on the Files tab of the Preferences view, see
section 5.4.2
5.3.1 Setup Wizard - Common Items

Figure 5-3 below shows the Fluid page of the Setup Wizard and
indicates the main areas of the view as follows.
Summary Panel
This provides a summary of the data input provided so far.
Data Entry Panel

This region will change to provide the data entry fields required for
the current item.
Help Panel
This region provides additional information about the selected data
entry field and will change as different fields are selected. The
5-8
General Setup 5-9
information provided may explain why the data item is required and
indicate the range of values allowed as well as typical values.
Command buttons
These allow the user to move from page to page of the Setup Wizard.
Summary panel The Finish button is only available when all of the required
information has been entered
Figure 5-3, Setup Wizard View
Command buttons Data entry panel Page Tabs Help panel
Page Tabs
These display the status of each section of the Setup Wizard. The
icons used, have the same meanings as in the Case
Summary view, section 5.1. The Page Tabs also allow the user to
move between completed pages of the Setup Wizard.
5-9
5-10 Setup Wizard
5.3.2 Setup Wizard - Opening View

The opening view of the Setup Wizard is shown below.
Figure 5-4, Setup Wizard - Opening View
Unit set to use

Dropdown list
This field selects the units that will be used by Flaresim.
The dropdown list only allows selection from existing unit sets. To
create and customise the contents of units sets the File - Preferences
menu option can be used, see section 5.4
5-10
General Setup 5-11
5.3.3 Setup Wizard - Fluid Page

The second page of the Setup Wizard is the Fluid page shown below.
Figure 5-5, Setup Wizard - Fluid Page
Fluid Conditions - Temperature

Range 0 to 1000 K
This field defines the temperature of the fluid going to the flare.
Fluid Conditions - Ref. Pressure

Range 0 to 100 bar a
This field defines the reference pressure at which the temperature of
the fluid is specified. Where the operating pressure of the flare
differs from the reference pressure, the fluid temperature will be
corrected for the change assuming adiabatic conditions. The user
can choose not to apply this correction through the Calculation
Options view, see chapter 12.
5-11
5-12 Setup Wizard
Property Calculation
Radio Buttons
These buttons control how the fluid properties are to be obtained. If
the Specified Properties option is selected then the bulk properties of
the fluid must be input using the Fluid Properties table as shown in
Figure 5-5. Otherwise if the Compositional option is selected the
view will change to allow the fluid composition to be specified
which will allow the fluid properties to be calculated.
Fluid Properties - Molecular Weight

Range 2 to 1000
The molecular weight of the fluid. It is a required entry.
Fluid Properties - LHV

Range 0 to 100 MJ/kg
This defines the Lower Heating Value of the fluid, also known as the
net heating value. It is a required entry.
Fluid Properties - Cp/Cv

Range 1 to 5
This defines the ratio of the specific heat capacities of the fluid. A
default value of 1.2 is provided which may be used where this value
is unknown.
Fluid Properties - LEL

Range 0 to 100%
This defines the Lower Explosive Limit of the fluid. A default value
of 2% is provided which may be used where this value is unknown.
The LEL is only used by the Brzustowski radiation method so the
value can safely be left at the default value when other calculation
methods are used.
Fluid Properties - Saturation

Range 0 to 100%
This defines the degree of saturation of the hydrocarbons in the
fluid. The default value of 100% assumes that all the fluid is
paraffinic hydrocarbon. The saturation is only used by the High
Efficiency F Factor method and may safely be left at the default
value when other F Factor methods are used.
5-12
General Setup 5-13
Fluid Properties - Pc
Range 0.01 to 1000 bar a
This defines the critical pressure of the fluid. It is used in the
calculation of fluid temperatures and densities. Entry of this value is
optional as an internal correlation will be used to estimate the fluids
Pc if this value is not provided.
Fluid Properties - Tc
Range 10 to 1000 K
This defines the critical temperature of the fluid. It is used in the
calculation of fluid temperatures and densities. Entry of this value is
optional as an internal correlation will be used to estimate the fluids
Tc if this value is not provided.
When the Compositional radio button is selected the fluid page is

updated to so the Fluid composition table as shown below.
Figure 5-6, Setup Wizard - Fluid Page Compositions
5-13
5-14 Setup Wizard
Composition Basis
Radio Buttons
These buttons select the composition input basis either Mole
fraction or Mass fraction
Normalise Composition
Command Button
Clicking this button will normalise the current composition.
Unspecified component fractions will be set to 0.0 and the remainder
normalised so to give a total fraction of 1.0.
Fluid Composition - Fraction

Range 0 to 100
The component composition.
5.3.4 Setup Wizard - Tip Page

The Tip page of the Setup Wizard is shown below.
Figure 5-7, Setup Wizard - Tip Page
5-14
General Setup 5-15
Tip Type
Radio Buttons
This allows selection of the tip type to be used either a Pipe Tip or
Sonic tip. If unknown the default Pipe tip will provide the most
conservative option.
Tip Sizing - Fluid Mass Flow Rate

Range 0 to 10000 kg/s
Defines the mass flow rate of the fluid to be flared.
Tip Sizing - Tip Diameter

Range 0.01 to 10 m
Defines the diameter of the tip. When the mass flow rate is defined
the tip diameter will be automatically updated to show the tip
diameter required for the current Mach number. Updating the tip
diameter with a specified value will automatically update the Mach
number value.
Tip Sizing - Mach Number

Range 0 to 1
Defines the tip exit Mach number i.e. the tip exit velocity as a
fraction of the sonic velocity. This is defaulted to 0.45 Mach which
is a reasonable default for an efficient pipe flare. Updating the Mach
number will recalculate the required tip diameter as long as the fluid
mass flow rate is known. Alternatively, updating the tip diameter
with a specified value will automatically update the Mach number
value.
F Factor Method
Checkbox
Selects the method that will be used to calculate the fraction of
combustion heat that will be radiated from the flame. The F Factor
is sometimes known as the emissivity of the flame. The default
Generic Pipe method is a conservative general purpose method. The
High Efficiency method should only be used for high efficiency tips
in good condition burning low molecular weight fluids.
5-15
5-16 Setup Wizard
5.3.5 Setup Wizard - Environment Page

The Environment page which is the fourth page of the Setup Wizard
is shown below.
Figure 5-8, Setup Wizard - Environment Page
Environment - Wind Speed

Range 0 to 100 m/s
The wind speed to be used for the calculations. A default wind speed
of 20 m/s is defined.
Environment - Wind Direction

Range 0 to 360
The angle from which the wind is blowing. 0 degrees is North, 90
East, 180 South and 270 West. A descriptive reminder of the
direction will be displayed under the table of data.
It is common to do calculations relative to a wind from the North so

0 degrees is the default.
5-16
General Setup 5-17
Environment - Temperature
Range 10 to 500 K
The environmental temperature. The value is used primarily in
surface temperature calculations.
Environment - Humidity
Range 04 to 100 %
The environmental humidity. The humidity value is used in
calculations of the attenuation in radiation due to the atmosphere i.e.
the transmissivity calculation. It is only used when the
Transmissivity is set to Calculated. The default value of 10% is
reasonably conservative.
Environment - Transmissivity
Range 0 to 1
The value for atmospheric transmissivity to be used the
Transmissivity method is set to User Defined. The default value of
1.0 is conservative and does not allow for any attenuation of
radiation when passing through the atmosphere.
Environment - Transmissivity Method

Dropdown
The method to be used for the calculation of the factor for correcting
the transmissivity of radiation through the atmosphere. The Default
method selects the User specified method which with a specified
tranmissivity value of 1 is the most conservative. The Calculated
method calculates the transmissivity as a function of the distance
travelled by the radiation through the atmosphere and the
atmospheric humidity.
5-17
5-18 Setup Wizard
5.3.6 Setup Wizard - Stack Page

The Stack page of the Setup Wizard is shown below
Figure 5-9, Setup Wizard - Environment Page
Stack Angle From Horizontal

Radio Buttons
These buttons allow rapid selection of some standard angles for the
stack which will be updated in the Vertical Angle entry. In general
onshore flare stacks are vertical while flare stacks on offshore
platforms are often angled at 45 or 60 degrees to Horizontal.
Vertical Angle
Range 0 to 90 degrees
The angle of the stack to the horizontal. Use this field if your stack
is not at one of the standard angles.
5-18
General Setup 5-19
Stack Horizontal Orientation

The direction in which the stack points. This field is important for
non-vertical stacks and should be set with regard to the specified
wind direction. It is normal for stacks to be oriented to point into the
prevailing wind so if the wind is from the East (90degrees) then it
would be normal to set the stack horizontal orientation to 90 degrees
as well.
Stack Length
Range 0 to 1000m
The length of the stack. Leaving the stack set to the default value of
0.00m will cause the Setup Wizard to create a Sizing case where the
stack length will be calculated to meet a defined limiting value for
the radiation.
5-19
5-20 Setup Wizard
5.3.7 Setup Wizard - Receptors Page

The Receptors page of the Setup Wizard is shown below
Figure 5-10, Setup Wizard - Receptors Page
Receptor ID
Descriptive Name
Name of the receptor point. In general it is useful to change the
default name to something descriptive.
Distance Downwind of Stack

Range 0 to 500m
The distance of the receptor point downwind of the stack, note the
receptor will be at the same elevation (0m) as the stack base. In
general the points of maximum radiation are found directly
downwind of the stack. To study receptor points off the wind axis or
at other elevations they must be defined outside of the Setup Wizard.
5-20
General Setup 5-21
Allowable Radiation
Range 500 to 25000 W/m2
The radiation that is allowed at the receptor point. The table of
typical design values shown on this page provides a general guide to
the selection of appropriate values.
5.3.8 Setup Wizard - Calculations Page

The Calculations page of the Setup Wizard is shown below.
Figure 5-11, Setup Wizard - Calculations Page
Calculation Method
Checkbox
This allows selection of the calculation method to be used. The
default Flaresim API method should generally give a conservative
result using industry standard methods. The Mixed method with 25
Flame elements is recommended as a good general alternative.
5-21
5-22 Preferences
5.4 Preferences
The File - Preferences menu item provides access to the
Preferences View to allow setup of the preferred units, file locations
and graphical plot elements.
Figure 5-12, Units Tab
Read Preference File

Button
Reads a preference file. A File Open dialog will be opened to allow
the location of the preference file to be specified.
Save Preference File

Button
Saves the current preferences. A File Save dialog will be opened to
allow the location of the preferences file to be specified. Preference
files are saved as files of type XML.
On startup, Flaresim first searches for a file called Preferences.xml

in the folder User Documents\Softbits\Flaresim X.Y where X.Y is
the version number. If not found the default Preferences.xml file is
read from the SharedProgramData folder.
5-22
General Setup 5-23
The SharedProgramData folder referred to above is typically the

folder C:\Documents and Settings\All User\Application Data\
Softbits\Flaresim X.Y on a Windows XP or Windows 2000 system
or the folder C:\ProgramData\Softbits\Flaresim X.Y on a Vista
system.
5.4.1 Units Tab

The Units tab of the Preferences view (see Figure 5-12) is used to
define the units of measure used to display and interpret values on
the data entry views.
Flaresim uses the concept of a Unit Set which defines all of the units
to be used for a single case. Two Unit Sets, the Default SI and
Default Field sets are provided as basic sets that cannot be changed.
New Unit Sets can be created by copying an existing Unit Set and
then customising it.
A default range of units is provided for each type of unit used by

Flaresim. The Units tab also allows new units to be defined by
defining their name and conversion to the internal unit used by
Flaresim.
Select Unit Set - List

Listbox
Shows the Unit Sets that have already been defined in the
Preferences file. A Unit Set may be activated by selecting it in this
list.
Select Unit Set - Unit Set Name

Text entry
Allows the name of a user defined Unit Set to be updated. The names
of the default Unit Sets cannot be changed.
Select Unit Set - Copy Unit Set

Button
Copies the selected Unit Set to create a new one. The new Unit set
will be given a default name that can then be updated to describe it.
5-23
5-24 Preferences
Select Unit Set - Delete Unit Set

Button
Deletes the selected Unit Set. The default internal Unit Sets cannot
be deleted and this button will be inactive when these are selected.
Select Units - Table

Table
Shows a list of the unit types used in Flaresim with the current unit
defined for the selected Unit Set and the current format specifier. To
update the unit or format used for a particular unit type e.g.
Temperature, move to the appropriate row and then select the
required unit in the Unit Selector and update the format specifier in
the Format text box.
Select Units - Unit Selector

Dropdown List
Allows selection of the unit to be used for the currently selected unit
type. As the selection is changed the conversion factors for the unit
are displayed in the Unit Definition fields at the bottom of the view.
Select Units - Add Unit

Button
Allows new units to be defined for a particular unit type. Clicking
the button activates the Unit Definition fields and the Accept button.
Select Units - Delete Unit

Button
Allows units to be deleted. Clicking the button will delete the
currently selected unit. A confirmation dialog will be displayed to
confirm the action.
Select Units - Format

Format specifier
Allows the output format of the selected unit type to be specified.
Format specifiers should be of the form :-
###0.000
where the # symbol denotes the space allowed for leading digits and
the 0.000 section denotes the number of decimal places that will be
used for output.
5-24
General Setup 5-25
Unit Definition - Name

Text entry
Allows the name of the new unit to be entered. Duplicate unit names
are not allowed.
Unit Definition - Multiplier

Numeric entry
Defines the multiplication constant required to convert the new unit
to the internal default unit which is displayed.
Unit Definition - Offset

Numeric entry
Defines the offset to be added to convert the new unit to the internal
default unit which is displayed. Note the offset is added after
multiplication.
Unit Definition - Accept

Button
Accepts the new unit definition and makes the new unit the selected
unit for the current unit type.
5-25
5-26 Preferences
5.4.2 Files Tab

The Files tab of the Preferences view allows the location of the
units and components files to be specified.
Figure 5-13, Files Tab
Support Files - Units

File name entry
Defines the name of the unit conversion factors file, normally
Units.xml. If no folder path is specified Flaresim will expect to find
this in the SharedProgramData folder. The Browse button allows
the file to be located using a standard File Dialog.
Support Files - Component Library

File name entry
Defines the name of the component library file, normally
Librarycomponents.xml. If no folder path is specified Flaresim will
expect to find this in the SharedProgramData folder. The Browse
button allows the file to be located using a standard File Dialog.
This allows the user to create dedicated component files to be

created and used for specialised applications.
5-26
General Setup 5-27
Support Files - Report Layout File

File name entry
Defines the name of the stylesheet file (XSL file) that will be used
to layout printed reports. By default this will be Flaresim.xsl. If no
folder path is specified Flaresim will expect to find this in the
SharedProgramData folder. Clients are able to create customised
report stylesheets using standard XSL language to change the layout
of Flaresim reports.
Support Files - Graphic Report Layout

File name entry
Defines the name of the graphic report layout file to be used by
default. Standard graphic report layout files are defined for different
paper sizes and for systems with one or more stacks and one or more
tips. If no folder path is specified Flaresim will expect to find the file
in the SharedProgramData folder.
The default layout file selected here can be respecified for individual
receptor grids on the Graphic Report tab of the Receptor Grid view.
The contents of the .lay files describe the location and formatting of
isopleth charts and accompanying data items and descriptive text
using XML syntax. The XML elements recognised in these files is
described in Appendix A of this manual.
Show Setup Wizard

Check box
When selected, Flaresim will display the Setup Wizard whenever
Flaresim is opened without specifying a file to load or when a new
Flaresim case is created. The Setup Wizard provides a step by step
guide to creating a basic Flaresim model. Use of the Setup Wizard
is described in section 5.3.
5.4.3 Plots Tab

The Plots tab of the Preferences view is used to customise the
appearance of the isopleth plots in the Receptor Grid view and the
plots in the Graphical Reports.
5-27
5-28 Preferences
Figure 5-14, Plots Tab
Plot Options - Display Grid

Checkbox
When selected plots will show a background grid.
Plot Options - Display Flare

Checkbox
When selected isopleth plots will show a line representing the shape
of the flames from any active flare tips.
Plot Options - Display Shield

Checkbox
When selected isopleth plots will show lines representing the
intersection of active shield sections with the plane of the isopleth.
Plot Options - Number of lines

Integer value 1 to 9
This value determines the number of grid lines that will be displayed
for each axis of the isopleth plots.
5-28
General Setup 5-29
Plot Options - Flame Thickness

This values defines the width in pixels of the line that will be drawn
to represent the flame shape.
Plot Options - Stack Thickness

to represent each active stack on the isopleth plots.
Plot Options - Tip Thickness

to represent the each active tip on the isopleth plots.
Plot Options - Shield Thickness

to represent the shield sections on the isopleth plots.
Plot Options - Number of Columns in Legend

This values defines the number of columns that will be used to
output the legend that shows the values represented by each line on
the isopleth plot.
Plot Options - Background Colour

Colour Dialog
This shows the colour that will be used for the background of the
isopleth plots. The colour may be selected by clicking the button
next to the entry to display a standard windows colour dialog.
5-29
5-30 Preferences
Figure 5-15, Colour Dialog
Plot Options - Flare Flame Colour

Colour Dialog
This shows the colour that will be used to draw the line representing
the flame shape on the isopleth plots. The colour may be selected by
clicking the button next to the entry to display a standard
windows colour dialog.
Plot Options - Flare Stack Colour

Colour Dialog
the flare stacks on the isopleth plots. The colour may be selected by
Plot Options - Flare Tip Colour

Colour Dialog
the flame shape on the isopleth plots. The colour may be selected by
Plot Options - Shield Colour

Colour Dialog
the shield sections on the isopleth plots. The colour may be selected
5-30
General Setup 5-31
by clicking the button next to the entry to display a standard

Text Options - Select Text Item

Radiobuttons
These radio buttons define the different text elements that can
appear on an isopleth plot. The display properties of each different
text element can be set by selecting it and then using the fields below
to modify the properties.
Not all of the defined properties may be supported for all of the text
elements. Where a property cannot be set it will be grayed out while
that text element is selected.
Text Options - Display Item

Checkbox
This controls whether the selected text element will be displayed.
Text Options - Spacing

This determines the spacing between the selected text element and
the item it describes e.g the spacing between the X-Axis of the
isopleth plot and the X-Axis of the graph. The value is expressed as
a percentage of the dimensions of the isopleth plot.
Text Options - Edit Font Button

Command button
Selecting this opens a standard windows font dialog to allow the
family, size and style of the font to be set for the selected text item.
5-31
5-32 Preferences
Figure 5-16, Font Dialog
Text Options - Sample

Read only
This field displays a sample of how the selected text item will appear
with the current settings.
5-32
General Setup 5-33
5.5 Component Management View

The Component Management view (see Figure 5-17) is used to
maintain and update the library of component data that may be used
to allow fluid properties to be calculated from their component
composition. The Component Management view is opened by
selecting the View - Component Management menu option or by
selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the View
button.
Figure 5-17, Component Management View
New components can be added to the component library by clicking

the Add New Component button. This displays a pop-up window
(see Figure 5-18) to allow the entry of the new component’s name.
When this has been entered click the OK button and the component
will be added to the list in the Component Manager view and its
properties will be displayed ready for entry.
5-33
5-34 Component Management View
Figure 5-18, Component Name Popup
Mole Weight
Range: 2 to 1000
The molecular weight of the component.
LHV
Range: 0 to 200MJ/kg
The net, or lower heating value of the component. It is a common
error in the design of flare systems to use the gross heating value.
For most hydrocarbon components this value will be of the order of

46 MJ/kg
Cp / Cv
Range: 1.01 to 5.0
The ratio of the specific heat capacities of the component. If the
value is unknown we would recommend using a value of 1.2.
Saturation
Range: 0 to 100%
The percentage saturation of the component.
LEL
Range: 0.0 to 100.0%
The lower flammability limit of the component as a volume
percentage.
Critical Temperature
Range: 10 to 10,000 K
The critical temperature of the component.
5-34
General Setup 5-35
Critical Pressure
Range: 0.01 to 1,000 bara
The critical pressure of the component.
Once the component property data has been defined click the
Accept Component Data button to complete definition of the new
component. If for any reason you wish to abandon creation of a new
component at the property data entry stage then click the Cancel
Component Entry button.
Components that have been added by the user may be updated by

selecting it in the list and clicking the Edit Component Data button.
This option is not available for components from the Flaresim
database.
To remove a component from the library, select it in the list and click
the Remove Selected Component button.
5-35
5-36 Component Management View
5-36
Fluids 6-1
6 Fluids
Page
6.1 Fluid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
6.1.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.1.2 Properties Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.1.3 Composition Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6.2 Assist Fluid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6-1
6-2
6-2
Fluids 6-3
The Fluid object defines the properties of the fluids to be flared

through a flare tip. The fluid properties may either be entered
directly or calculated from a defined composition. A single set of
fluid properties can be assigned to one or more flare tips.
Fluid objects may be created using the Add-Fluid menu option or

by selecting the Fluid branch in the Case Summary view and
clicking the Add button.
An existing Fluid object may be viewed by selecting it from the

View - Fluid menu option, by double clicking it in the Case
Summary view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and
clicking the View button.
Fluid objects will be included in the calculations when they are

assigned to a flare tip through the Tip view. A Fluid may be
assigned to more than one flare tip. Unassigned fluids take no part in
the calculations.
A Fluid object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete button on

its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking
the Delete button on this view.
The Assist Fluid object both identifies the additional fluids that may
be fed to a flare tip to improve combustion and also defines the
information needed to calculate the flow of the assist fluid required.
Like Fluid objects, Assist Fluids are included in the calculations
only when assigned to a flare tip.
Assist Fluid objects may be created using the Add-Assist Fluid

menu option or by selecting the Assist Fluid branch in the Case
Summary view and clicking the Add button.
An existing Assist Fluid object may be viewed by selecting it from

the View - Assist Fluid menu option, by double clicking it in the
Case Summary view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view
and clicking the View button. Assist Fluid objects may be deleted
either through the Case Summary view or by using the Delete
button on the Assist Fluid view.
6-3
6-4 Fluid View
6.1 Fluid View

The following figure shows the Fluid view for entering and
updating fluid data.
Figure 6-1, Fluid View
6.1.1 Common Fields

Name
Text
Enter text to identify this Fluid object.
Status Text
Status message
The message displayed in this field and its colour indicates whether
the data for this fluid object is complete and ready for calculation.
6.1.2 Properties Tab

The Properties tab of the Fluid view, see Figure 6-1, has the
following data entry fields. Note that all of these fields except the
temperature will be calculated from the fluid composition if this is
entered.
6-4
Fluids 6-5
Temperature
Range: 10 to 1000K
The temperature of the fluid at the tip exit. Note that this is the
temperature of the fluid at the defined reference pressure.
If either a Steam or Air assisted flare tip is being used this

temperature is the fluid temperature before mixing with the steam or
air flow.
Ref. Pressure
Range: 100 to 2000000 Pa
The reference pressure at which the fluid temperature is defined.
The fluid temperature will be corrected from this pressure to other

pressures assuming adiabatic compression/expansion if the
adiabatic temperature correction calculation option is set.
Mole Weight
Range: 2 to 1000
The molecular weight of the fluid being flared.
LHV
Range: 0 to 200MJ/kg
The net or lower heating value of the fluid. It is a common error in
the design of flare systems to use the gross heating value of the fluid.
We are interested in the net heat released by the flame.
For most hydrocarbon fluids without inerts this value will be of the
order of 46 MJ/kg.
Cp / Cv
Range: 1.0 to 5.0
This field defines the ratio of the specific heat capacities of the fluid.
It is only required and used when the fluid is a vapour.
If the value is unknown we would recommend using a value of 1.2.
Saturation
Range: 0 to 100%
The percentage of saturated hydrocarbon molecules in the fluid on a
mole basis. This is used by the Flaresim method for estimation of the
6-5
6-6 Fluid View
fraction of heat radiated by a flame (emissivity). It is not used by any

of the other methods in which case any value may be entered.
For inert or non-hydrocarbon fluids and components assume 100%

saturation since this leads to combustion with a flame of lower
luminosity.
LEL
Range: 0.0 to 100.0%
The lower flammability limit of the fluid as a volume percentage.
This property is used by the Brzustowski method for calculation of

flame shape. It is not used by any of the other methods, in which case
any value may be entered.
Critical Temperature
Range: 10 to 1000K
The critical temperature of the fluid. It is used in the calculation of
the compressibility factor which in turn is used in the calculation of
the fluid density. If a value is not supplied, the fluid’s critical
temperature will be estimated using an internal correlation based on
mole weight.
Critical Pressure
Range: 0.01 to 1000 bara
The critical pressure of the fluid. It is used in the calculation of the
compressibility factor which in turn is used in the calculation of the
fluid density. If a value is not supplied, the fluid’s critical pressure
will be estimated using an internal correlation based on mole weight.
6-6
Fluids 6-7
6.1.3 Composition Tab

Figure 6-2, Composition Tab
Table - Component Name

Selected components
Shows the list of components selected for use in the model.
Components are added to the list by clicking the Add Component

button to open the Component List view; see Figure 6-3. Highlight
one or more components in the list that you wish to add and click the
OK button. The required components will be added to the
component list and the Component List view will close.
Components are removed from the list by clicking the Remove

Component button to open the Component List view; see Figure
6-3. Then select one or more components that you wish to remove
and click the OK button. The selected components will be removed
from the current component list and the Component List view will
close.
6-7
6-8 Fluid View
Figure 6-3, Component List view
Table - Composition Values

Range: 0 to 1.0
Specifies the fraction of each component in fluid on either a mole or
a mass basis as determined by the radio button selection to the right
of the table.
Composition Basis
Radio Button: Mass/Mole
This radio button selects the basis for the composition data. Note
that changing it does not convert any existing component fraction
data to the new basis.
As component fractions are updated, the running total of the

fractions is updated. A composition can be completed by clicking
either the Normalise button to set remaining fractions to 0.0 and
normalise current totals to add to 1.0 or by clicking the Calculate
Last Fraction button to set a single unspecified component fraction
to the value required to make the overall fraction equal to 1.0.
6-8
Fluids 6-9
6.2 Assist Fluid View

The following figure shows the Assist Fluid view for entering and
updating assist fluid data.
Figure 6-4, Assist Fluid View
Name
Text
Enter a name to identify this assist fluid.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this Assist Fluid object is complete and ready for
calculation.
Type
Dropdown list: Air / Steam/Water
Selects the type of assist fluid to be used. Steam/Water indicates that
Steam will be used with vapour flares and Water with liquid flares.
Apply Correction To Fraction Heat Radiated

Checkbox
If selected, Flaresim will calculate a correction to the fraction of heat
radiated by the flame resulting from the assist fluid.
6-9
6-10 Assist Fluid View
Apply Flame Length Correction

Checkbox
If selected, Flaresim will calculate a correction to the flame length
resulting from the assist fluid.
Smokeless Operation
Checkbox
If selected Flaresim will calculate the flow of assist fluid required for
smokeless operation of the flare tip. When cleared, Flaresim will use
the defined flow or flow ratio defined on the Tip object to calculate
the flow rate of the assist fluid. Checking this option displays
additional fields as shown in Figure 6-5.
Figure 6-5, Assist Fluid View for Smokeless Operation
Smokeless Method
Dropdown list: Flaresim/API/UserRatio
Selects the method to be used by Flaresim to calculate the flow of
assist fluid required for smokeless operation. The Flaresim method
is a propriatory correlation supplied by National Air Oil. The API
method is the method described in API RP521. The UserRatio
allows the user to specify the flow ratio of assist fluid required for
smokeless operation.
The validity of these options varies with the type of assist fluid
selected.
Air The allowed methods are Flaresim and UserRatio. If
the API method is selected an error message will
displayed when the model is calculated.
Steam/Water Any of the allowed methods may be used.
6-10
Fluids 6-11
Smokeless Flow Ratio

Range: 0.001 to 10.0 but see description
Specifies the ratio of the mass flow of the assist fluid to the mass
flow of the fluid being flared. This field is displayed when the
UserRatio smokeless method is selected.
When Air is the assist fluid, high ratios of 5.0 or more may be used.
When Steam/Water is the assist fluid the mass ratio should not
exceed 0.5 since this would lead to flame instability and a potential
flameout.
6-11
6-12 Assist Fluid View
6-12
Environment 7-1
7 Environment
Page
7.1 Environment View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
7.1.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7.1.2 Overall Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
7.1.3 Wind Rose Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
7-1
7-2
7-2
Environment 7-3
The Environment object allows the definition of the data needed to

model flares in different environmental conditions. The data allows
characterisation of different geographical locations ranging from
desert conditions to Arctic conditions or characterisation of different
weather conditions at a single location.
An individual Flaresim run is always carried out for a single set of

environmental data. A Flaresim model file can contain multiple
Environment objects to allow rapid recalculation of the model with
a different set of environmental data.
Environment objects may be created using the Add-Environment

menu option or by selecting the Environment branch in the Case
Summary view and clicking the Add button.
An existing Environment object may be viewed by selecting it from

the View - Environment menu option, by double clicking it in the
Case Summary view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view
and clicking the View button.
The Environment object to be used for calculations is set by

selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the Activate
button. Since only one set of environmental data can be active at a
time, all other Environment objects will be set to Ignored. An
Environment object can also be Ignored by selecting the check box
on its view.
An Environment object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete

button on its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and
clicking the Delete button on this view.
7-3
7-4 Environment View
7.1 Environment View

The figure below shows the Environment view for defining and
updating environmental data.
Figure 7-1, Environment view
7.1.1 Common Fields

Name
Text
A descriptive name to identify this Environment object.
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to select this Environment object for calculations or set it to
ignore this Environment object. Only one Environment can be active
for calculations so clearing the ignored check box on an
Environment object will automatically check it on all the other
Environments in the mode.
7-4
Environment 7-5
7.1.2 Overall Tab

The data items in the Overall tab of the Environment view are shown
in Figure 7-1 above.
Wind - Speed
Range: 0 to 100 m/s
A constant wind speed is assumed. In theory the windspeed varies
with elevation. However in order to simplify the calculation of the
flame profile this variation is ignored. This is justifiable due to the
accuracy limitations inherent in the flame shape calculations.
The following table gives standard wind speed conversions.
Beaufort
knots mph ft/s m/s
Scale
0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0
2 2.3 3.3 1.0 1
4 4.6 6.6 2.0 2
8 9.2 13.5 4.1 3
12 13.8 20.3 6.2 4
18 20.7 30.5 9.3 5
24 27.6 40.7 12.4 6
28 32.2 47.2 14.4 7
34 39.1 57.4 17.5 8
40 46.0 67.6 20.6 9
Wind - Direction
Range: 0 to 360 ° from North
The direction from which the wind blows. Generally the worst or
most prevalent wind direction can be determined by examination of
the wind rose for the site in question.
7-5
Atmosphere - Temperature
Range: 10 to 500K
The ambient temperature of the atmosphere is used in the calculation
of the equilibrium surface temperatures of metallic surfaces exposed
to the flare’s thermal radiation.
Atmosphere - Humidity
Range: 4 to 100%
The relative humidity defines the water content of the atmosphere in
terms of the partial pressure of water vapour in the air relative to the
vapour pressure of water at the same temperature. Standard charts
are available relating the wet and dry bulb temperature
measurements to the relative humidity, an example of which can be
found in “The Chemical Engineers Handbook”. The humidity value
is used in calculation of Transmissivity as described below.
Atmosphere - Pressure
Range: 0.01 to 10.0 bara
The atmospheric pressure is used to calculate the exit density of the
flared gas and hence its exit velocity.
Background - Radiation
Range: 0 to 100,000 W/m2
The incident solar radiation for the site. Typical values for different
geographical locations are given in the following table.
Solar Radiation
Location
(W/m2)
North Sea 475-630
Middle East 945
UK Land 630-790
Normal design practise uses a value of 0 W/m2 for the solar

radiation. This leads to a less conservative design, but is considered
by many to be a more realistic analysis.
7-6
Environment 7-7
Background - Noise
Range: 0 to 150 dB
The background noise is used as a reference noise level to which the
noise from the flare system is added.
The following table gives typical noise levels for everyday
situations.
Intensity (dB) Situation
0 Threshold of hearing
10 Virtual silence
20 Quiet room
30 Watch ticking at 1m
40 Quiet street
50 Quiet conversation
60 Quiet motor at 1m
70 Loud conversation
80 Door slamming
90 Busy typing room
100 Near loud motor horn
110 Pneumatic drill
120 Near aeroplane engine
130 Threshold of pain
Transmissivity - Method
Options: User/Calculated/CalcNoLimits
The value for the atmospheric transmissivity may be either specified
by the user or calculated. The calculation method used is described
in section 14.1.5 and estimates transmissivity as a function of the
relative humidity at the site and the distance of the receptor from the
flame. The correlation is strictly valid for distances between 30-164
m (100-500 ft) and for relative humidities greater than 10%. Outside
of these ranges the correlation may still give acceptable results.
7-7
If User is selected the value for the atmospheric transmissivity must

be entered.
If Calculated is selected the value for the relative humidity at the site
must be entered. The transmissivity will be calculated, enforcing the
distance limits of the correlation i.e. distances less that 30m will be
set to 30m (100ft) and distances greater than 164m (500 ft). The
minimum and maximum values of transmissivity used during the
calculations will be displayed.
If CalcNoLimits is selected the value for the relative humidity at the

site must be entered. The calculation will be done without enforcing
the distance limits of the correlation. The minumum and maximum
values of transmissivity used during the calculations will be
displayed after calculations are complete.
Note a single value of calculated transmissivity cannot be displayed

since in a typical Flaresim run multiple distances between individual
flame elements and multiple receptor points will be considered.
Tracking of each transmissivity value used would be of limited use
so the compromise is to show the minimum and maximum value
calculated.
Calculated atmospheric transmissivities should not be selected if

you are modelling hydrogen or hydrogen sulphide flares which burn
with little or no luminous radiation.
Transmissivity - Value
Range: 0.1 to 1.0
Atmospheric transmissivity defines the degree of attenuation of the
thermal radiation due to atmospheric conditions. It is expressed as
the fraction of the radiation which is received at the receptor point.
It must be specified if the Transmissivity Method is set to User.
A value of 1.0 should normally be taken unless exceptional

circumstances are deemed applicable. If the location is protected by
a water curtain or sprays we would recommend a value of 0.3 to
model the reduced transmissivity.
7-8
Environment 7-9
Transmissivity - Min Value

Calculated Result
The minimum value of transmissivity calculated when the
Transmissivity Method is set to Calculated or CalcNoLimits.
Transmissivity - Max Value

Calculated Result
The maximum value of transmissivity calculated when the
Transmissivity method is set to Calculated or CalcNoLimits.
7.1.3 Wind Rose Tab

The Wind Rose tab of the environment view allows a range of wind
speeds from different directions to be modelled and the results
plotted on a single graph for a each receptor point.
There are two methods of setting up the matrix of wind speeds

against direction. It is also possible to perform sizing calculations
based on the Wind Rose data to do the sizing for all of the defined
wind speeds and directions. The selection of these options is
controlled by the checkboxes in the Wind Rose Calculation Mode
section of the Wind Rose tab.
Run calculations on all wind directions for specified speeds

Checkbox
Selecting this option activates Wind Rose calculations for all wind
directions for the specified range of wind speeds. The view will
change to display a table to enter the wind speeds to be used as
shown below.
7-9
Figure 7-2, Wind Rose Tab, Range of speeds for all directions
When this option is selected, multiple lines, one for each wind speed
will appear on the Wind Rose plots for each Receptor point.
Selecting this checkbox automatically clears the checkbox labeled
“Run each wind direction with a specific speed”.
Wind Speed Table

Range 0 to 100 m/s
Define the wind speeds for which wind rose calculations are
required. At least one value must be defined.
Run each wind direction with a specific speed

Checkbox
When this option is selected Wind Rose calculations will be
activated for a specific wind speed for each wind direction. The view
will change to allow the matrix of wind speeds to be defined as
shown below.
When this option is selected, a single line will appear on the Wind
Rose plots for each Receptor point. Selecting this checkbox
7-10
Environment 7-11
automatically clears the checkbox labeled “Run calculations on all

wind directions for specified wind speeds”
Figure 7-3, Wind Rose Tab, Specified speed for each direction
Wind Speed Table

Range 0 to 100 m/s
Define the wind speed for each wind rose direction. A value must be
defined for each direction to complete the data input.
Use wind rose data for stack sizing

Checkbox
Selecting this option will use the selected wind rose data and method
during sizing calculations. Instead of the stack being sized solely to
meet the wind speed and direction defined on the Overall tab of the
Environment view, multiple sizing calculations will be done for
each of the wind rose data points defined. Note that this will slow
significantly the calculations.
7-11
7-12
Stacks 8-1
8 Stacks
Page
8.1 Stack View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
8-1
8-2
8-2
Stacks 8-3
The Stack object allows definition of data to describe each flare

Stack. A flare Stack or boom acts as the support for one or more flare
tips and its length and orientation is a critical part of the design of a
safe flare system. Flaresim offers a sizing calculation option where
the length of a single flare stack can be calculated to meet a defined
thermal radiation limit at a point in the site.
A Flaresim model may contain multiple Stack objects allowing the

modelling of sites containing multiple flares.
Stack objects may be created using the Add-Stack menu option or

by selecting the Stack branch in the Case Summary view and
An existing Stack object may be viewed by selecting it from the

View - Stack menu option; by double clicking it in the Case
All defined Stack objects will be included in the calculations unless

they have been set to Ignored. A Stack may be set to ignored by
selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the Ignore
button. An Ignored Stack object can be restored to the calculations
by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the Activate
button. Alternatively a Stack object can be ignored and restored by
setting or clearing the Ignored check box on its view.
An Stack object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete button

on its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and
8-3
8-4 Stack View
8.1 Stack View

The following figure show the Stack view for entering and updating
stack data.
Figure 8-1, Stack View
Name
Text
Enter text to identify this stack object.
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to include this stack in the calculations or set to ignore this
stack when calculating. The effect of this will be to ignore all of the
tips that are located on this stack.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this stack object is complete and ready for calculation.
8-4
Stacks 8-5
Location - Relative To
Drop down list of existing locations
Allows the location of the stack base to be defined relative to another
object in the model, for example another stack. If left blank the
location is relative to the base point of the model at 0,0,0.
The following fields then define the location of the stack base
relative to this location in either cartesian or polar coordinates.
Location - Northing
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the base of the stack North of the selected reference
location. Updates made to this value will automatically update the
polar coordinate values.
Location - Easting
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the base of the stack East of the selected reference
Location - Elevation
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the base of the stack above or below the selected
reference location. Updates made to this value will automatically
update the polar coordinate values.
Location - Radius
Range: 0 to 100,000m
The distance to the base of the stack from the selected reference
cartesian coordinate values.
Location - Angle to Horizontal

Range: 0 to 90 °
The angle to the horizontal of a line from the base of the stack to the
selected reference location. Updates made to this value will
automatically update the polar coordinate values.
8-5
8-6 Stack View
Location - Angle from North

Range: -180 ° to 180 °
The angle from North of a line from the base of the stack to the
Dimensions - Length
Range: 0 to 500m
The centre line length of the stack from the base to the tip support
platform. If the stack is selected for sizing this value will be ignored.
Dimensions - Angle to Horizontal

Range: 0 to 90 °
The orientation of the stack relative to the horizontal.
Horizontal stacks (0 ° ) are usually used for liquid flares on offshore

platforms. Angled booms (30 ° , 45 ° , 60 ° ) stacks are commonly
used for gas flares on offshore platforms. Vertical stacks (90 ° ) will
be used for most onshore installations.
Dimensions - Angle from North

Range: 0 to 360 °
The orientation of the stack relative to North. Flaresim works on a
360 ° compass base thus 90 ° corresponds to a stack or boom
pointing due East, 180 ° to due South etc.
It is important to set the direction of the stack correctly relative to the

wind direction since this will have a significant impact on the
results. For most design purposes, specifying both the stack angle
from North as 0 ° and wind direction as 0 ° will give a flame blowing
back along the stack axis which will generally give the worst case
radiation values for design of the installation.
Size Me
Button
Clicking this button automatically selects this stack for a sizing
calculation. Note that only one stack can be selected for sizing at a
time. The stack that is currently being sized can be viewed on the
Sizing tab of the Calculation Options view
8-6
Tips 9-1
9 Tips
Page
9.1 Tip View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
9.1.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
9.1.2 Details Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
9.1.3 Location & Dimensions Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 13
9.1.4 Fluids Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
9.1.5 Results Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
9.1.6 Noise Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
9.1.7 Flame Shape Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
9.1.8 Purge Gas Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
9.2 Size Tip View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9-1
9-2
9-2
Tips 9-3
The Tip object allows definition of data to describe each flare tip. A
flare tip acts as the disposal point for a single fluid. Multiple flare
tips on one or more stacks may be present in a flare system to dispose
separately of fluids due to incompatible properties e.g. warm and
cold fluids, high and low pressure fluids, dry and wet fluids.
Tip objects may be created using the Add-Tip menu option or by

selecting the Tip branch in the Case Summary view and clicking
the Add button.
An existing Tip object may be viewed by selecting it from the View

- Tip menu option, by double clicking it in the Case Summary view
or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the View
button.
All defined Tip objects will be included in the calculations unless

they have been set to Ignored. A Tip may be set to ignored by
button. An Ignored Tip object can be restored to the calculations by
selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the Activate
button. Alternatively a Tip object can be ignored and restored by
setting or clearing the check box on its view.
A Tip object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete button on

its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking
the Delete button on this view.
9-3
9-4 Tip View
9.1 Tip View

The following figure shows the Tip view for entering and updating
tip data.
Figure 9-1, Tip Details View
9.1.1 Common Fields

Name
Text
Enter text to identify this Tip object.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this tip object is complete and ready for calculation.
9-4
Tips 9-5
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to include this tip in the calculations or set to ignore this tip
when calculating.
9.1.2 Details Tab

The Details tab of the Tip view, Figure 9-1, has the following data
entry fields.
Details - Tip Type

Drop down list: Pipe / Sonic / Welltest / Combined HP/LP
Selects the type of flare tip required. The nature of the fluid being
flared through the tip will generally determine the type of tip
selected.
For gases, either the pipe or sonic tip types may be selected. Pipe
flares are the simplest type of tip and may be specified for both high
and low pressure gases. If the pressure available is greater than 2 bar
(30 psi) at the tip then a sonic tip can be utilised. Sonic flare tips have
the advantage of low flame emissivities due to more efficient
combustion of the flare gas. For lower pressures a pipe flare is
generally used possibly with steam or air assistance (see 6.2).
Where a combined HP/LP tips is selected the HP tip is assumed to

be a sonic tip and the LP a sub-sonic one. The flow ratio of HP to LP
fluids should be 3 or greater.
For liquids a Welltest tip type should be selected.
Details - Number of Burners

Range: 1 to 1000 for certain sonic flares otherwise 1
The number of individual burners which make up the tip assembly.
This should be set to 1 for all tips unless the tip being used produces
distinct, separate flames for each burner e.g. the Mardair sonic flare
tip.
9-5
9-6 Tip View
Details - Seal Type

Drop down list: None / Fluidic1 / Fluidic2 / Fluidic3 / Molec.1 /
Molec.2
Defines the type of seal. The riser diameter (see Location and
Dimensions tab) and seal type are used solely for calculation of the
pressure at the base of the stack. The values calculated are to be used
for preliminary review purposes only.
There are two basic types of seal, Fluidic or Molecular:-
Figure 9-2 shows the general design concept for the fluidic seal. The
type selection is a function of the opening as defined below
Fluidic1: 50% of total area
Fluidic2: 40% of total area
Fluidic3: 35% of total area.
Figure 9-2, Fluidic Seal
Opening
Diameter
9-6
Tips 9-7
Figure 9-3 shows the general design concept for the molecular seal.
The type selection is a function of the diameter as defined below:-
Molec.1: Traditional design. Maximum diameter is 1.7 times
the tip diameter. The pressure drop correlation is
based on a design which gives a body length of 5.5m
(18ft) regardless of the tip diameter.
Molec.2: Low pressure drop design. Maximum diameter is 2
times the tip diameter. The pressure drop correlation
is based on a design which gives a body length which
is a function of the tip diameter.
Figure 9-3, Molecular Seal
Diameter
The fluidic seal has a number of advantages over the traditional

molecular seal:-
• Lower purge gas requirements and consequent operating costs.
• The seal still operates with a high efficiency even if rain water or
chunks of refractory material drop into the baffles. In fact the
water is quickly dissipated because the fluidic seal is located at a
high temperature section of the flare stack.
• Lower cost due to the simple construction and light weight. A
48" fluidic seal will typically weigh less than half the weight of a
6" molecular seal.
9-7
9-8 Tip View
Fraction Heat Radiated - Method

Dropdown list: User specified / Natural Gas / Kent / Tan / High
Efficiency / Cook / Generic Pipe
Defines the method used to calculate the fraction of the total net heat
release from the flame which is radiated. This was labeled emissivity
in Flaresim prior to version 1.1. It is also known as the F Factor.
The User specified option allows specification of the value by the

user. Otherwise it is calculated by the selected correlation as
follows:-
Natural gas: Correlation based on tip exit velocity assuming a
natural gas fluid of molecular weight 19.
Tan: Correlation based on mole weight
E = 0.048 ⋅ MW
Kent: Correlation based on mole weight
E = 0.2 ⋅ 50 ⋅ MW + 100-
-----------------------------------
900
High Efficiency:Proprietary correlation between tip type, exit
velocity, fluid molecular weight and degree of
hydrocarbon saturation. Formally known as the
Flaresim method in versions prior to 1.2.
Cook: Correlation based on exit velocity.
Generic Pipe: Correlation based on refitting Kent, Tan, Natural gas
and Cook methods across a range of exit velocities
and molecular weights.
Where flare vendor data is available it should be used in

preference to a correlation. In the absence of vendor data, the
Generic Pipe method is recommended for a conservative design. For
clean burning, smokeless flares from well designed flare tips in good
condition the High Efficiency method can be used. In practice this
means flares burning paraffinic hydrocarbons of low molecular
weight fluid (<60) at reasonable exit velocities (> 0.2 mach). For
fluids other than paraffinic hydrocarbons vendor advice should be
sought. In the absence of advice, user specified F Factors of 0.3 to
0.4 are generally reasonable.
9-8
Tips 9-9
Fraction Heat Radiated - Specified/Calculated Value

Range 0.01 to 1.0
If the Fraction Heat Radiated Method is set to User specified then
the required value for the fraction of heat radiated must be entered
here. Otherwise the calculated result for the selected calculation
method will be displayed after the model has been run.
Typical values for different types of flare tip are given in the
following table.
Tip Type Fraction Heat Radiated
Pipeflare 0.25 to 0.4
Single Burner Sonic 0.10
Multiple Burner Sonic 0.05 to 0.1
Unsaturated hydrocarbons burn with higher quantities of

luminescent carbon particles leading to values typically 10-20%
greater than for saturated hydrocarbons.
Fraction Heat Radiated - Max Value

Range 0.01 to 1.0
Defines the maximum value of the heat radiation fraction to be used
for a combined flame and overrides any higher value calculated by
a correlation. This field is only visible when the flare tip is a
Combined HP/LP type.
Flame Length Method

Dropdown list: API/FLARESIM/Brzustowski/User Specified
This field selects the method to be used for calculating the length of
the flame. This field is only activated when the “Expert Options”
checkbox is enabled in the Calculation Options view. Otherwise
the flame length method will be automatically selected when the
Calculation Method is selected in the Calculation Options view.
The allowed options are:-

API Flame length is calculated from heat released
according to equation presented in API 521.
9-9
9-10 Tip View
FLARESIM Flame length is calculated from heat released using

following equation.
I2
Q
L = I 1 ----
N
where
L is flame length in m
Q is heat release in J/s
N is number of tips
The constants I1 and I2 take the following values for
different tip types.
Tip Type I1 I2
Pipeflare 0.00331 0.4776
Single Burner Sonic 0.00241 0.4600
Multiple Burner Sonic 0.00129 0.5000
Brzustoski Flame length is calculated from flammability limits

using Brzustowski & Sommer method.
User SpecifiedUser defined constants can be supplied for use with
Flaresim equation given above.
User Multiplier
Range 0 to 2
User defined value of constant I1 for flame length equation.
User Power
Range 0 to 2
User defined value of constant I2 for flame length equation.
Combustion Noise - Method

Dropdown list: Accoustic Efficiency / Low Noise Reference /
Standard Reference / User Reference
Selects the noise calculation method to be used. The Accoustic
efficiency method is described in section 11.3. The other methods
are based on a reference spectrum of noise at a known heat release.
9-10
Tips 9-11
When the Accoustic Efficiency method is selected the following

additional fields are displayed.
Figure 9-4, Accoustic Efficiency Data
Peak Frequency
Dropdown list: 62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 Hz
This defines the sound frequency band at which the peak noise is
generated. The total sound power calculated at this frequency will be
distributed across the other sound frequency bands.
Efficiency
Range 1.0e-6 to 1.0e-2 %
The efficiency at which combustion energy is converted to sound
power.
The Low Noise Reference and Standard Reference methods use

proprietary data supplied by a flare system vendor. Selecting a User
9-11
9-12 Tip View
Reference method displays the Reference Duty and Sound Power

Table fields described below.
Figure 9-5, User Reference Spectrum
Combustion Noise - Ref. Duty

Range: 1 to 1,000 MW
Defines the reference heat release corresponding to the sound power
data defined in the Sound Power Table.
Combustion Noise - Sound Power Table

Range: 1 to 200 dB
Alows the user to define the sound power level at each frequency
corresponding to the heat release specified in the Reference Duty
field.
9-12
Tips 9-13
9.1.3 Location & Dimensions Tab

Figure 9-6, Location & Dimensions Tab
Tip is located on stack

Dropdown list: Defined stack names
Defines which stack the tip is located on. The dropdown list shows
the currently defined stacks.
Dimensions - Length
Range: 0 to 200m
The physical length of the burner tip. The value is used in calculating
the true gas exit point for the case of a vertical flare tip on an inclined
boom.
Dimensions - Angle to Horizontal

Range: 0 to 90°
The orientation of the tip relative to the horizontal.
Vertical installation of flare tips prevents burnback on the tip and
consequent reduction in tip life. The use of inclined tips on inclined
9-13
9-14 Tip View
booms does have the advantage of directing both the flame and any
liquid carryover away from the main platform structure.
Dimensions - Angle from North

Range: 0 to 360°
The orientation of the tip relative to the North.
It is not unusual in offshore flares for the tip to be oriented along a

different axis to the boom.
Dimensions - Diameter
Range: 0.001 to 10m
The internal diameter of the burner assembly.
For sonic flares the equivalent diameter is calculated for resolution

of the fluid jet vectors when calculating the flame shape.
Dimensions - Effective Area

Range: 0.0001 to 100%
The actual percentage of the area calculated from the tip diameter
which is available for flow of the gas or liquid.
A value of 100% is generally used for pipe flares. For sonic flares
the value should be adjusted to ensure that the exit velocity is just
sonic at the design flare rate. For liquid burners the value should be
adjusted to calculate the correct exit velocity.
Dimensions - Riser Diameter

Range: 0.001 to 10m
The internal diameter of the pipe from the base of the stack to the tip.
Dimensions - Contraction Coefficient

Range: 0.01 to 1.0
The ratio of the diameter of the vena contractor to the diameter of the
discharge orifice (tip). If not specified this will be calculated and the
result displayed on the Results tab.
Dimensions - Exit Loss Coefficient

Range: 1 to 1000
The number of velocity heads which defines the exit loss for the tip.
For a sonic tip the value should always be 1.0. Note that if the exit
9-14
Tips 9-15
loss coefficient is specified the outlet pressure field cannot also be

specified.
Dimensions - Roughness
Range: 0 to 0.001m
The roughness of the riser to this tip to be used in calculating the
riser pressure drop.
Dimensions - Outlet Pressure

Range: 10 to 10,000kPa
The static pressure at the outlet of the tip, i.e at the point where the
fluid emerges from the tip. Normally this will be calculated and
displayed on the results tab. If specified the exit loss coefficient must
be left unspecified and will be calculated.
The tip exit pressure is used to calculate the properties of the gas at
the exit and hence the velocity of the fluid.
Dimensions - Calc Sonic Opening

Checkbox
Selection of the Calc Sonic Opening checkbox causes will result in
the burner opening of a sonic tip being adjusted until the tip exit
velocity is just sonic.
Size Me
Button
The Size Me button opens a pop up window to allow the diameter of
the tip to be sized for a specific exit velocity, optionally using
standard pipe sizes. See section 9.2 for details.
9-15
9-16 Tip View
9.1.4 Fluids Tab

Figure 9-7, Fluids Tab
Fluid - Name
Drop Down List: Defined Fluids
Allows one of the defined fluids in your model to be assigned to the
flare tip
Fluid - Mass Flow

Range: 0 to 10,000 kg/s
The flowrate of the fluid fed to this tip.
Secondary Fluid - Name

Drop Down List: Defined Fluids
Allows one of the defined fluids in your model to be assigned to LP
flare tip of a Combined HP/LP tip.
9-16
Tips 9-17
Secondary Fluid - Mass Flow

Range: 0 to 10,000 kg/s
The flowrate of the fluid fed to the LP tip of a Combined HP/LP tip.
Assist Fluid - Name

Drop Down List: Defined Assist Fluids
Allows one of the defined assist fluids in your model to be assigned
to this flare tip.
Assist Fluid - Mass Flow

Range: 0 to 10,000 kg/s or Calculated
Defines the flow of assist fluid to the tip. When the assist fluid has
been set to Smokeless Operation then this value will be calculated.
Otherwise either this value must be specified.
Assist Fluid - Flow Ratio

Calculated Value
The calculated ratio of assist fluid to fluid being flared.
Combustion Gases - Flame Temperature

Range 0 to 5000 K
This is the estimated temperature of the flame. The value is used to
calculate the transmission of radiation through water shields.
9-17
9-18 Tip View
9.1.5 Results Tab

Figure 9-8, Results Tab
End Coordinates - Northing

Calculated Value
The distance north of the end of this tip from the origin.
End Coordinates - Easting

Calculated Value
The distance east of the end of this tip from the origin.
End Coordinates - Elevation
Calculated Value
The height of the end of this tip relative to the origin.
Exit Properties - Velocity

Calculated Value
The calculated exit velocity from this flare tip.
9-18
Tips 9-19
Exit Properties - Mach Number

Calculated Value
The calculated exit velocity from this flare tip expressed as a Mach
number.
Exit Properties - Volume Flow

Calculated Value
The volume flow rate of the fluid leaving the tip at the tip conditions.
Heat Release - Heat Release

Calculated Value
The total heat released by the flame from this flare tip.
Heat Release - Flame Length

Calculated Value
The flame length calculated for the tip and used to determine the
flame’s position for the radiation calculations. For a Pipe flare this
will be the same as the API Flame Length. For Sonic flares the flame
length will normally be significantly less than the API value.
Heat Release - API Flame Length

Calculated Value
The length of the flame calculated using the method outlined in API
RP521. The method assumes a pipe flare.
Pressure Profile - Table

Calculated Values
The pressure profile results table shows the calculated static and
total pressures from the tip exit through to the base of the stack. The
table also includes the pressure drop across the tip, seal and stack.
Pressure Profile - Tip Flow Type

Calculated Value
Indicates whether the velocity calculated at the flare tip is critical (or
sonic) or sub-critical (sub-sonic). Since the calculation performed in
the pressure drop algorithm is marginally different to the exit
properties calculation this may indicate critical velocity when the
Mach Number is slightly less than 1.0.
9-19
9-20 Tip View
Pressure Profile - Contraction Coefficient

Calculated Value
The calculated contraction coefficient.
9.1.6 Noise Tab

Figure 9-9, Noise Tab
Reference Data - SPL

Calculated Value
The sound pressure level calculated summing the individual
contributions at the different frequencies.
Reference Data - Ref Distance

Calculated Value
Displays the reference distance at which the sound pressure level is
calculated. It is a fixed value and cannot be changed.
9-20
Tips 9-21
Display
Dropdown list: Table / Plot
Selects whether the noise spectrum results are displayed as a table or
as a graph.
Noise Spectrum
Calculated Values
This table or graph shows the noise generated as a function of the
sound frequency. The results show the contribution from
combustion noise and jet noise as well as the total noise at each
defined frequency.
The graph option can be customised using the pop-up menu

displayed by clicking the Right mouse button. The plot option
customisation options are described in a dedicated help file.
Export
Button
Allows the noise spectrum data to be saved. If the noise spectrum is
currently displayed as a table, a standard file dialog box will be
displayed to allow the data to be saved as a CSV file. If the data is
displayed as a plot it may be saved as a graphics file. A standard file
dialog box will appear to allow the name and file type to be entered.
The allowed file types are JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF or EMF.
9-21
9-22 Tip View
9.1.7 Flame Shape Tab

Figure 9-10, Flame Shape Tab
Display
Dropdown list: Table / 3D Plot / 2D Plot - North vs. East / 2D Plot
- North vs. Elevation / 2D Plot - East vs. Elevation
Allows selection of the display method for the flame shape results.
The flame shape is calculated using the calculation method and

number of elements specified by the user in the Calculation
Options view.
The various plot options can be customised using the pop-up menu
displayed by clicking the Right mouse button. The plot option
customisation options are described in a dedicated help file.
Export
Button
Allows the flame shape data to be saved to an external file. If the
data is displayed as a table it may be saved to a CSV file. If it is
9-22
Tips 9-23
displayed as a plot, the data may be saved to a JPG, PNG, BMP,

WMF or EMF graphics file. In either case a standard file dialog box
will appear to allow the name and file type to be entered.
9.1.8 Purge Gas Tab

Figure 9-11, Purge Gas Tab
Purge Input Data - Purge Fluid

Dropdown list of allowed purge fluids
This selects the purge fluid that is to be used. The list displays all of
the fluids defined in the case together with pure Nitrogen and pure
Methane.
Purge Input Data - Fixed Velocity

Range 0 to 10 m/s
This defines a fixed purge velocity that is to be maintained. The flow
of purge gas required to give this velocity will be calculated.
9-23
9-24 Tip View
Purge Input Data - Fixed Flow

Range 0 to 10 m3/s
This defines a fixed volumetric purge flow rate that is to be
maintained. The purge gas velocity and mass flow rate required to
meet this target will be calculated.
Purge Input Data - HUSA O2

Range 0 to 100%
This defines the percentage of oxygen that is to be used in the full
HUSA method calculation for purge gas flow see section 13.5.2. The
default value of 6% is suggested in HUSA’s papers as being
generally appropriate for hydrocarbon flare gas fluids with
molecular weights of methane and above.
Purge Input Data - HUSA Height

Range 0 to 500 m
This defines the distance from the top of the stack in the full HUSA
method calculation for purge gas flow see section 13.5.2. The
default value of 25 ft is suggested in HUSA’s papers (see section
13.6 for references) as an acceptable value that will reduce the
quantity of purge gas required without leading to an unsafe
condition. Note that this default does assume that it is acceptable to
have a potentially explosive mixture in the top 25ft of the flare stack.
Purge Results - Table

Calculated Results
This table shows the purge gas velocities and mass flows calculated
by the different purge gas methods.
Note that all calculations are based on the stack diameter not the tip
diameter using purge gas properties calculated at the temperature
and pressure defined for the currently selected environment.
Update Purge Calcs

Command Button
Clicking this button causes the purge gas calculations to be updated
for the current tip without recalculating the entire Flaresim case.
9-24
Tips 9-25
9.2 Size Tip View

The Size Tip view appears when the Size Me button on the
Location & Dimensions tab of the Tip view is selected. The Size
Tip view is modal and must be closed before you can interact with
other Flaresim views.
Figure 9-12
Mass Flow
Range 0 to 10,000 kg/s
This field defines the mass flow that the tip is to be sized for. The
value specified here will default to the value entered on the Fluids
tab of the Tip view. If changed and the Ok button is used to exit the
Size Tip view the mass flow on the Fluids tab will be updated.
Mach Number
Range 0 to 1
This field defines the Mach Number that the tip is to be sized for.
Alternatively if the Tip Diameter is specified the Mach Number will
be calculated and displayed here.
Tip Diameter
Range 0.001 to 10m
The diameter of the tip. If Mach Number is specified then the
calculated tip diameter is displayed here. Otherwise the tip diameter
can be specified to calculate the Mach Number.
Note this field will be inactive when Standard Diameters are used.
9-25
9-26 Size Tip View
Use Standard Diameters

Checkbox
Activate this checkbox to constrain the tip diameters to those
appropriate for STD pipe diameters.
Nominal Diameter
List box: Nominal pipe diameters for STD schedule pipes
This list box can be used to select the nominal diameter for the Tip
assuming that it is a STD schedule pipe. The actual diameter will
then be set by look up from the nominal diameter.
Note selection of Nominal Diameter will only reset the Tip Diameter
when the Use Standard Diameters checkbox is activated.
9-26
Receptors 10-1
10 Receptors
Page
10.1 Receptor Point View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
10.1.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
10.1.2 Point Definition Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
10.1.3 Thermal Results Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10.1.4 Noise Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
10.1.5 Wind Rose Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
10.2 Receptor Point Summary View . . . . . . . . . 16
10.3 Receptor Grid View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

10.3.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
10.3.2 Grid Details Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
10.3.3 Radiation Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
10.3.4 Noise Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
10.3.5 Temperature Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
10.3.6 Isopleth Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
10.3.7 Plot Overlay Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10.3.8 Graphic Report Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10.4 Overlay Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

10.4.1 Overlay Editor Data Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
10.4.2 Overlay Editor Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
10.4.3 Overlay Editor - Object Styles. . . . . . . . . . 37
10.4.4 Overlay Editor - Draw Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 39
10.4.5 Overlay Editor - Edit Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
10-1
Receptors 10-2
Page
10.5 Using Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
10.5.1 Simple Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
10.5.2 Import Scaled Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
10.5.3 Import Unscaled Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
10.5.4 DXF Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
10-2
10-3
10.5 Using Overlays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

10.5.1 Simple Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
10.5.2 Import Scaled Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
10.5.3 Import Unscaled Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
10.5.4 DXF Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
10-3
10-4
Receptors are the points at which Flaresim will calculate the thermal
radiation, noise and surface temperatures resulting from the
operation of one or more flare tips. Flaresim provides the ability to
define Receptor Point objects which define a single point for the
calculations and Receptor Grid objects which define a plane of
points.
Receptor Point objects may be created using the Add-Receptor

Point menu option or by selecting the Receptor Points branch in the
Case Summary view and clicking the Add button.
An existing Receptor Point object may be viewed by selecting it

from the View - Receptor Point menu option, by double clicking it
in the Case Summary view or by selecting it in the Case Summary
view and clicking the View button.
Receptor Point objects will be calculated unless they have been set
to Ignored. A Receptor Point may be set to ignored by selecting it
in the Case Summary view and clicking the Ignore button.or
restored to the calculations clicking the Activate button.
Alternatively a Receptor Point object can be ignored and restored
by setting or clearing the check box on its view.
A Receptor Point object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete

button on its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and
Receptor Grid objects may be created using the Add-Receptor

Grid menu option and viewed the through the View-Receptor Grid
menu option. A Receptor Grid can be deleted using the Delete
button on its view. Alternatively a Receptor Grid can be created,
viewed or deleted using the Case Summary view in the usual way.
Like receptor points, Receptor Grid objects will be calculated

unless they have been set to Ignored. Receptor Grid objects can be
ignored and restored though the check box on the Receptor Grid
view or through the Case Summary view.
10-4
Receptors 10-5
10.1 Receptor Point View

The following figure show the Receptor Point view for entering
and updating stack data.
Figure 10-1, Receptor Point View
10.1.1 Common Fields

Name
Text
Enter text to identify this Receptor Point object.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this Receptor Point object is complete and ready for
calculation.
10-5
10-6 Receptor Point View
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to calculate the results for this Receptor Point or set to ignore
this point when calculating.
10.1.2 Point Definition Tab

The Point Definition tab of the Receptor Point view (see Figure 10-
1) has the following data entry fields.
Location - Relative To
Drop down list of existing locations
Allows the location of the receptor point to be defined relative to
another object in the model, for example the base of a stack. If left
blank the location is relative to the base point of the model at 0,0,0.
The following fields then define the location of the stack base
relative to this location in either cartesian or polar coordinates.
Location - Northing
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the receptor point North of the selected reference
Location - Easting
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the receptor point East of the selected reference
Location - Elevation
Range: -100,000 to 100,000m
The distance of the receptor point above or below the selected
10-6
Receptors 10-7
Location - Radius
Range: 0 to 100,000m
The distance to the receptor point from the selected reference
cartesian coordinate values.
Location - Angle to Horizontal

Range: 0 to 90 °
The angle to the horizontal of a line from the receptor point to the
Location - Angle from North

Range: 0 ° to 360 °
The angle from North of a line from the receptor point to the selected
Properties - On Plane
Dropdown list: None / Northing-Easting / Northing-Elevation /
Easting-Elevation
Selects the orientation of the receptor point and is used to calculate
the angle of incidence of the thermal radiation on the receptor.
Setting the On Plane entry to None means that no correction for
angle of incidence will be applied.
This option is only active when the Expert Options check box is set
in the Calculation Options view.
Properties - Emissivity
Range: 0.0001 to 1.0
The emissivity of the point which will be used in the heat balance
calculations to determine surface temperature. The emissivity is
used to calculate the radiative heat loss from the receptor point.
A typical value for steel is 0.7.
10-7
Properties - Absorbtivity
Range: 0.0001 to 1.0
The absorbtivity of the point which will be used in the heat balance
Incident radiation
calculations to determine surface temperature. It is the fraction of the
radiation incident on the point that will be absorbed. A typical value
for steel is 0.7.
Heat Loss Properties - Area Ratio
E.g. A plate would have an
Range: 0.0001 to 10,000
arearatio of 2.0.
The ratio of the area available to allow the receptor to lose heat to
the area of the receptor exposed to the thermal radiation.
A plate with one face exposed to a flare would have an Area Ratio
of 2.0.
Properties - Mass
Range: 0 to 1,000,000 kg
The mass at the point to be used in the calculation of the rate of
surface temperature rise.
Properties - Mass Cp
Range: 0.1 to 10,000 J/kg/K
The mass specific heat capacity of the material at the point to be used
in the calculation of the rate of surface temperature rise.
Properties - Initial Temperature

Range: 10 to 1000 K
The initial temperature of the receptor point.
Sizing Constraints - Radiation

Range: 0 to 100,000 W/m2
The maximum thermal radiation to be allowed at this point when
performing sizing calculations.
The following table provides typical values for design levels of

radiation at different locations.
10-8
Receptors 10-9
Design
Radiation Conditions
W/m2
15,780 On structures and in areas where operators are not likely to

be performing duties and where shelter from radiant heat is
available e.g. behind equipment.
9,470 At design flare release at any location to which personnel

have access e.g. at grade below the flare or on a service plat-
form of a nearby tower. Exposure must be limited to a few
seconds, sufficient for escape only.
6,310 In areas where emergency actions lasting up to 1 minute

may be required by personnel without shielding but with
appropriate clothing.
4,730 In areas where emergency actions lasting several minutes

may be require by personnel without shielding but with
appropriate clothing.
1,890 At design flare release on the helideck of an offshore plat-

form. This value is suggested by the Civil Aviation Author-
ity. Above this value the possibility of distortion of the
aluminium helicoptor airframe and rotors exists.
1,390 At design flare release at any location where personnel are

continuously exposed.
Sizing Constraints - SPL

Range: 60 to 200 dB
The maximum sound pressure level to be allowed at this point when
performing sizing calculations.
Sizing Constraints - SPLA

Range: 60 to 200 dBA
The maximum A-weighted sound pressure level to be allowed at this
point when performing sizing calculations.
Sizing Constraints - Average SPL

Range: 60 to 200 dB
The maximum average sound pressure level to be allowed at this
point when performing sizing calculations.
10-9
Observed Values - Radiation

Range: 0 to 100,000 W/m2
This field allows observed values of radiation at this receptor point
to be defined so that they can be used by the F Factor fitting process.
See section 12.1.4.
10.1.3 Thermal Results Tab.

Figure 10-2, Thermal Results Tab
Thermal Results - Radiation

Calculated Value
The calculated thermal radiation received at the point from all of the
flares in operation.
Thermal Results - Final Temperature

Calculated Value
The equilibrium surface temperature reached during prolonged
flaring.
10-10
Receptors 10-11
Display
Dropdown: Table / Plot
Selects whether the calculated change in temperature of the receptor
point with time is displayed as a table or as a graph.
When displayed as a graph, the appearance of the graph may be

customised using the options from a pop-up menu that is accessed
by clicking the Right Mouse button on the plot.
Export
Button
Allows the calculated curve of time vs. point temperature to be
exported to a file. If the data is displayed as a table it may be
exported to a CSV file. If displayed as a graph it may be exported to
a JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF or EMF graphics file. In either case a
standard file dialog box will appear to allow the name and file type
to be entered.
10.1.4 Noise Results

Figure 10-3, Noise Results
10-11
SPL
Calculated Value
The total sound pressure level at the receptor point. It is calculated
by summing the sound pressure contributions at each frequency.
SPLA
Calculated Value
The A-weighted sound pressure level calculated at the receptor
point. It is calculated by summing the A-weighted sound pressure
levels at each frequency.
Average SPL
Calculated Value
The sound pressure level averaged across all the frequencies.
Display
Selects whether the sound pressure levels vs. frequency results are
displayed as a table or as a graph.
When displayed as a graph, the appearance of the graph may be

customised using the options from a pop-up menu that is accessed
by clicking the Right Mouse button on the plot.
Export
Button
Allows the calculated sound pressure vs. frequency results to be
exported to a file. If the data is displayed as a table it may be
exported to a CSV file. If displayed as a graph it may be exported to
a JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF or EMF graphics file. In either case a
standard file dialog box will appear to allow the name and file type
to be entered.
10.1.5 Wind Rose Results

The Wind Rose Results tab shown below displays the results of wind
rose calculations. Wind Rose calculations show the radiation
received at a receptor point for a range of wind directions and speeds
as defined on the Wind Rose tab of the active Environment.
10-12
Receptors 10-13
Figure 10-4, Wind Rose Results
Layout file for graphical report

Filename
This defines the name of the graphic report layout file that will be
used to generate the graphic report for this receptor point wind rose.
Layout files describe the background text, data items and graphics
formatting instructions required to define a graphics report in an
XML formatted file with the extension .LAY. A number of standard
layout files are shipped with Flaresim to provide graphic report
definitions for 1 and 2 stack systems with 1 or 2 tips on A4 and
Letter paper sizes. Appendix A describes the structure and the
elements that make up a layout file.
Select result display

Radiobutton Graphical Results / Tabular Results
This controls whether the results from the wind rose calculations are
displayed as a plot or as a table of results. The bottom section of the
view will update to show the results in the format requested.
10-13
Browse
Command Button
This opens a standard file open dialog to allow selection of the
layout file for the graphical report of the wind rose plot.
Generate Report
Command Button
This creates a new graphical report window to display the wind rose
results in a graphical report alongside selected data items for the
model. The layout of this report is controlled by the layout file
selected. The graphic report is displayed in its own window and by
default is displayed as a maximised view. The graphic report
window can be minimised, resized and closed using standard
windows methods. A sample is shown below.
Figure 10-5, Wind Rose Graphic report
Wind rose graphic reports can be printed using the File - Print
Graphic Report menu item.
10-14
Receptors 10-15
Export
Command button
This allows just the wind rose plot to be exported as a standalone
graphics file. A standard windows file save dialog will appear to
allow the name and type of the file to be defined. The plot may be
exported to a JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF or EMF graphics file.
10-15
10-16 Receptor Point Summary View
10.2 Receptor Point Summary View

The Receptor Point Summary view is shown below. It may be
opened by clicking the Receptor Point branch of the Case
Summary view and then clicking the View button.
Figure 10-6, Receptor Point Summary View
This view is provided as a summary view for the defined Receptor

Points and to allow easy review of the results across all the points.
The view is for display only and cannot be used to update values.
Export Table
Button
Clicking this button opens a File Save dialog to allow the Receptor
Points summary table to be saved as a comma separated value (CSV)
file. Files of this data type can be opened easily using Excel or other
applications.
10-16
Receptors 10-17
10.3 Receptor Grid View

The Receptor Grid view is shown below.
Figure 10-7, Receptor Grid View

Name
Text
Enter text to identify this Receptor Grid object.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this Receptor Grid object is complete and ready for
calculation.
10-17
10-18 Receptor Grid View
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to calculate the results for this Receptor Grid or set to ignore
this grid when calculating.
10.3.2 Grid Details Tab

The Grid Details tab of the Receptor Grid view (see Figure 10-7)
has the following data entry fields.
Orientation
Radio buttons: Northing-Easting / Northing - Elevation /
Easting - Elevation
This set of radio buttons selects the orientation plane of the receptor
grid. Receptor grids are set up for one of the three orthogonal planes.
In Flaresim terminology, the X-Y plane is Northing-Easting, the X-
Z plane is Northing-Elevation and the Y-Z plane is Easting-
Elevation.
Once selected the other fields are used to define the receptor grids
location and extent and the fineness or coarseness of the grid. The
names of these fields will be updated appropriately. For example
when the orientation is set to Northing-Elevation, the offset field
will be titled Easting Offset, the next group of fields will be titled
Northing and the next block Elevation.
Offset
Range: -100,000 to 100,000 m
The offset of the receptor grid plane from the model origin.
Title
Text
The name to be used for this axis of the grid.
Min
Range: -100,000 to 100,000 m
The minimum extent of the grid in the labeled direction.
10-18
Receptors 10-19
Max
Range: -100,000 to 100,000 m
The maximum extent of the grid in the labeled direction.
Number of Points
Range: 1 to 501
The number of increments that the distance between the minimum
and maximum extents will be divided into.
Receptor Properties - On Plane

Dropdown list: None / Northing-Easting / Northing-Elevation /
Easting-Elevation
The orientation of the receptor and is used to determine the
correction to be applied due to the angle of incidence of the receptor
to the flare. If it is set to None, no correction for angle of incidence
will be applied.
This option is only active when the Expert Options checkbox is set
in the Calculation Options view.
Receptor Properties - Emissivity

Range: 0.0001 to 1
The emissivity of each point in the grid which will be used in the
heat balance calculations to determine surface temperature.
Typical value for steel is 0.7
Receptor Properties - Absorbtivity

Range: 0.0001 to 1.0
The absorbtivity of each point in the grid which will be used in the
heat balance calculations to determine surface temperature. This is
defined as the fraction of thermal radiation striking a surface that
will be absorbed.
Typical value for steel is 0.7.
Receptor Properties - Area Ratio

Range: 0.0001 to 10,000
The ratio of the area of the receptor available for losing heat to the
area of the receptor exposed to the flare. For a flat plate with one face
exposed to the flare the Area Ratio would be 2.0.
10-19
Maximum Radiation - Find Maximum Radiation

Checkbox
When set this requests Flaresim to find the point of maximum
radiation within the plane defined by for this Receptor Grid. The
search is carried out using a Nelder & Mead type algorithm and the
calculated results will be displayed in the following fields.
Maximum Radiation - Radiation

Calculated Result
The maximum value of radiation found within the Receptor Grid.
Maximum Radiation - Location 1

Calculated Result
The location of the point of maximum radiation within the Receptor
Grid, Axis 1.
Maximum Radiation - Location 2

Calculated Result
The location of the point of maximum radiation within the Receptor
Grid, Axis 2.
10-20
Receptors 10-21
10.3.3 Radiation Tab

The Radiation tab of the Receptor Grid view displays a table or a
plot of the calculated thermal radiation at each point in the grid.
Figure 10-8, Radiation Tab
Display
Selects whether the thermal radiation results are displayed as a table
or as a graph.
When displayed as a graph, the appearance of the graph is controlled

by settings in the file Preferences.XML.
10-21
Export
Button
Allows the calculated thermal radiation results to be exported to a
file. If the data is displayed as a table it may be exported to a CSV
file. If displayed as a graph it may be exported to a JPG, PNG, BMP,
WMF or EMF graphics file. In either case a standard file dialog box
will appear to allow the name and file type to be entered.
Refresh
Button
Redraws the displayed radiation plot.
Zoom to - Table
Range -10000 to 10000m
These values zoom the plot size to the specified values. The current
contour values are not recalculated but are redrawn on the new
scales. The column labels of the table will change to reflect the
orientation of the grid, Northing - Easting, Northing - Elevation or
Easting - Elevation. The first row of the table will always denote the
minimum extent of the plot and the second row the maximum extent.
The plot can also be zoomed by clicking the left mouse button on the
plot and dragging to select the new area. When the zoom dimensions
are set in this way they will be rounded to the precision set in the
Round to field.
Zoom to - Apply
Button
This button redraws the plot with the dimensions reset to the current
values in the zoom table.
Zoom to - Reset
Button
This button redraws the plot with the plot dimensions reset to the
overall grid dimensions set on the Details tab.
Zoom to - Set Grid Settings to Plot Range

Button
This button resets the overall grid dimensions to the current zoom
dimensions. This change will cause the old results to be cleared
10-22
Receptors 10-23
requiring a recalculation so a confirmation dialog box is displayed

to confirm that this is required. Following use of the button the
model must be recalculated before the radiation isopleth will be
redisplayed.
Zoom to - Round to
Range 1 to 500
This field defines how the zoom dimensions are to be rounded when
the zoom is defined by clicking and dragging with the mouse.
10.3.4 Noise Tab

The Noise tab of the Receptor Grid view displays a table or a graph
of the calculated total sound pressure at each point in the grid.
Figure 10-9, Noise Tab
Display
Selects whether the sound pressure results are displayed as a table or
as a graph.
10-23

Export
Button
Allows the calculated sound pressure results to be exported to a file.
If the data is displayed as a table it may be exported to a CSV file. If
displayed as a graph it may be exported to a JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF
or EMF graphics file. In either case a standard file dialog box will
appear to allow the name and file type to be entered.
10.3.5 Temperature Tab

The Temperature tab of the Receptor Grid view displays a table
or a graph of the calculated final surface temperatures at each point
in the grid.
Figure 10-10, Temperature Tab
10-24
Receptors 10-25
Display
Selects whether the temperature results are displayed as a table or as
a graph.

Export
Button
Allows the calculated temperature results to be exported to a file. If
the data is displayed as a table it may be exported to a CSV file. If
displayed as a graph it may be exported to a JPG, PNG, BMP, WMF
or EMF graphics file. In either case a standard file dialog box will
appear to allow the name and file type to be entered.
10-25
10.3.6 Isopleth Tab

The Isopleth tab of the Receptor Grid view allows the user to
define the values and colours of the isopleths of thermal radiation,
noise and surface temperature plots on the receptor grid results..
Figure 10-11, Isopleth Tab
Isopleth - Radiation
Range: 1 to 10000 W/m2
Allows the thermal radiation limits for isopleths on the Radiation
plot to be defined. Clear the radiation value to remove an isopleth
from the list.
Isopleth - Noise
Range: 1 to 200 dB
Allows the noise limits for isopleths on the Noise plot to be defined.
Clear the noise value to remove an isopleth from the list.
10-26
Receptors 10-27
Isopleth - Temperature
Range: 10 to 10,000 K
Allows the temperature limits for isopleths on the Temperature plot
to be defined. Clear the temperature value to remove an isopleth
from the list.
Isopleth - Line Type

Popup selection
Selects the line style to be used for the selected isopleth from the
popup window shown below. This column appears for each isopleth
type: Radiation, Noise and Temperature.
Figure 10-12, Line Type Picker
Isopleth - Line Width

Range: 1 to 5
Allows the line width in pixels to be specified for the selected
isopleth. This column appears for each isopleth type: Radiation,
Noise and Temperature.
Reset Defaults
Button
This resets all of the current isopleth definitions to the current
defaults.
Save As Defaults
Button
This saves the current set of isopleth definitions to be the defaults
that will be used whenever a new Receptor Grid is created or when
the Reset Defaults button is clicked.
After the defaults have been changed the following dialog box will
appear to ask if the current set of isopleth definitions should be saved
10-27
to the preferences file. Clicking Yes in this dialog will save the
current isopleth definitions to be used as the defaults in future
Flaresim models. Clicking No will change the defaults for this
session only. Note that any other changes made to the preferences
file will also be saved.
Figure 10-13, Save Isopleth Definitions
10.3.7 Plot Overlay Tab

The Plot Overlay tab of the Receptor Grid view allows the user to
define a background graphic such as a plot plan to be displayed with
the radiation, noise or temperature isopleth plots. The background
graphic can be created by importing and updating an existing
graphics file. Alternatively a set of drawing tools is provided to
allow creation of simple plot overlays within Flaresim.
The use of the Plot Overlay Editor is described in section 10.4.
10.3.8 Graphic Report Tab

The Graphic Report tab of the Receptor Grid view allows the user
to display a graphical report of isopleth results or export the data
points for an isopleth curve. Printing of the graphic reports is
handled by the File - Print Graphic Reports menu option.
10-28
Receptors 10-29
Figure 10-14, Graphic Report Tab
Variable
Dropdown List
Selects the variable to be plotted on the graphic report - Radiation,
Noise or Temperature.
Contour Method
Dropdown List: Linear / Cubic / BSpline
Selects the method used to generate the isopleth curves from the
receptor grid data points.
The Linear option uses the least interpolation and as a result the
points generated will be in closest agreement to the data values in the
grid. However this may result in more jagged looking isopleth
curves if a coarse receptor grid is used i.e. fewer points are
calculated. The BSpline method offers the smoothest curves if a
coarse grid is used but individual points on the curves may not show
such good agreement with the original grid results. The Cubic
method offers an alternative smoothing method.
10-29
Label Isopleth Curves

Checkbox
Set this to generate single letter labels for each of the isopleth curves.
This allows individual curves to be more easily distinguished on
black and white printed output. It is not normally required for colour
output.
Layout File
Filename
This defines the name of the graphic report layout file that will be
used to generate the graphic report for this receptor grid.
Layout files describe the background text, data items and graphics
formatting instructions required to define a graphics report in an
XML formatted file with the extension .LAY. A number of standard
layout files are shipped with Flaresim to provide graphic report
definitions for 1 and 2 stack systems with 1 or 2 tips on A4 and
Letter paper sizes. Appendix A describes the structure and the
elements that make up a layout file.
The default layout file used for new receptor grid objects is defined
in the Preferences view.
Browse
Button
Clicking this button opens a standard windows file browser to allow
a layout file to be selected.
Generate Graphic Report

Button
Clicking this button generates and displays on the screen a graphic
report from the selected layout file for the selected variable. The
graphic report is displayed in its own window and by default is
displayed as a maximised view. The graphic report window can be
minimised, resized and closed using standard windows methods.
10-30
Receptors 10-31
Figure 10-15, Sample Graphic Report
Export Isopleth Points

Button
This button generates a text data file in comma separated value
(CSV) format containing a list of the isopleth data points for the
selected variable. A standard windows file dialog is displayed to ask
for the name of the file to which the data will be saved.
This option allows isopleth data to be exported for plotting or other

uses in third party programs such as Excel. The File - Print Graphic
Reports menu options provides the option to do a batch export of
isopleth data.
10-31
10-32 Overlay Editor
10.4 Overlay Editor

The Overlay Editor is contained in the Plot Overlay tab of the
Receptor Grid view.
The Overlay Editor allows an external graphic to be imported and

associated with the receptor grid. The graphic may be imported
assuming it matches the underlying receptor grid dimensions or its
dimensions may be defined to allow the section covered by the
receptor grid to be clipped from it. The editor allows additional
elements and comments to be added to the background graphic. The
plot overlay editor may also be used to create background graphics
from scratch though it should be noted that it is not intended to
provide the functionality of a full graphics package.
The Overlay Editor view is shown below.
Figure 10-16, Plot Ovelay Editor
10-32
Receptors 10-33
10.4.1 Overlay Editor Data Fields

File
File Name for Background File
This is the name of the background plot file that has been associated
with this receptor grid. The file name field cannot be updated
directly, instead it is updated automatically by the program in
response to use of the Open File and Save File buttons in the
Toolbar.
Units
Drop Down List of Length Units
This selects the dimension units used and displayed by the plot
editor. Normally this will be selected to be compatible with the units
used to define the receptor grid.
X Axis Min
Length -10000 to 10000 m
This is the minimum X coordinate of the overlay graphic.
X Axis Max
Length -10000 to 10000 m
This is the maximum X coordinate of the overlay graphic.
X
Length - Display only
This is the current X coordinate of the cursor in the editor.
Y Axis Min
Length -10000 to 10000 m
This is the minimum Y coordinate of the overlay graphic.
Y Axis Max
Length -10000 to 10000 m
This is the maximum Y coordinate of the overlay graphic.
Y
Length - Display only
This is the current Y coordinate of the cursor in the editor
10-33
Lock To Grid
Check Box
If this check box is set the dimensions of the plot overlay are
automatically set to be the same as those of the receptor grid. The X
Axis Min and Max fields and the YAxis Min and Max fields will be
automatically set to the correct values and will become read only
values. If there is an existing drawing that exceeds the dimensions of
the receptor grid it will be effectively clipped to the receptor grid
dimensions even though some objects may appear outside the
boundaries of the grid.
Show Overlay
Check Box
If this check box is set the overlay graphic currently in the overlay
editor will be displayed as the background for the isopleth plots on
the Radiation, Noise and Temperature tabs and on any graphic
reports displayed or printed.
Show Stacks
Check Box
If this check box is set the overlay graphic will draw the stacks and
tips in the overlay graphic to act as guides for other drawing actions.
Clearing the check box clears the stack and tip elements. This setting
is not saved.
10.4.2 Overlay Editor Toolbar

Figure 10-17, Overlay Editor Toolbar
The icons on this toolbar may be clicked to perform the following

functions.
Creates a new background file. The current contents of the
editor will be cleared along with the overlay file name. If the
current contents of the editor have been changed the user will
be asked if these should be saved first.
10-34
Receptors 10-35
Opens and loads a new background file. A standard windows

File Open Dialog will be displayed to allow the file to be
selected. The types of file that may be selected are FSG -
Flaresim graphics files, WMF - windows metafiles, EMF -
enhanced windows metafiles or DXF - Autocad drawing
exchange files.
Saves current background file. A standard windows File

Save Dialog will be displayed to allow the file to be selected.
The file may be saved as a FSG - Flaresim graphics file,
WMF - windows metafile, EMF - enhanced windows
metafile or DXF - Autocad drawing exchange file.
Selects Draw mode for the editor. This acts as a toggle with
the Edit mode icon. When this icon is displayed the editor is
in Edit mode and the cursor will be shown as a simple
pointer.
Selects the Edit mode for the editor. This acts as a toggle
with the Draw mode icon. When this icon is displayed the
editor is in Draw mode and the cursor will show the draw
object type currently selected as well as the pointer.
Displays a drop down list to allow selection of the object

type to add in draw mode as shown below.
Figure 10-18, Object Type Drop Down
10-35
On selecting the object type the cursor will change to show

the object type if you are in Draw Mode. Adding different
object types is covered below.
Displays a drop down list to allow selection of the style for

new objects or to change the style of an existing object. The
options in the list are shown below and their usage is covered
below.
Figure 10-19, Object Style Drop Down
Displays a drop down list to allow the rearrangement of the

relative positioning, orientation or grouping of the selected
object in Edit Mode. The options in the list are shown below
and their usage is covered below.
Figure 10-20, Object Arrange Drop Down
Zooms in on the overlay drawing i.e. displays the drawing at

a larger scale. Scroll bars will appear if required and can be
used to scroll around the drawing.
10-36
Receptors 10-37
Zooms out on the overlay drawing i.e. displays the drawing

at a smaller scale.
Displays the currently selected zoom size of the

drawing as a percentage of the full size. Drop down button
can be used to select pre-defined zoom percentages.
10.4.3 Overlay Editor - Object Styles

The Overlay Editor is object based and the colour and drawing style
of each object are set using the drop down list. This drop down
sets the object properties for new objects added in Draw Mode or
changes the properties of objects selected in Edit Mode.
The properties in the drop down list that can be set are.
Line Colour
This displays a standard windows Colour Selection Dialog as shown
below. Click the colour required and then the Ok button. The
selected colour applies to individual line objects, polyline objects
and the outside lines for rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse and
polygon objects.
Figure 10-21, Colour Selection Dialog
10-37
Line Style
This displays the following dialog to allow the line width and line
style to be selected. Enter the line width required and select the line
style from the dropdown list then click Ok. The selected style
applies to individual line objects, polyline objects and the outside
lines for rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse and polygon objects.
Figure 10-22, Line Style Selection
Fill Colour
This displays the standard windows Colour Selection Dialog as
shown above. The selected colour applies to the interior of rectangle,
rounded rectangle, ellipse and polygon objects.
Fill Style
This displays the following dialog. Select the Fill style from the drop
down list and click Ok. The selected fill style applies to the interior
of rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse and polygon objects.
Figure 10-23, Fill Style Selection
Background Colour
shown above. The selected colour applies background colour of the
plot.
Text Colour
shown above. The selected colour applies to the text objects.
10-38
Receptors 10-39
Text Font
This displays a standard windows Font Properties Dialog as shown
below. Select the font name, size and style and click Ok. Note that
the font size selected has to be scaled for use on the overlay and so
a given point size may not display with the exact height requested.
Figure 10-24, Font Properties Dialog
10.4.4 Overlay Editor - Draw Mode

The Overlay Editor has two modes of use. Draw mode is used to add
new objects to the plot overlay. Draw mode is selected by clicking
the button in the toolbar. Note if the icon is displayed the
editor is already in Draw Mode. Once the editor is in draw mode the
cursor will change to show an arrow with a representation of the
current selected object type.
The selected object type can be changed by clicking the icon

in the toolbar and then clicking the required object type in the drop
down list. Once selected a new object of the selected type can be
added to the drawing as follows. The properties of the new objects
added with use the current object style.
10-39
Add Line
Click and hold the left mouse button at the starting point of the line
then drag to the end point of the line and release the mouse button.
Add Rectangle
Click and hold the left mouse button at the first corner of the
rectangle then drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle and
release the mouse button.
Add Rounded Rectangle

rectangle then drag to the opposite corner of the rectangle and
release the mouse button.
Add Ellipse
bounding rectangle for the ellipse then drag to the opposite corner of
the bounding rectangle and release the mouse button.
Add Polyline
Click the left mouse button to define the first point. Create additional
points by clicking the left mouse button again. Create the end point
by double clicking the left mouse button.
Add Polygon
Click the left mouse button to define the first corner. Create
additional corners by clicking the left mouse button again. Close the
polygon by double clicking the left mouse button at the final corner.
Add Text
Click the left mouse button at the point where the text is to start - a
vertical blinking line will be displayed. Type the text and finish by
hitting the enter key. The currently selected text size can be
overriden by holding the left mouse button down after the initial
click and dragging downwards.
Add Image
When Image is selected as the object type from the drop down, a
File Open dialog will be displayed to allow selection of the image to
10-40
Receptors 10-41
be added. Allowed image types are FSG (Flaresim graphics), BMP,

PNG, JPG, WMF, EMF, DXF.
Once selected the image is added by clicking and holding the left
mouse button to define the first corner then dragging to the opposite
corner and releasing the mouse button. A new copy of the image file
will be inserted into the plot each time this action is repeated.
Adding an image in this way is the only mechanism for using a

bitmap file (BMP, PNG or JPG) as the background overlay.
10.4.5 Overlay Editor - Edit Mode

The Overlay Editor has two modes of use. Edit mode is used to
modify existing objects in the plot overlay. Edit mode is selected by
clicking the button in the toolbar. Note if the icon is
displayed the editor is already in Edit Mode. Once the editor is in
edit mode the cursor will change to show a simple arrow.
Edit mode can be used to move, resize, change the properties or

change the arrangement of the objects that make up a plot overlay.
Selecting Objects
A single object can be selected by clicking on it with the left mouse
button. Once selected the object will display white boxes at the
corners and sides of its bounding rectangle as shown below.
Figure 10-25, Selected Object
Multiple objects can be selecting by clicking and holding the left

mouse button to draw a rectangle around multiple objects. In this
case grey boxes are displayed at the corners and sides of the
rectangles bounding each selected object.
10-41
Resizing Objects
A selected object can be resized by moving the cursor over one of
the white boxes in the bounding rectangle. When the cursor changes
to a two headed arrow, click and hold the left mouse button then drag
to resize the object.
Moving Objects
An object can be moved by clicking and holding the left mouse
button on the object and dragging the object to the new position. The
cursor will show a four arrowed icon. To move multiple objects first
select them then click and drag one of the them.
Changing Object Properties

The properties of an object can be changed by selecting it then using
the drop down to select the property to be changed.
Rotating and Flipping Objects

Objects can be rotated or flipped by selecting it then using the
drop down to select the angle of rotation or horizontal or vertical
flip.
Changing Object Stacking Order

The stacking order of objects, i.e. whether one object is displayed in
front or behind another object, is set by selecting it then using the
drop down to bring the object forward or in front of other
objects or send it backwards or behind other objects.
Grouping or Ungrouping Objects

Multiple objects may be grouped together by selecting them and
then using the group option from the drop down. The group of
objects can then be treated as a single object for other
transformations. A grouped object can be broken into individual
objects again by selecting it and using the ungroup from the same
drop down menu.
10-42
Receptors 10-43
10.5 Using Overlays

There are a number of ways of using the overlay editor depending
on the type of drawing file that you wish to use. The following
sections provide simple worked examples of the main ways of using
the overlay facility.
10.5.1 Simple Drawing

In the absence of any existing background graphic file, the overlay
editor can be used to create one. In this example we will create a
simple plan view.
1. Open the file “example 4 - welltest safety case.fsw” from

the samples directory. Open the view for the Receptor Grid
“Helideck Plan” and select the Plot Overlay tab.
2. Click the check box “Show Stacks” to draw the stacks on

the overlay to act as guides for us as we do the drawing.
3. Click the button to put the editor in draw mode. Note

the button will then change to the symbol. Then click
the drop down and select Rectangle as the object to
draw.
4. Finally check the units drop down at the top right of the
view and ensure that this is set to ft. The dimensions of the
overlay which should still be locked to that of the
underlying grid should be shown as X min -500, max 500
and Y min -500, max 500 as shown in the following figure.
10-43
10-44 Using Overlays
Figure 10-26, Overlay Editor Prior To Drawing
5. Now draw a rectangle to represent the platform outline from

the point -200,0 to 50,-200. This is done by moving to the
first point using the displayed X,Y coordinates at the bottom
right of the view as a guide, clicking and holding the left
mouse button then dragging to the second point.
6. Add a second rectangle to represent the helideck from the

points -50,-100 to 30, -180.
7. Click the drop down and select the ellipse object.

Now draw a circle within the helideck rectangle by moving
to the point -50, -100, clicking and holding the left mouse
button and dragging to the point 30, -180.
10-44
Receptors 10-45
8. Add a letter H to the middle of the helideck circle as

follows. Click the drop down and select the text
object. Click the drawing in the middle of the helideck
circle and a vertical flashing bar will appear to indicate the
text insertion point. Type the letter H and then hit the enter
key to complete the text entry.
9. If the text entered in step 8 is not quite central, click the

button to go to Edit Mode. Then click on the text - four
white squares will appear round the text to indicate it has
been selected. It can now be moved by clicking on the text
inside the squares and dragging it to the required position.
Figure 10-27, Completed Drawing
10-45
10. Finally click the button to save the drawing. A standard file
save dialog will appear to ask you to name the file to be
saved. By default the file will be saved as a Flaresim
Graphics file with a .FSG but you may also save it as a
Windows Metafile (.WMF), Enhanced Metafile (.EMF) or
Autocad DXF file (.DXF). It is suggested that you save
background graphics files in the report subfolder for the
case i.e. in this case the subfolder “example 4 - welltest
safety.
11. To see the overlay drawing on the Radiation, Noise and

Temperature isopleth plots, ensure that the Show Overlay
checkbox is set.
10.5.2 Import Scaled Drawing

The best type of background drawing to import is a scaled vector
drawing i.e. a Windows metafile (.wmf) or enhanced metafile
(.emf). Given that the locations of the stacks etc. in your Flaresim
model are matched to the drawing on import the isopleths will be
correctly positioned in relation to the drawing. The following
example shows how this is done.
“Helideck Elevation” and select the Plot Overlay tab.
2. Ensure that the dimensions of the overlay are set to “ft”

using the dropdown at the top right of the view.
3. We know that the drawing we are going to import has

dimensions of 1050 ft wide by 750 ft high. The point
corresponding to the base of the main stack (0,0) in the
model is located at the point 500, 350 in the drawing.
4. Clear the checkbox labeled Lock To Grid. Enter the

dimensions of our drawing as follows:-
X Axis Min -500ft, X Axis Max 550ft
Y Axis Min -350ft, Y Axis Max 400ft.
10-46
Receptors 10-47
Note the blue box shows the dimensions of our receptor

grid.
5. Click the open background file button to import the

background graphics file. The file to import is called
elevation.wmf and is located in the Samples\example 4 -
welltest safety case folder. You will need to select
“Windows Metafiles (.wmf)” in the “Files of Type” drop
down in the File Open view to select this. Click Ok.
6. You should now see the imported graphic as shown below.

Check the Show Overlay checkbox to enable display of the
background graphic on the isopleth plots.
Figure 10-28, Background Graphic Imported
10-47
10.5.3 Import Unscaled Bitmap

If the the background graphic you have to import is a bitmap then the
procedure is different. Bitmap graphic files such as Windows bitmap
(.bmp) or JPEG files (.jpg) are not as useful as vector format files
since they do not necessarily scale well. However they can still be
used as follows:-
“Helideck Elevation” and select the Plot Overlay tab.
2. Click the button to put the Overlay Editor into draw

mode. Set the checkbox “Show Stacks” to draw the position
of the stacks onto the drawing as a guide. Set the drawing
dimensions to “ft” using the units dropdown.
3. Clear the checkbox “Lock to Grid” and extend the bottom

of the drawing area by entering a Y Axis Min value of
-250ft.
4. Click the object type dropdown button and select

Image from the bottom of the list. A File Open dialog will
appear to allow you to load the file that you wish to import.
Select the file “elevation.jpg” from the folder
Samples\example 4 - welltest safety case. Note you will
need to select JPEG Files (.jpg) in the Files of Type
dropdown in order to browse for this file. Click Ok.
5. You are now ready to draw the box onto the drawing in
which the file will appear. Draw a box encompassing the
two stacks by clicking and holding the left mouse button at
the top left corner and dragging to the bottom right corner.
The platform elevation image will be drawn into this box.
6. It is likely the the size of the image will need adjusting. Set
the Overlay Editor to edit mode by clicking the button.
Now click the image and it will be surrounded by eight
white rectangles or handles. Resize the image as required by
10-48
Receptors 10-49
clicking and dragging the handles. The image can also be

repositioned by clicking and dragging inside the handles.
Figure 10-29, JPEG Image Imported and Positioned
7. Finally set the “Show Overlay” checkbox. The background

graphic will now be displayed on the isopleth plots. Note
that having checked the isopleth plots you may need to go
back to the Overlay Editor to adjust the size or position of
the background image.
10.5.4 DXF Files

Autocad drawing exchange files or DXF files can also be imported.
This is a precise vector format that allows automatic positioning of
the drawing within the isopleth plot as long as the dimensions used
in the drawing and the receptor grid definition are consistent. Unlike
the other vector formats (.wmf and .emf) used above the dimensions
of the drawing can be read from the DXF file automatically.
10-49
The following provides an example as to how DXF files can be

imported.
“Helideck Plan” and select the Plot Overlay tab.
2. Set the drawing dimensions to “ft” using the units

dropdown.
3. Clear the checkbox “Lock to Grid”.
4. Click the button to load the background DXF file. In the

File Open dialog that appears, browse for the file “plan.dxf”
from the folder Samples\example 4 - welltest safety case
and click Open.
5. The minimum and maximum X and Y dimensions will be

set to -750 and 750 feet automatically and the drawing will
be imported as shown below. Note the blue rectangle shows
the extent of the receptor grid isopleth plot.
6. Set the Show Overlay check box to display the background

graphic on the isopleth plots.
10-50
Receptors 10-51
Figure 10-30, Imported DXF File
Since the extent of a background graphic file must include the full
extent of the receptor grid, the dimensions of the DXF file must
exceed those of the grid. This will be checked during the import
process and if the drawing is not large enough, the import process
will fail.
There are also practical limits on the size of DXF file that can be
imported or the memory usage of the overlay editor will be
excessive and performance will become very sluggish. If it is desired
to view isopleth plots on a full detailed plan or elevation drawing it
is better to generate a script file that will allow the isopleth points to
be imported into the plot plan drawing using Autocad or a
compatible application. See the Create DXF Script option on the
Print Graphic Reports view.
10-51
10-52
Shields 11-1
11 Shields
Page
11.1 Shield View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
11.1.1 Common Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
11.1.2 Details Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
11.1.3 Details Tab - User Water Screen Method . . 5
11.1.4 Details Tab - Long Water Screen Method. . 7
11.1.5 Sections Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
11.2 Shield Section Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

11.2.1 Using The Shield Section Editor. . . . . . . . .11
11.2.2 Rectangle Builder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
11.2.3 Polygon Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
11.3 Pit Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
11.4 Transform View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
11.5 Water Screen Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . 20
11-1
11-2
11-2
Shields 11-3
The Shield object models the use of water sprays or solid shields to
reduce the transmission of radiation and noise. Each shield object is
composed of one or more polygonal shapes or sections. Multiple
sections may be defined to describe complex shield structures such
as a burn pit.
The transmission of radiation through a shield can be modelled

either by user specified transmissivity factors or for water screens
by transmissivity factors calculated from details of the screen
thickness and the flame temperature. A method is also provided to
calculate the effective thickness of a water screen given details of the
water flow rate and other details of the water spray. The
transmission of noise through a shield is defined by a user specified
transmission factor.
Shield objects may be created using the Add-Shield menu option or

by selecting the Shield branch in the Case Summary view and
An existing Shield object may be viewed by selecting it from the

View - Shield menu option, by double clicking it in the Case
All defined Shield objects will be included in the calculations unless

they have been set to Ignored. A Shield may be set to ignored by
button. An Ignored Shield object can be restored to the calculations
by selecting it in the Case Summary view and clicking the Activate
button. Alternatively a Shield object can be ignored and restored by
setting or clearing the check box on its view.
A Shield object can be deleted either by clicking the Delete button

on its view or by selecting it in the Case Summary view and
11-3
11-4 Shield View
11.1 Shield View

The following figure shows the tip view as it would appear for a
newly created Shield object.
Figure 11-1, Shield Details View

Name
Text
Enter text to identify this Shield object.
Status Text
Status message
the data for this shield object is complete and ready for calculation.
Ignored
Checkbox
Clear to include this shield in the calculations or set to ignore this
shield when calculating.
11-4
Shields 11-5
11.1.2 Details Tab

The Details tab of the Shield view, Figure 11-1, has the following
fields.
Radiation - Type
Dropdown List - User / Water Screen
This dropdown list selects the type of shield. The User option is used
for solid shields or water screens when it is desired to specify the
transmissivity of the screen directly. The Water Screen option is
used when it is desired the calculate the transmissivity for a known
thickness of a water screen.
When this field is set to to User the view changes to display the
Transmissivity field to allow the tranmissivity to be defined. When
the field is set to Water Screen the view changes to that shown in
Section 11.1.3 below.
Radiation - Transmissivity
Range 0 to 1
This defines the fraction of radiation transmitted by the shield. This
field is only displayed when the Type field is set to User.
Noise - Transmissivity
Range 0 to 1
This defines the fraction of noise transmitted by the shield. The
factor is applied to the noise power.
11.1.3 Details Tab - User Water Screen Method

When the Type field on the Details tab is set to Water Screen the
view changes to that shown below in Figure 11-2.
11-5
11-6 Shield View
Figure 11-2, Details Tab, User Water Screen Method
Layer Thickness Calculation

Dropdown List - User / Long
This dropdown list specifies the method that will be used to
determine the thickness of the water screen. If the User method is
selected the Layer Thickness field is displayed to allow the thickness
to be specified. If the Long method is selected the fields described in
section 11.1.4 will be displayed to allow details of the water screen
to be provided to allow the water screen thickness to be calculated.
Layer Thickness
Range 0.001 to 1000 mm
This field defines the thickness of the water screen. The thickness
will be used to calculate the transmissivity of the water screen as a
function of the thickness and the flame temperature of the flare.
This field is only displayed when the Layer Thickness Calculation

option is set to User.
11-6
Shields 11-7
Show Water Screen Characteristics

Button
Clicking this displays a window giving details of the variation in
transmissivity of a water screen with thickness and flame
temperature. See Section 11.5.
11.1.4 Details Tab - Long Water Screen Method

When the Shield type is set to Water Screen and the Layer Thickness
Calculation is set to Long then the following fields will be displayed.
Figure 11-3, Details Tab, Long Water Screen Method
Water Flow
Range 0 to 1000 m3/s
This field defines the water flow rate for the calculation of the water
screen layer thickness using the Long method.
Nozzle Diameter
Range 0 to 1000 mm
This field defines the nozzle diameter for the calculation of the water
screen layer thickness using the Lond method.
11-7
11-8 Shield View
Droplet Velocity
Range 1 to 20 m/s
This field defines the droplet velocity to be used in the calculation of
the water screen layer thickness using the Long method.
Nozzles
Range 1 to 100
The number of water spray nozzles used.
Layer Thickness
Calculated result
This field displays the thickness of the water screen layer calculated
using the Long method.
11.1.5 Sections Tab

The sections tab of the Shield view is shown below. This view lists
the individual sections or panels that make up the complete shield.
Each section is defined as a polygon with 3 or more points or
vertices to define its extremities. The shield sections may be updated
by selecting the line describing the section and clicking one of the
action buttons.
Figure 11-4, Sections Tab
11-8
Shields 11-9
Add Section
Button
Opens the Shield Section Editor view ready to define a new shield
section. See 11.2.
Edit Section
Button
Opens the Shield Section Editor view loaded with data for the
selected shield section. See 11.2.
Remove Section
Button
Deletes the selected shield section.
Make Pit
Button
Opens the Pit Builder view ready to define a new shield. See 11.3.
Transform
Button
Opens the Transform view to rotate or move the shield. See 11.4.
11-9
11-10 Shield Section Editor
11.2 Shield Section Editor

The Shield Section Editor view is shown below. This view is used to
add, delete or modify the list of vertices that define the extent of an
individual shield section.This view is modal and must be completed
and closed before other Flaresim views can be used. The order in
which vertices are entered is important, see next section.
Figure 11-5, Shield Section Editor
Add Vertex
Button
This button adds a new vertex to the bottom of the list.
Delete Vertex
Button
This button deletes the selected vertex from the list.
Northing
Range -1000 to 1000 m
The northing coordinate of the vertex.
Easting
Range -1000 to 1000 m
The easting coordinate of the vertex.
11-10
Shields 11-11
Elevation
Range -1000 to 1000 m
The elevation coordinate of the vertex.
Make Rectangle
Button
Clicking this button opens the Rectangle Builder view. See section
11.2.1 below. This allows the rapid definition of a rectangular shield
section.
Make Polygon
Button
Clicking this button opens the Polygon Builder view. See section
11.2.2 below. This allows the rapid definition of a polygonal shield
section.
11.2.1 Using The Shield Section Editor

When using the shield section editor it is important that the list of
vertices that define the section are entered in a way that each vertex
is directly connected to the preceding vertex in the list.
For example if entering the vertices to define a rectangular shield

section, the four vertices, A, B, C and D must be entered as shown
below.
Correct Correct Incorrect
If vertices are not entered in the correct order their correct extent
cannot be calculated and the radiation and noise reduction results
will be misleading and inaccurate. This can usually be seen as very
irregular isopleths in the Receptor Grid view.
11-11
11.2.2 Rectangle Builder

The Rectangle Builder view is shown below. Its purpose is to allow
rapid creation of rectangular shield sections.This view is modal and
must be completed and closed before other Flaresim views can be
used.
Figure 11-6, Rectangle Builder
Height
Range 0 to 1000m
The height of the shield section.
Width
Range 0 to 1000m
The width of the shield section.
Rectangle Centre - Northing

Range -10000 to 10000m
The northing coordinate of the centre of the shield section.
Rectangle Centre - Easting

Range -10000 to 10000m
The easting coordinate of the centre of the shield section.
Rectangle Centre - Elevation

Range -10000 to 10000m
The elevation coordinate of the centre of the shield section.
11-12
Shields 11-13
Orientation - Angle to North

The angle from North of the shield section.
Orientation - Angle to Horizontal

Range -90 to 90 degrees
The angle from horizontal of the shield section. The default value of
90 degrees implies a vertical shield section.
OK
Button
Closes the Rectangle Builder view, accepting the changes made in
the data. Note any existing shield section data will be replaced by the
new rectangular section.
Cancel
Button
Closes the Rectangle Builder view, discarding the changes made in
the data.
11.2.3 Polygon Builder

The Polygon Builder view is shown below. Its purpose is to allow
rapid creation of polygonal shield sections. The most common use
of this view will be to create polygonal sections of 12 or more
verticies to approximate circular water sprays. This view is modal
and must be completed and closed before other Flaresim views can
be used.
11-13
Figure 11-7, Polygon Builder
Number of Vertices
Range 3 to 100
The number of vertices that will define the extents of the shield
section. The default number of 12 will approximate a circular spray
shield to a reasonable accuracy though a greater number can be used
if required.
Radius
Range 0.1 to 1000m
The radius of the polygonal shield section i.e. the distance from the
centre of the polygon to each vertex.

Range -10000 to 10000m
The northing coordinate of the centre of the shield section.

Range -10000 to 10000m
The easting coordinate of the centre of the shield section.

Range -10000 to 10000m
The elevation coordinate of the centre of the shield section.
Orientation - Angle to North

The angle from North of the shield section.
11-14
Shields 11-15
Orientation - Angle to Horizontal

The angle from horizontal of the shield section. The default value of
90 degrees implies a vertical shield section.
OK
Button
Closes the Polygon Builder view, accepting the changes made in
the data. Note any existing shield section data will be replaced by the
new polygon section.
Cancel
Button
Closes the Polygon Builder view, discarding the changes made in
the data.
11-15
11-16 Pit Builder
11.3 Pit Builder

The Pit Builder view is shown below. The function of this view is to
create the multiple shield sections that make up a burn pit. It will
automatically create 4 rectangular wall sections and a rectangular
base section. This view is modal and must be closed before other
Flaresim views can be used.
Figure 11-8, Pit Builder
Length
Range 0.1 to 1000m
The length of the burn pit. The length is assumed to be the dimension
in the north-south direction.
Width
Range 0.1 to 1000m
The width of the burn pit.The width is assumed to be the dimension
in the east-west direction.
Depth
Range 0.1 to 1000m
The depth of the burn pit.

Range -10000 to 10000m
The northing coordinate of the centre of the burn pit base.

Range -10000 to 10000m
The easting coordinate of the centre of the burn pit base.
11-16
Shields 11-17

Range -10000 to 10000m
The elevation coordinate of the centre of the burn pit base.
OK
Button
Closes the Pit Builder view, accepting the changes made in the data.
Note any existing shield section data will be replaced by the new pit
data.
Cancel
Button
Closes the Pit Builder view, discarding the changes made in the
data.
11-17
11-18 Transform View
11.4 Transform View

The Transform view is shown below. The purpose of this view is to
relocate or rotate an existing shield section. It is used by entering the
data required to define the move or rotation and then clicking the
Apply button
Figure 11-9, Transform View
Move - North
Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the distance the shield sections are to be moved in the
north-south direction.
Move - East
Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the distance the shield sections are to be moved in the
east-west direction.
Move - Elevation
Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the distance the shield sections are to be moved up or
down.
Clockwise Rotation - Angle North

This defines the amount the shield sections are to be rotated from
North i.e. around a vertical axis.
11-18
Shields 11-19
Clockwise Rotation - Angle Horizontal

This defines the amount the shield sections are to be rotated from the
vertical i.e. around a horizontal axis.
Clockwise Rotation - Center North

Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the north coordinate for the center of rotation to be used
when rotating the shield sections.
Clockwise Rotation - Center East

Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the east coordinate for the center of rotation to be used
when rotating the shield sections.
Clockwise Rotation - Center Elevation

Range -10000 to 10000 m
This defines the elevation coordinate for the center of rotation to be
used when rotating the shield sections.
Apply
Button
This applies the specfied movement or rotation to the shield section.
For simultaneous movement and rotation it should be noted that the
order in which these are applied is firstly movement, secondly
rotation from North around the vertical axis and finally rotation from
horizontal around the horizontal axis.
It is suggested that more complex movements be done in single steps

to avoid possible confusion.
11-19
11-20 Water Screen Characteristics
11.5 Water Screen Characteristics

The Water Screen Characteristic view is for information only. It
shows the relationship between the flame temperature and water
screen thickness and the calculated transmissivity of the screen. It
also displays the relationship between absorption coefficient and
wave length of radiation that is used to calculate the transmissivity.
The transmissivity graph is shown below.
Figure 11-10, Water Screen Characteristics
Display
Dropdown list - Transmissivity Table / Transmissivity Graph /
Absorption Coeff
This selects the data displayed by the view.
11-20
Calculations 12-1
12 Calculations
Page
12.1 Calculation Options View . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
12.1.1 General Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
12.1.2 Sizing Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
12.1.3 Heat Transfer Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
12.1.4 Fitting Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
12-1
12-2
12-2
Calculations 12-3
Flaresim calculations are started by clicking the Calculate button on

Calculate Button the tool bar. Once started Flaresim will calculate the active objects
using the settings defined in the Calculation Options view.
The Calculation Options view is accessed using the View -

Calculation Options menu option or by selecting the Calculation
Options branch in the Case Summary view and clicking the View
button.
12.1 Calculation Options View

The Calculation Options view is shown below.
Figure 12-1, Calculation Options View
Status Text
Status message
the calculation options are complete and the model is ready for
calculation.
12-3
12-4 Calculation Options View
12.1.1 General Tab

The following data entry fields are found on the General tab of the
Calculation Options view (see Figure 12-1).
Method
Dropdown list: Flaresim API / Strict API / Point / Diffuse / Mixed /
Brzustowski / M.Point Brz
Selects the method to be used to model the thermal radiation from
the flame.
The Flaresim API and Strict API methods model the single point
source method of Hajek and Ludwig given in API RP-521. The
difference between the methods is in the method of calculating the
flame shape before finding the centre point to act as the source. The
Flaresim API method uses the vector based flame shape method and
allows multiple flame elements to be used to model the shape more
accurately even though a single, centre point will be used as the
source. The Strict API method uses the graphical method presented
in API 521 through a curve fit to the data presented there. The API
method in DOS versions of Flaresim and Flaresim for Windows
versions prior to version 2.0 was the Flaresim API method. Either
API method may be generally applied to most flare systems.
The Point source method is a multiple point extension of the API

method in which the flame is assumed to be completely transparent
such that radiation from one point does not either interfere with or
occlude another. The flame is divided into a series of smaller point
source elements whose contributions are summed to derive the total
radiation from the flame. In practice this method generally gives
more realistic and less conservative values than the API method. It
does however tend to overpredict thermal radiation in the near field.
The Diffuse source method assumes that the flame is completely

opaque such that radiation is emitted entirely from the surface of the
flame envelope. This method tends to underpredict the thermal
radiation in the near field.
12-4
Calculations 12-5
The Mixed source method is an empirical combination of both the

Point and Diffuse source methods. This has been found to give more
realistic results in both the near and far fields.
The Brzustowski method is a single point method in which the flame

centre is determined from jet dispersion theory. The method as
described in API RP-521 is subject to a number of limitations in its
implementation in Flaresim:-
• Only vertical tips may be modeled.
• Air assisted flares may not be modeled.
• Liquid burners may not be modeled.
The M.Point Brz method is a Flaresim extension to the standard

Brzustowski method to allow the number of flame elements and the
element position to be specified by the user. In versions of Flaresim
prior to 1.2 these options could be set for the Brzustowski method. In
Flaresim 1.2 the Brzustowski method is forced to be a single flame
element with fixed element position. Old cases that specify the
Brzustowski method will be updated automatically to M.Point Brz if
they have more than one flame element or the element position is not
50%.
Element Position
Range: 0 to 100 %
The element position indicates the source point within a flame
element that is used for calculations. Typically this is 50% i.e. the
middle of the flame element is taken to be the point source. 0%
indicates the source is the start of the element, 100% is the end. For
compatibility with Flaresim for DOS, 50% should be used.
No of Elements
Range: 1 to 50
The number of elements that the flame is divided into for calculation
of flame shape and the sources for the Point, Diffuse and Mixed
methods. Larger values will generally give more realistic values for
the thermal radiation at the expense of calculation time.
Unless you are modelling a system with a highly distorted flame

shap, 25 elements should be more than adequate. The combination
12-5
of a high flaring rate and an inclined tip flaring into a high wind may
require 50 elements to adequately model the flame shape.
Include Options - Expert Options

Checkbox
When set this option allows the user to select additional options that
have been classified as being for expert use only. These options
include:-
1. Allowing the flame length method to be set independently
of the calculation method for each Tip - See Tip view.
2. Allowing the plane of orientation to be set for Receptor

Points - See Receptor Point view.
3. Allowing the plane of orientation to be set for Receptor

Grids - See Receptor Grid view.
Include Options - Solar Radiation

Checkbox
When set the solar radiation defined for the active Environment will
be included in the radiation calculations.
Include Options - Windchill

Checkbox
When set an empirical correlation is used to correct the incident
thermal radiation at any receptor point by taking into account the
heat losses due to passage of wind over the point. Use of this option
will generally be a matter of individual judgement or your company
standards.
It is recommended that you do not use this option if you are

interested in the surface temperature calculations. Note that
effective of wind on convective heat transfer in the surface
temperature calculations is independent of the setting of this option.
Include Options - Background Noise

Checkbox
When set the background noise defined for the active Environment
will be included in the noise calculations.
12-6
Calculations 12-7
Include Options - Atm. Noise Attenuation

Checkbox
When set a correction will be applied to the noise calculations to
allow for the attenuation in noise due to atmospheric absorbtion.
This option should normally be set. In Flaresim for DOS this
correction was always included.
Include Options - Adiabatic Temp. Corr.

Checkbox
When set the temperature of the fluid in the tip or stack riser will be
corrected for the calculated pressure at each point. The correction
will assume adiabatic compression or expansion from the defined
fluid reference pressure to the calculation pressure.
This correction allows more accurate calculation of fluid properties

such as density and sonic velocity at different points. The DOS
version of Flaresim did not apply this correction so it is
automatically disabled when importing DOS cases for closer
comparison with results from the DOS version.
This option was automatically set for versions of Flaresim earlier

than Version1.1 even when importing cases from the DOS version.
Include Options - R-K Z Factor

Checkbox
When set the fluid compressibility factor or Z factor is calculated
using the Redlich Kwong method. If cleared the method used is the
Berthelot equation.
The results of the two methods will be similar at low pressures (< 5
bar). At higher pressures the Redlich-Kwong method is more
accurate so it is set to be the default method for all new cases from
Version 1.1 onwards.
Buoyancy
For all methods except the Brzustowski method, the flame shape is
calculated by resolving the velocity vectors in three dimensions. The
main components are the tip exit velocity and the wind velocity.
There is however an additional velocity component which is due to
12-7
the density differences between the hot combustion gases and the
surrounding air. This is referred to as the flame buoyancy term.
Buoyancy - Pipe
Range: 0 to 100 m/s
The flame buoyancy which should be used for Pipe flares. A value
of 3.0 m/s is recommended unless specific vendor information
suggests otherwise.
Buoyancy - Sonic
Range: 0 to 100 m/s
The flame buoyancy to be used for Sonic flare tips. A value of 4.6
m/s is suggested unless specific vendor information suggests
otherwise.
Buoyancy - Welltest
Range: 0 to 100 m/s
The flame buoyancy to be used for Liquid flare tips. A value of 0.03
m/s is suggested unless specific vendor information suggests
otherwise.
Environment - Active Environment

Dropdown list: All defined environments
Allows selection of the set of environmental data to be used for the
calculations. This can also be set through activating a specific
Environment object.
Noise Calculations - Method

Dropdown list: API/Spectrum
Selects the method to be used for the noise calculations. The API
method taken from RP521 is a simple single value method and
considers jet noise only. The Spectrum method uses multiple
frequency values and includes combustion noise.
12-8
Calculations 12-9
12.1.2 Sizing Tab

The following figure shows the Sizing tab of the Calculation
Options view.
Figure 12-2, Sizing Tab
Sizing Information - Select Stack

Dropdown list of defined stacks
Allows one of the existing stacks to selected for sizing calculations
i.e. calculation of the stack length to meet the sizing constraints
defined on the active receptor points.
Sizing Information - Minimum Length

Range: 0 to 500 m
The minimum length allowed for the stack being sized.
Sizing Information - Maximum Length

Range: 0 to 500 m
The maximum length allowed for the stack being sized.
12-9
12.1.3 Heat Transfer Tab

The following figure shows the Heat Transfer tab of the Calculation
Options view.
Figure 12-3, Heat Transfer Tab
This view allows definition of coefficients for calculating the heat

transfer coefficient as a function of windspeed. Two sets of
parameters may be defined to apply above and below a limiting
windspeed. The equation is:-
B
HTC = A ⋅ Windspeed + C (1)
HTC Calculation - Windspeed Constant A

Range: 0.01 to 100
The constant factor to be multiplied by the windspeed.
HTC Calculation - Windspeed Power B

Range: 0 to 10
The power to which the windspeed is raised.
12-10
Calculations 12-11
HTC Calculation - HTC Constant C

Range: 0.01 to 100
The constant factor to be added to the heat transfer coefficient.
Windspeed Up To
Range: 0.01 to 100 m/s
The transition windspeed at which the heat transfer coefficient
calculation switches from the first set of defined constants to the
second.
Windspeed Units
Dropdown List: Speed Units
This dropdown selects the windspeed units that are appropriate for
the A and C constants entered.
Temperature Rise Calculation - Exposure Time

Range: 1 to 1,000,000 s
The time over which the rise in surface temperatures is to be
calculated.
Time Steps
Range: 1 to 1,000
The number of calculations to be made between the starting point
and the final exposure time. A higher number will track the rise in
surface temperature more accurately but it will not normally be
necessary to use more than 10 points.
12.1.4 Fitting Tab

The Fitting tab provides access to a data fitting process in Flaresim
that allows the F Factor for a selected tip to be adjusted to achieve a
best fit between the calculated and observed radiation levels at one
or more receptor points.
The data fields that control the fitting process are shown below.
12-11
Figure 12-4, Fitting Tab
Select Tip
Dropdown List
This selects the Tip whose F Factor value is to be adjusted to try to
match the calculated and observed values of radiation. The list
shows all of the tips configured in the model. The tip that is selected
must have its F Factor method set to User Defined. It does not matter
what starting value of F Factor is defined on the tip.
Select Point
Dropdown List
This selects the Receptor Points which are to be included in the
fitting calculation. Either a single point can be selected or the “All
Active” option can be selected in which case all Receptor points that
are not set to Ignored will be included in the calculation.
All of the points included in the calculation must have a value

defined for the Observed Radiation field.
Run
Command Button
Clicking this starts the fitting process. The fitting process first
reconfigures the model to solve for Receptor points only. It will then
12-12
Calculations 12-13
set the selected Tip to a low F Factor and run the model to calculate
the radiation at each selected Receptor point. The sum of the square
of the relative errors between the calculated and observed radiation
values will then be calculated. The F Factor is then raised by a step
and the process repeated until the calculated error begins to rise. At
this point a bisection search for the F Factor that gives the minimum
value for the error is obtained.
When the value of the F Factor that gives the minimum error has
been found the whole model will be reinstated and re-run at the
resulting F Factor.
Result
Calculated value
This displays the value for the F Factor that was calculated by the
fitting process.
Error
Calculated value
This displays the square root of the sum of the relative errors
between the calculated and observed radiation values for the
selected Receptor points.
Note if the fitting process is run for a single Receptor Point the final
error should always be 0 as long as there is a feasible value for the F
Factor which cannot be greater than 1.
12-13
12-14
Printing 13-1
13 Printing
Page
13.1 Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
13.1.1 Report File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
13.2 Graphic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

13.2.1 Graphic Report Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . 10
13.3 Print Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
13-1
13-2
13-2
Printing 13-3
Output of Flaresim results is through the File - Print and File - Print
Graphic Reports menu options. The File - Print option first opens
the Print Preview view where the report can be customised and then
printed. The File - Print Graphic Reports menu option opens the
Graphic Report view which allows selection of the reports to be
output and the output method. These views are described below.
The File - Print Setup menu item provides access to the standard
Printer Setup Dialog to allow the printer type and paper size and
orientation to be selected.
Flaresim produces its standard reports through an HTML file which

is created by using a stylesheet file, by default Flaresim.xsl, to
format the contents of the Flaresim model file. The Preferences
view allows the user to specify the name of the stylesheet file to be
used.
Both the Flaresim XML data files and the XSL stylesheet file
comply with the appropriate W3C.org standards. This provides the
capability to reformat the output of Flaresim through definition of an
alternate stylesheet file. Third party documentation on the use of
XSL files should be consulted since this is beyond the scope of this
documentation.
Flaresim’s graphic reports are produced through a layout file which

is an XML formatted file that describes the text, data and graphical
elements to be included in the report and their layout. The default
layout file to be used may be selected in the Preferences view or for
each receptor grid individually.
13-3
13-4 Print Preview
13.1 Print Preview

When the File - Print menu option is selected the Print Preview
view shown below is opened. This is a modal view which closes all
open views and does not allow any other part of the Flaresim
program to be used until the Print Preview is closed.
Figure 13-1, Print Preview View
Report Topic
Structure
Include topic Report Preview

checkbox
Report Topic
Tree View
This section of the view lists the topics that can be included in a
report as a tree structure in a similar way to the Case Summary view.
As in the case summary, the and icons can be used to expand and
collapse branches of the tree as required.
Include Topic
Checkbox
Each topic available for the report has a checkbox against it. The
checkbox should be set to include the topic or cleared to exclude it.
13-4
Printing 13-5
Refresh
Button
Updates the report preview to reflect any changes that have been
made to the included or excluded topics.
Print
Button
Prints the report using the current selection of included and excluded
topics. Clicking this button starts the printing process by displaying
the view below to allow the user to select the printer to be used and
to control the setup of the print options.
Figure 13-2, Print Control View
Once the printer options have been set the Print button on this view
should be clicked to send the output to the printer.
Reset Print Options

Button
Resets the print topics selection to the set defined in the startup file
“Default.fsw”.
13-5
13-6 Print Preview
Report Preview
Display region
Displays the current view of the report. If the report does not fit
within the available areas the scroll bars may be used to move
around the report.
Note that the view being displayed is of the HTML report file
generated by Flaresim. Some elements of this report file will float
and be reformatted to try and fit into the area availble for display. It
may be necessary to expand the view to see the report as it will be
printed.
13.1.1 Report File

When a case is saved, the HTML report file and the associated
graphic files will be automatically saved at the same time. These
files will be saved to a sub-folder in the folder to which the case is
being saved. The sub-folder name will be the same as the saved file
name.
This HTML file can be viewed at any time using an internet browser,
independently of Flaresim.
13-6
Printing 13-7
13.2 Graphic Report

The File - Print Graphic Reports menu option displays the
Graphic Report view to allow selection of the graphic reports to be
output and whether these are to be output to printer or graphics file.
The Graphic Report view is shown below. This is a modal view
that does not allow use of other parts of the Flaresim program until
it is closed.
Figure 13-3, Graphic Report
Select Grids
List Box
This list box allows selection of the Receptor Grids and Receptor
Points for which a graphic report is to be output. The list allows
selection of individual grids by clicking on the name in the list.
Multiple items may be selected using Shift-Click and Ctrl-Click in
the usual way. Note the list will only show Receptor Points when
there are points with Wind Rose results available.
For convenience an All option is provided at the top of the list which
can be selected to output graphic reports for all the receptor grids
and receptor points in the model.
13-7
13-8 Graphic Report
Select Plots
Checkboxes
Each receptor grid can generate three separate graphic reports, one
for each of the radiation, noise and temperature isopleths. These
checkboxes allow selection of which reports will be output. Set a
checkbox to output the associated report and clear a checkbox to
suppress the report.
Save File Type

Dropdown List
This allows selection of the graphic file type that will be generated
if the reports are output to file using the Save Graphic Reports
button. The options are JPG or BMP bitmap files, WMF or EMF
metafiles and PNG or DXF files.
Save Graphic Reports

Button
This creates the selected graphic reports and saves them as files of
the type selected by the Save File Type item. Each file will be
automatically named with the type of the isopleth and the name of
the receptor grid e.g. Radiation-Helideck. The files will be stored in
a sub-folder of the folder in which the Flaresim data file is located,
with other report files. Confirmation of each file saved is output to
the information log.
Print Graphic Reports

Button
This button prints the selected graphic reports to the currently

selected printer.
Save Isopleth Points

Button
This saves a list of the isopleth data points for each selected report
to a text file in Comma Separated Value or CSV format. This allows
the isopleths to be plotted using third party applications such as
Excel. The files will be stored in a sub-folder of the folder in which
the Flaresim data file is located, with other report files. Confirmation
of each file saved is output to the information log.
13-8
Printing 13-9
Create DXF Script

Button
This creates and saves an Autocad script that will allow the isopleth
data for each selected report to be imported into a plot plan or other
drawing using Autocad or compatible software such as Intellicad.
The files will be stored with a .scr extension in the sub-folder of the
folder in which the Flaresim data file is located, with other report
files. Confirmation of each file generated is output to the
information log.
The script generated will create one new layer in the target drawing
file for each isopleth value defined. Each layer will be named
according to the isopleth value and the isopleth value will also be
displayed on a text label within the added layer. An additional layer
will be created to draw the flame location. Note that the generated
script requires that the “Snap to guides” features of Autocad are
turned off before playing the script.
Page Setup
Button
This button displays the Graphic Report Page Setup view
described in the next section to allow setting of the paper size, page
orientation, margins and printer to be used for the graphic reports.
Close
Button
This button closes the Print Graphic Report view and returns to the
main Flaresim views.
13-9
13-10 Graphic Report
13.2.1 Graphic Report Page Setup

The Graphic Report Page Setup view is shown below.
Figure 13-4, Graphic Report Page Setup
Paper - Size
Dropdown list
This selects the paper size to be used for the graphic reports. The list
will show the pre-defined paper sizes available for the currently
selected printer.
Paper - Source
Dropdown List
This selects the source of the paper to be used for the graphic reports.
The choices available will depend on the currently selected printer.
Orientation
Portrait / Landscape
These radio buttons allow the paper orientation to be selected. The
selected orientation should correspond to the expected orientation in
the graphic report layout file. Note all the standard Flaresim
graphical layouts assume a Landscape orientation.
13-10
Printing 13-11
Margins - Left
Spacing in mm
This defines the left margin of each graphic report page.
Margins - Right
Spacing in mm
This defines the right margin of each graphic report page.
Margins - Top
Spacing in mm
This defines the top margin of each graphic report page.
Margins - Bottom
Spacing in mm
This defines the bottom margin of each graphic report page.
Ok
Button
This closes the view, accepting any changes made.
Cancel
Button
This closes the view, losing any changes made.
Printer
Button
This displays a standard windows printer selection dialog to allow
the graphic report printer to be selected.
13-11
13-12 Print Setup
13.3 Print Setup

The File - Print Setup menu option allows the selection of the printer
type and paper size and orientation to be used for printing the
Flaresim report. Selecting this option opens the view shown below.
Figure 13-5, Print Setup View
Printer - Name
Dropdown list of configured printers
Allows selection of the printer to be used to output the Flaresim
report. The list shows the printers that have been configured for the
computer that is running Flaresim.
Printer - Properties
Button
Opens the Properties view for the current selected printer to allow
selection of printer specific options. The options available through
this view will vary will the type of printer installed and are beyond
the scope of this documentation.
Paper - Size
Dropdown list of available paper sizes
Allows selection of the paper size. The list of paper sizes available
for selection will depend on the type of printer selected.
13-12
Printing 13-13
Paper - Source
Dropdown list of available paper sources
Allows selection of the paper source on the printer to be used. The
choices available will depend on the printer selected.
Orientation
Radio button: Portrait / Landscape
This pair of radio buttons selects the paper orientation to be used.
The standard Flaresim reports are formatted for portrait orientation.
Network
Button
Opens a window that allows browsing of the network to search for
additional printers.
Ok
Button
Confirms the current selections and closes the Print Setup view.
Cancel
Button
Closes the Print Setup view without saving changes.
13-13
13-14 Print Setup
13-14
Calculation Methods 14-1
14 Calculation Methods
Page
14.1 Thermal Radiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
14.1.1 API Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
14.1.2 Integrated Point Source Method. . . . . . . . . 6
14.1.3 Integrated Diffuse Source Method . . . . . . . 7
14.1.4 Integrated Mixed Source Method . . . . . . . . 7
14.1.5 Brzustowski and Sommer Method . . . . . . . 8
14.1.6 Atmospheric Attenuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
14.1.7 Windchill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
14.1.8 Flame Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
14.2 Surface Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
14.3 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
14.3.1 Combustion Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
14.3.2 Jet Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
14.3.3 Atmospheric Attenuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
14.4 Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.4.1 Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.4.2 Subscripts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
14.5 Purge Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

14.5.1 HUSA Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
14.5.2 Reduced HUSA Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
14-1
Page
14.6 Water Sprays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
14.6.1 Thickness of Water Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . 30
14.7 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
14-2
14-3
14-4
This chapter contains a summary of the mathematical models used

for the calculation of incident thermal radiation, noise and surface
temperatures. It is not intended to be a detailed treatise on
combustion theory, but rather a summary of the models available in
the program to assist the engineer in making his own judgement as
to the applicability of the models to his particular system.
14-4
14.1 Thermal Radiation

5 options are available for calculating the incident thermal radiation
at a point receptor. These are:-
• API Method
• Integrated Point Source
• Integrated Diffuse Source
• Integrated Mixed Source
• Brzustowski and Sommer
These methods primarily differ in the approach to the calculation of

the contributions of individual elements within the flame to the total
incident heat flux and the method for calculation of the flame shape.
Each of these methods can be used for most applications either as

preferred by the program user or as required by client preference and
specifications. The predicted thermal radiation values may be
corrected for a range of environmental conditions. These corrections
are available for:
• Windchill
• Atmospheric attenuation
The inclusion of the attenuation effects due to windchill or

atmospheric attenuation must be either a matter of sound
engineering judgement or as required by client specifications.
All thermal radiation values calculated by any of these methods are

to point receptors and do not take account the relative orientation of
the receptor to the flame.
14.1.1 API Method

This is based upon the simple heat release method outlined in API
RP-521, "Guide For Pressure Relieving and Depressuring Systems",
14-5
14-6 Thermal Radiation
1997 [1]. This method uses Equation 1 proposed by Hajek and

Ludwig [2] to evaluate the flux at a given distance from the flame.
FQ
K = -------------- (1)
2
4πD
It is assumed that the flame can be treated as a single point source

located at the centre of the flame which radiates in all directions
from this centre.
There are two variants of the API method implemented in Flaresim.

In the Flaresim API method the flame shape is calculated from the
resolution of the velocity vectors for the flared fluid, wind and flame
buoyancy. Multiple flame elements can be defined to model the
flame shape more accurately but the source is still modeled as a
single point at the centre. In the Strict API method, the flame shape
is calculated using the graphical method described in the API RP-
521 implemented using a data fit to the curves presented in the
guide. Integrated Point Source Method.
The integrated point source method is an extension to the API

method in which the flame is divided into a series of smaller point
source elements whose contributions are summed to derive the total
thermal radiation from the flame. The centre of each of the elements
is used for the calculation of the distance between the flame element
and the target receptor.
Two major assumptions are made:
• The flame radiates uniformly along its entire length.
• The flame is long in comparison to its width. As such it may be
considered to be a line source.
In making these assumptions, it is accepted that the flame itself is

completely transparent to thermal radiation and that one point
source does not either interfere with or occlude another. This
occlusion effect would generally be negligible to the side of the
flame but could be significant at locations directly below the flame
where there is a shallower angle of view.
14-6
These assumptions lead to Equation 2 as proposed by McMurray[4].
FQ L 1
4πL 0 D 2 ∫
K ips = ---------- ------- dl (2)
The distance between the point source and the receptor is calculated
from a flame shape derived from the resolution of the velocity
vectors for the flared fluid, wind and flame buoyancy.
14.1.2 Integrated Diffuse Source Method

The diffuse source model assumes that the flame itself is completely
opaque such that the thermal radiation is emitted entirely from the
surface of the flame.
This model is represented by Equation 3.
FQ L sin β
2
π L 0 D
∫
K ids = --------- ----------- dl
2
(3)
The distance between the point source and the receptor is calculated
from a flame shape derived from the resolution of the velocity
vectors for the flared fluid, wind and flame buoyancy.
14.1.3 Integrated Mixed Source Method

The mixed source model is basically a combination of the point and
diffuse source models. This was developed as a result of
observations during field tests [4] that showed:
• The Integrated Point Source (IPS) model tends to over predict
the thermal radiation close to the flare.
• The Integrated Diffuse Source (IDS) model tends to under pre-
dict the thermal radiation close to the flare.
14-7
• Both models predict similar values for thermal radiation in the

far field.
The thermal radiation for the mixed source model is calculated by

Equation 4 which is a linear combination of the IPS and IDS models.
K ims = aK ips + ( 1 – a )K ids (4)
14.1.4 Brzustowski and Sommer Method

The equation for the calculation of the heat flux at a given distance
is identical to that given for the API method as Equation 1. Both this
method and the API method are based upon the flame being
considered as a single point heat source.
The distance between the point source and the receptor is calculation
from a flame shape which is based upon the diffusion of a turbulent
jet to the to the lean flammability concentration limit [3].
Flaresim allows an extension to the standard Brzustowski method by

allowing the user to specify multiple flame elements or an element
position that is not 50%. In versions of Flaresim prior to 1.2 these
options could be set for the Brzustowski method. In Flaresim 1.2 and
following these options can only be set if the extended M.Point
Brzustowski method is selected.
14.1.5 Atmospheric Attenuation

Brzustowski and Sommer[3] recommend the use of the atmospheric
transmissivity, as the fraction of the heat intensity which is
transmitted to a point, in order to correct the calculated values for
thermal radiation.
This correction is given by Equation 5.
Kτ = τ ⋅ K (5)
14-8
In all cases, atmospheric absorption attenuates the incipient

radiation at a point. This will typically be 10 to 20 % over distances
of up to 500 ft. The empirical Equation 6 given below was obtained
by cross plotting absorptivities calculated from Hottel charts. It is
strictly applicable only under the following conditions of:
• A luminous hydrocarbon flame radiating at 2240 ° F
• Dry bulb temperature of 80 ° F
• Relative humidity greater than 10%
• Distances from flame between 100 and 500 ft
It is generally used to estimate the order of magnitude of the

atmospheric transmissivity under a wider range of conditions.
100 0.0625 100 0.0625

τ = 0.79 --------- ⋅ --------- (6)
D H
Equation 6 should prove adequate for most situations. However, for

cases in which the design conditions are significantly different from
those under which the equation was derived, the designer should
revert to the Hottel charts.
14.1.6 Windchill
The design of offshore flare systems often takes into account the
effect of heat loss from the target surface due to windchill. Equation
7 gives the simple correction to the calculated value for thermal
radiation.
Kw = K – Kf (7)
The correction K f is taken from Figure 14-1 below. For conditions

beyond the range of this figure, the following constraints are
applied:-
• If the windspeed is greater than 35 knots, the 35 knot value is
used.
14-9
• If the ambient temperature is less that 30 ° F, the 30 ° F value is

used.
• If the ambient temperature is greater than 80 ° F, the correction is
taken to be zero regardless of the windspeed.
Figure 14-1, Windchill Correction
14.1.7 Flame Shape

The calculation of the distance between any point on the flame and
the target receptor requires a knowledge of the flame length and
shape. This is a function of:
• Flare exit velocity
• Wind speed and direction
• Orientation of the tip
14-10
The flare exit velocity is calculated by simply dividing the

volumetric flare rate by the cross sectional area of the flare tip
according to Equation 8.
4WZRT
u j = ------------------- (8)
2
PMπd
The gas mach number is calculated from the sonic velocity which is
calculated from Equation 9.
gkRT
us = ------------- (9)
M
The method for calculation of the flame length and deflection is

dependent upon the method selected for calculation of the thermal
radiation. If the API, IPS, IDS or IMS method is selected then the
flame length is calculated from the heat released by the flame, then
the deflection is calculated by resolving the vectors for the jet, flame
buoyancy and wind.
The flame length is calculated from an empirical equation relating

the flame length to the heat release. The heat release is the total heat
produced by the combustion of the fluid. This is given by Equation
10.
Q = W ⋅ LHV (10)
The flame length is calculated from Equation 11. The constants l1

and l2 are a function of the type of tip
Q I2
L = I 1 ---- (11)
N
14-11
Tip Type l1 l2
Pipeflare 0.00331 0.4776
Single Burner Sonic 0.00241 0.4600
Multiple Burner Sonic 0.00129 0.5000
Steam and air assisted flares will generally have shorter flames than
those calculated by these equations. The program contains
proprietary algorithms for prediction of the shortening of the flame
as a function of the rate of injection of the assist fluid. Due to the
proprietary nature of these algorithms, they are not presented here.
In windy conditions the flame will be distorted from the straight

vertical. This distortion may be calculated by the resolution of the
velocity vectors for the exit jet, wind and flame buoyancy.
The jet velocity as a function of the curvelinear distance along the

flame is modelled according to the formula proposed by
McMurray[4].
1 1
u l = 5.0u j d --- – --- (12)
l A
Equations 13, 14 and 15 are resolved according to the Cartesian

coordinate system shown by Figure 14-2.
dx
------ = u l sin Φ cos ω + u ∞ cos ψ (13)
dt
dy
------ = u l sin Φ cos ω + u ∞ sin ψ (14)
dt
dz
----- = u l cos Φ + u b (15)
dt
14-12
Figure 14-2, Coordinate System
If the Brzustowski method is selected then the flame length and

deflection are calculated from a method based upon the distance
required for the dilution of the flared gas to the lean flammability
limit concentration.
Dimensionless parameters are defined which relate the lean

flammability limit concentration and the following parameters to the
deflection of the end point of the flame:
• Tip exit velocity
• Wind velocity
• Gas molecular weight
• Air molecular weight
• Tip diameter
The following dimensionless parameters are defined:
uj Mj
c l = c l ------ ⋅ -------- (16)
u∞ M∞
14-13
xl
x l = --------------------------
dj uj ρ (17)
--------- ⋅ ------j-
u∞ ρ∞
zl
z l = --------------------------
dj uj ρ (18)
--------- ⋅ ------j-
u∞ ρ∞
Figure 14-3 gives the values for the horizontal and vertical distance
factors for a range of values for the dimensionless concentration
parameter..
Figure 14-3, Dimensionless Distance Parameters
14-14
This procedure cannot strictly be used for calculation of the flame

deflection in cases where there is no wind. The limiting case is a
ratio of gas exit velocity to wind velocity of 110. This value
corresponds to a sonic discharge of methane at 400 ° F into a 10 mph
wind. When analysing any calculation results this ratio should be
checked if you are evaluating the effect of low wind speeds.
14-15
14-16 Surface Temperature
14.2 Surface Temperature

The equilibrium surface temperature of metal surfaces exposed to
the thermal radiation is calculated from a heat balance between the
thermal radiation from the flame incident at the specified point and
the heat losses from the same point.
Kα = ( h c + h r ) ⋅ ( T m – T ∞ ) (19)
This heat balance equation assumes that heat losses by convection

and radiation occur only from the surface exposed to the radiation.
The overall heat loss from the point is the sum of the radiation from
the point and the forced/free convection from the point. The
radiative heat transfer coefficient is given by:
4 4
( Tm – T∞ )
h r = σE ⋅ ------------------------------ (20)
( Tm – T∞ )
Convective heat transfer coefficients are calculated from a series of

empirical correlations that are a function of air velocity.
0 ≤ u ∞ ≤ 15
h c = 0.80 + 0.22u ∞ (21)
u ∞ > 15
0.75
h c = 0.56u ∞ (22)
A value of 0.70 is used for both the absorbtivity and emissivity of

the surface. This is a typical value for steels.
14-16
14.3 Noise
The noise generated by a flare may be broken down into 3 basic
components:
• Combustion noise
• Jet noise
Although the noise may be expressed in terms of an average value,

it is frequency dependant. The shape of this noise spectrum is
dependant upon whether the major contribution is due to
combustion noise as in the case of pipeflares, or jet noise as in the
case of sonic flares. The noise spectrum is generally given in 7
octave bands from 63 Hz to 8000 Hz.
Attenuation of the noise occurs due to atmospheric absorption. This

absorption is a function of the frequency of the noise with higher
frequencies being more readily absorbed.
Noise is expressed either in terms of the Sound Power Level (PWL)

or the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) where these terms are defined by
Equations 23 and 24.
PWL = 10 log ⎛ -------⎞

W
⎝W ⎠ (23)
0
⎛ P2 ⎞
SPL = 10 log ⎜ ---------⎟ (24)
⎝ P 2⎠
0
The international standard reference conditions are 10-12 Watts

(W0) and 2 x 10-6 N/m2 (P0).
In the case of a flare stack where the acoustic source may be

considered to be in a free field with directivity factor of unity then
14-17
14-18 Noise
the Sound Pressure Level is related to the Sound Power Level by

Equation 25.
SPL = PWL – 20 log D – 0.49 – SPL A (25)
Noise data predicted by the program refer to the Sound Pressure

Level in all cases.
14.3.1 Combustion Noise

Combustion noise is a function of the heat release from the flame
and the design of the flare tip. The calculation of the noise spectrum
due to combustion is based upon a typical characteristic curve for the
type of tip under consideration (pipe, sonic etc). An example of the
shape is given by Figure 14-4 which gives the noise levels at a
distance of 20 ft from a combustion source of power 81 MM btu/hr.
The noise level at each frequency is then corrected for the actual
combustion duty and distance from Equation 26.
SPL = SPL 20 + 10 log ⎛ ---------------------⎞ +

Q
⎝ 6⎠
81 × 10 (26)
20log ⎛ ------⎞ – SPL A
20
⎝ D⎠
14-18
Figure 14-4, Typical Noise Combustion Spectrum
14.3.2 Jet Noise

The expansion of an unchoked gas stream will produce noise whose
sound power at the peak frequency is determined from the kinetic
energy and acoustic efficiency of the expanded jet according to
Equation 27 [6].
2
ρj uj (27)
PWL = ηV -----------
-
2
The acoustic efficiency of the expanded jet is related to the jet

velocity and whether or not the flow is choked.
14-19
14-20 Noise
If the flow is not choked, then the acoustic efficiency may be

obtained from Figure 14-5. In this figure the dimensionless factor B
is given by the equation:
ρj ⎛ Tj ⎞ 2
B = ------- ⋅ ⎜ -------⎟ (28)
ρ ∞ ⎝ T ∞⎠
Figure 14-5, Acoustic Efficiency For Normal Flow
If the flow is choked, then the acoustic efficiency may be obtained

from Figure 14-6.
14-20
Figure 14-6, Acoustic Efficiency For Choked Flow
The expansion of a gas stream will produce noise which has a

spectrum which peaks with a frequency calculated by a method due
to MacKinnon [6].
0.2mu s
f max = ----------------- (29)
dj
At frequencies other than the peak frequency the noise is calculated

using Equation 30.
14-21
14-22 Noise
SPL i = SPL tot – 10 ⋅

(30)
⎛ ⎛ f i ⎞ 2⎞ ⎛ ⎛ f max⎞ 4⎞
log ⎜ 1 + ⎜ --------------⎟ ⎟ ⎜ 1 + ⎜ -----------⎟ ⎟ – 5.3
⎝ ⎝ 2f max⎠ ⎠ ⎝ ⎝ 2f i ⎠ ⎠
14.3.3 Atmospheric Attenuation

At distances greater than approximately 100 ft, the noise becomes
attenuated due to absorption by the atmosphere. The attenuation is a
function of the frequency of the noise, with higher frequencies being
more readily attenuated than lower ones.
Figure 14-7 gives the attenuation of noise for a range of frequencies.

This figure is strictly applicable only to still air at a temperature of
70 ° F and a relative humidity greater than 60%. Extension to
temperatures in the range 40 ° F to 100 ° F may be made by
increasing the attenuation by 10% for each 10 ° F below 70 ° F.
14-22
Figure 14-7, Atmospheric Attenuation Of Noise
14-23
14-24 Nomenclature
14.4 Nomenclature
The following nomenclature is used in sections 14.1 through to 14.3.
14.4.1 Symbols
A API flame length (ft)

a Empirical constant used in IMS method
B Dimensionless scaling parameter
c Flammability lean limit concentration
D Distance from flame midpoint to receptor (ft)
d Tip diameter (ft)
E Metal surface emissivity
F Fraction of heat radiated
f Frequency (Hz)
H Relative humidity (%)
h Heat transfer coefficient (btu/hr/ft2/(R)
L Flame length (ft)
LHV Lower heating value (btu/lb)
l Curvelinear flame length (ft)
l1 Constant in flame length equation
l2 Constant in flame length equation
M Molecular weight
m Mach number
N Number of burners in tip assembly
K Thermal radiation at receptor (btu/hr/ft2)
k Heat capacity ratio
P Pressure (psia)
PWL Sound Power Level (W)
Q Heat release based upon LHV (btu/hr)
R Universal gas constant
SPL Sound Pressure Level (dB)
T Temperature ((R)
u Velocity (ft/s)
V Volumetric flow (ft3/s)
W Flowrate (lb/hr)
x Distance north of tip (ft)
14-24
x' Horizontal plume distance factor

y Distance east of tip (ft)
Z Compressibility factor (-)
z' Vertical plume distance factor
z Distance above tip (ft)
α Metal surface absorbtivity
β Angle between flame tangent and line of sight to receptor
(degrees)
η Efficiency
ω Rotation of flare from x axis (degrees)
Φ Angle of tip from vertical (degrees)
ψ Rotation of wind from x axis (degrees)
ρ Fluid density (lb/ft3)
σ Stephan Boltzman constant (0.171 x 10-8 btu/hr/ft2/(R4)
τ Transmissivity
14.4.2 Subscripts
A Atmospheric attenuation
b Buoyancy
c Convective
f Correction
i Frequency band
ids Integrated diffuse source
ims Integrated mixed source
ips Intergrated point source
j Jet exit
l Curvelinear length
m Metal
r Radiative
s Sonic
w Corrected for windchill
∞ Wind/atmospheric
τ Corrected for transmissivity
0 Reference condition
20 At 20 ft from source
14-25
14-26 Purge Gas
14.5 Purge Gas

This section details the different methods used to calculate purge gas
rates.
14.5.1 HUSA Method

The full HUSA method is based on the following equation 31[8].
3.46 1 20.9 (31)

Q p = 0.07068d --- ln ---------
- F
y O2 b
where
Qp Purge rate (ft3/h)
d Stack diameter (in)
O2 % oxygen
y Depth into stack (ft)
Fb Gas buoyancy factor
The gas buoyancy factor F b is calculated using either equation 32

or 33.
Where composition of purge gas is known, equation 32 is used[8].
∑ Ci
0.65
Fb = exp [ 0.065 ( 29 – M i ) ] (32)
i
where
Ci Volume fraction of ith component
Mi Molecular weight of ith component
14-26
Where only the molecular weight of the purge gas is known,

equation 33 is used[9].
1.5
F b = 6.25 [ 1 – 0.75 ( M ⁄ 28.96 ) ] (33)
where
M Molecular weight of purge gas.
If the purge gas buoyancy factor calculated using either method is
less than the buoyancy factor of nitrogen then the buoyancy factor
for nitrogen is used.
14.5.2 Reduced HUSA Method

The reduced HUSA method is based on the following equation
34.[8]
∑ Ci
3.46 0.65
Q p = 0.003528d Ki (34)
i
14-27
14-28 Purge Gas
where
Qp Purge rate (ft3/h)
d Stack diameter (in)
Ci Volume fraction of ith component
Ki Constant for ith component from following table
Component K
Hydrogen 5.783
Helium 5.078
Methane 2.328
Nitrogen 1.067 (no wind)
1.707 (wind)
Ethane -1.067
Propane -2.651
Carbon Dioxide -2.651
Butane and heavier -6.586
0.65
If the sum of the C i K i terms is less than the K value for nitrogen
then the value for nitrogen is used.
14-28
14.6 Water Sprays

The modelling of water sprays used for shields is based on the
method presented by Long and Rogers [10].
The transmissivity of the water curtain is given by the ratio
E
τ = ------ (35)
Eb
where
τ Transmissivity
E Total transmitted flux
Eb Total black body radiated flux
The total transmitted flux is calculated by integration over the range

of radiation wavelengths emitted by the flame.
λ max
E = ∫( λ min )
E λb exp ( – α λ ⋅ s ) (36)
where
E λb Black body radiation at wavelength λ , W/m2
λ Radiation wavelength, m
αλ Absorption coefficient at wavelength λ m-1
s Thickness of water curtain layer m
The black body radiation at wavelength λ is given by the Planck

equation.
2 –5
E λb = ( 2πHc λ ) ⁄ ( exp ( ( Hc ) ⁄ ( KλT ) – 1 ) ) (37)
14-29
14-30 Water Sprays
where
H Planck constant J/s
c Speed of light m/s2
λ Wavelength of radiation m
K Boltzman constant J/K
T Temperature K
The absorption coefficient for water is calculated by interpolation

from graphical data presented in the paper [10].
14.6.1 Thickness of Water Curtain

The effective thickness of a water curtain is calculated for a given
water flow and nozzle characteristics using an equation presented by
Long, [11].
6u noz
s = ( ( 0.5D noz ) ⁄ π ) -------------
- (38)
u drop
where
s Layer thickness m
D noz Nozzle diameter m
u noz Nozzle exit velocity m/s
u drop Droplet velocity m/s
14-30
14.7 References
1. API RP521, “Guide For Pressure-Relieving and
Depressuring Systems”, 4th ed, American Petroleum
Institute, Washington DC, 1997.
2. Hajek, J.D. and Ludwig, E.E., “How To Design Safe Flare

Stacks”, Part 1, Petro/Chem Engineer, 1960, Vol 32, No. 6,
pp.C31-C38; Part2, Petro/Chem Engineer, 1960, Vol 32,
No. 7, pp.C44-C51.
3. Bruztowski, T.A. and Sommer, E.C. Jr., “Predicting

Radiant Heating From Flares”, Proceedings - Division of
Refining, Vol. 53, pp. 865-893, American Petroleum
Institute, Washington DC, 1973.
4. McMurray, R., “Flare Radiation Estimated”, Hydrocarbon

Processing, Nov. 1982, pp. 175-181.
5. Narasimhan, N.D., “Predict Flare Noise”, Hydrocarbon

Processing, April 1986, pp. 133-136.
6. MacKinnon, J.G., “Recent Advances in Standardizing

Valve Noise Prediction”, Society of Instrument & Control
Engineers, Tokyo, Sept. 1984.
7. Husa, H.W., “How to Compute Safe Purge Rates”,

Hydrocarbon Processing, 1964, 43, No. 5.
8. Husa, H.W., “Purging Requirements of Large Diameter

Stacks”, American Petroleum Institute, Fall Meeting 1977.
9. Shore, D, “Making the Flare Safe”, Journal of Loss

Prevention Process Industry, 1996, Vol 9, No 6, 363-381
10. Long, C.A and Rogers M.C, “Temperature Prediction for

Surfaces Exposed to Flare Radiation and Attenuation of
Radiative Fluxes by Water Curtain”, 5th International
Conference - ‘Offshore Structures - Hazard & Integrity
Management’ 4-5th December 1996.
14-31
14-32 References
11. Long C.A. “Attenuation of Thermal Radiative Heat Fluxes

by Water Curtain”, 1995, School of Engineering, University
of Sussex, Report No 95/TFMRC/181.
14-32
OLE Interface 15-1
15 OLE Interface
Page
15.1 Overall Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
15.1.1 Accessing the Flaresim.Application Object 6
15.2 Flaresim Application Object . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
15.3 ICase Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
15.4 IOptions Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
15.5 ITips Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
15.6 ITip Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
15.7 IPoints Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
15.8 IPoint Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
15.9 IStacks Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
15.10IStack Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
15.11 IGrids Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
15.12IGrid Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
15.13IShields Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
15-1
OLE Interface 15-2
Page
15.14IShield Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
15.15IEnvironments Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
15.16IEnvironment Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
15.17IFluids Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
15.18IFluid Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
15.19IComponents Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
15.20IComponent Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
15.21IAssists Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
15.22IAssist Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
15-2
15-3
15-3
15-4
The OLE Interface to Flaresim allows the program to be linked to

other software that supports OLE for the purposes of building
extended applications. A typical example would be using an Excel
spreadsheet program to provide an integration between Flaresim and
other software that might be calculating flare system loadings.
The Flaresim OLE interface is designed so that it is possible to build

a model, run it and retrieve results through the OLE interface
without having to open the standard Flaresim interface. More
commonly it might be used to run an existing model in a batch mode
to allow repetitive calculations to be carried out more easily.
This chapter documents the overall structure of the Flaresim OLE

interface and details the objects that can be accessed and the
properties and methods that they support. The properties and
methods are documented in the form of the Visual Basic function or
property declaration since this language is most commonly used
when programming OLE applications.
Small snippets of code in Visual Basic are provided to show how the
Flaresim OLE objects can be accessed. However this documentation
is intended to act as a reference guide rather than a complete guide
to the use of OLE technology.
15-4
OLE Interface 15-5
15.1 Overall Structure

The figure below shows the overall structure of the Flaresim OLE
interface.
Figure 15-1, Flaresim OLE Structure
Flaresim.Application
ICase
IOptions
ITips
ITip
IPoints
IPoint
IStacks
IStack
IGrids
IGrid
IShields
IShield
IEnvironments
IEnvironment
IFluids
IFluid
IComponents
IComponent
IAssists
IAssist
15-5
15-6 Overall Structure
As the figure shows, the heirarchical structure of the OLE interface

is similar to the standard heirarchical structure of a Flaresim model
as shown in the Case Summary view.
The root of the OLE Structure is the Flaresim.Application object

which is the basic creatable object that must be created or accessed
by any 3rd party software that wishes to use the Flaresim OLE
interface. Once access to the Flaresim.Application objects has been
established it may be used to gain access to all of the other objects
exposed by the interface.
15.1.1 Accessing the Flaresim.Application

Object
The Flaresim Application object can be accessed by the following
code.
Dim fsmApp As Flaresim.Application
Set fsmApp = New Flaresim.Application
15-6
OLE Interface 15-7
15.2 Flaresim Application Object

The Flaresim Application object provides the following interface
properties. All of these properties are read only.
CaseDetails() as ICase
Returns an ICase object which provides access to the case details.
Options() as IOptions
Returns an IOptions object which provides access to the calculation
options for the case.
Tips() as ITips
Returns an ITips object which provides access to the collection of
Tip objects in the case.
Stacks() as IStacks
Returns an IStacks object which provides access to the collection of
stack objects in the case.
Points() as IPoints
Returns an IPoints object which provides access to the collection of
Point objects in the case.
Grids() as IGrids
Returns an IGrids object which provides access to the collection of
Grid objects in the case.
Environments() as IEnvironments
Returns an IEnvironments object which provides access to the
collection of Environment objects in the case.
Shields() as IShields
Returns an IShields object which provides access to the collection of
Shield objects in the case.
Fluids() as IFluids
Returns an IFluids object which provides access to the collection of
Fluid objects in the case.
15-7
15-8 Flaresim Application Object
Assists() as IAssists
Returns an IAssists object which provides access to the collection of
Assist fluid objects in the case.
Components() as IComponents
Returns an IComponents object which provides access to the
collection of component objects in the case.
The Flaresim Application object also provides these methods.
GetValue(varName as String) as Long

Returns an integer value for the selected variable name. If the value
could not be retreived the empty value -32767 is returned. The
following values for varName are recognised.
varName Description of return value
ISVISIBLE Integer denoting whether the Flaresim application

is visible 0 = Invisible, 1 = Visible
PAPERSIZE Integer value denoting selected paper size. The

most common sizes are listed below.
1 = Letter, 8½ x 11 in.
2 = Letter Small, 8½ x 11 in.
3 = Tabloid, 11 x 17 in.
4 = Ledger, 17 x 11 in.
5 = Legal, 8 ½ x 14 in.
6 = Statement, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.
7 = Executive, 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
8 = A3, 297 x 420 mm
9 = A4, 210 x 297 mm
10 = A4 Small, 210 x 297 mm
11 = A5, 148 x 210 mm
12 = B4, 250 x 354 mm
13 = B5, 182 x 257 mm
14 = Folio, 8 ½ x 13 in.
15 = Quarto, 215 x 275 mm
16 = 10 x 14 in.
17 = 11 x 17 in.
18 = Note, 8 ½ x 11 in.
PAGEORIENTATION Integer denoting page orientation, 0 = Portrait, 1 =

Landscape
15-8
OLE Interface 15-9
SetValue(varName as String, varData as Long) as Boolean

Sets the selected variable to the value supplied as varData. The
method returns True if the value was set successfully. The following
values for varName are recognised.
varName varData Description
ISVISIBLE Integer denoting whether the Flaresim application

is visible 0 = Invisible, 1 = Visible
PAPERSIZE Integer value denoting selected paper size. The

most common sizes are listed below.
1 = Letter, 8½ x 11 in.
2 = Letter Small, 8½ x 11 in.
3 = Tabloid, 11 x 17 in.
4 = Ledger, 17 x 11 in.
5 = Legal, 8 ½ x 14 in.
6 = Statement, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.
7 = Executive, 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
8 = A3, 297 x 420 mm
9 = A4, 210 x 297 mm
10 = A4 Small, 210 x 297 mm
11 = A5, 148 x 210 mm
12 = B4, 250 x 354 mm
13 = B5, 182 x 257 mm
14 = Folio, 8 ½ x 13 in.
15 = Quarto, 215 x 275 mm
16 = 10 x 14 in.
17 = 11 x 17 in.
18 = Note, 8 ½ x 11 in.
PAGEORIENTATION Integer denoting page orientation, 0 = Portrait, 1 =

Landscape
GetTextValue(varName as String) as String

Returns a string value for the selected variable name. If the value
cannot be retrieved an empty string is returned.The following values
for varName are recognised.
PRINTER The name of the selected printer.
15-9
15-10 Flaresim Application Object
SetTextValue(varName as String, varData as String) as Boolean

Sets the selected variable to the string supplied as varData. The
method returns True if the change was successful or False if not. The
PRINTER The name of the printer to be used. This will be the

same name as displayed in the standard windows
printer dialogs.
RunAction(varAction as String, varData as Variant) as Boolean

Runs the command described by the varAction string. The method
returns True if the action was successfully run or False if an error
was encountered..
varAction varData Description
NEWFILE None, use a dummy empty string
OPENFILE The full name of the file to be opened as a string
SAVEFILE The full file name to save the case to as a string
CALCULATE None, use a dummy empty string
PRINT None, use a dummy empty string
15-10
OLE Interface 15-11
15.3 ICase Object

The ICase object provides access to the case details information that
is normally supplied through the Case Details view. The ICase
object provides the following methods.

LASTMODIFIED A string with the time and date that the case was
last modified
AUTHOR The author of the case
REVISION The revision number of the case
TITLE The title of the case
CHECKEDBY The person who checked the case
DESCRIPTION The case description

method returns True if the value was set successfully or False if not.
The following values for varName are recognised.
varName varData values
AUTHOR The author of the case
REVISION The revision number of the case
TITLE The title of the case
CHECKEDBY The person who checked the case
DESCRIPTION The case description
15-11
15-12 IOptions Object
15.4 IOptions Object

The IOptions object provides access to the calculation options for
the case that are usually specified through the Calculation Options
view. The following methods are provided.

CALCULATION- A string describing the currently selected calcula-

METHOD tion method for thermal radiation.
NOISEMETHOD A string describing the currently selected calcula-

tion method for noise.
WINDSPEEDUNIT The units of measurement defined for the wind-

speed calculation when defining the constants for
the HTC equations.
STACKTOBEZSIZED The name of the stack selected for sizing calcula-

tions or “None” if no stack is selected.
FITTINGTIP The name of the tip to be used in fitting F Factor

values.
FITTINGPOINT The name of the receptor point to be used in fitting

F Factor values. Can also have value “All Active”
if all active receptor points are to be used.

method returns True if successful otherwise it returns False. The
15-12
OLE Interface 15-13
varName varData values
CALCULATION- A string defining the method to be used for ther-

METHOD mal radiation calculations. The following values
are recognised
Flaresim API (also API)
Point
Diffuse
Mixed
Brzustowski
M.Point Brz
Strict API
NOISEMETHOD A string defining the calculation method to be used

for noise calculations. The following values are
recognised
API
Spectrum
WINDSPEEDUNIT A string defining the windspeed unit correspond-

ing to the constants defined for the HTC equations.
Must be a recognised length unit.
STACKTOBESIZED The name of the stack to be sized or “None” if no

stack sizing is required. Must be the name of a tip
in the case.
FITTINGTIP The name of the tip which is to have its F Factor

value adjusted during the data fitting process. Must
be the name of a stack in the case.
FITTINGPOINT The name of the receptor point to be used in F Fac-

tor fitting calculations or “All Active” if all active
receptor points are to be used. Must reference an
existing receptor point.
GetDimValue(varName as String, Optional varUnit as String)

as Double
Retrieves the value of the selected engineering value. If the optional
varUnit string is specified then the value will be converted to the
specified units, otherwise it will be returned in the internal
calculation units. If the value cannot be retrieved a special empty
value -32767.0 will be returned. The following values for varName
are recognised.
15-13
varName Default Unit Description of return value
PIPEBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for pipe flare tips.
SONICBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for sonic flare tips.
LIQUIDBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for liquid welltest tips.
HTC1A W/m2/K Multiplier in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC1B Unitless Exponent in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC1C W/m2/K Constant in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2A W/m2/K Multiplier in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2B Unitless Exponent in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2C W/m2/K Constant in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTCWINDSPEED m/s Wind velocity limit for first heat transfer coefficient equa-
tion.
ELEMENTPOSITION % Position of effective radiation point in flame element.
EXPOSURETIME s Time of exposure for temperature rise calculation.
STACKSIZEMIN m Minimum size of stack for sizing calculations
STACKSIZEMAX m Maximum size of stack for sizing calculations
FITTINGRESULT Unitless F Factor result calculation by data fitting
FITTINGERROR Unitless Square root of the sum of the squares of the relative errors
in the data fitting
SIZINGWINDSPEED m/s The windspeed selected for sizing when wind rose data is
used in sizing calculations
SIZINGWINDDIREC- radian The wind direction selected for sizing when wind rose data
TION is used in sizing calculations
SetDimValue(varName as String, varValue as Double, optional

varUnit as String) as Boolean
Sets the value of the selected engineering value. If the optional
varUnit string is specified then the value supplied will be converted
from the specified units, otherwise it will be assumed to be in the
internal calculation units. If a value is to be set to unspecified, the
15-14
OLE Interface 15-15
special empty value -32767.0 should be used with no unit string. The
The following values for varName are recognised
varName Default Unit varValue Description
PIPEBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for pipe flare tips.
SONICBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for sonic flare tips.
LIQUIDBUOYANCY m/s The buoyancy to be used for liquid welltest tips.
HTC1A W/m2/K Multiplier in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC1B Unitless Exponent in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC1C W/m2/K Constant in first heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2A W/m2/K Multiplier in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2B Unitless Exponent in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTC2C W/m2/K Constant in second heat transfer coefficient equation.
HTCWINDSPEED m/s Wind velocity limit for first heat transfer coefficient equa-
tion.
ELEMENTPOSITION % Position of effective radiation point in flame element.
EXPOSURETIME s Time of exposure for temperature rise calculation.
STACKSIZEMIN m Minimum size of stack for sizing calculations
STACKSIZEMAX m Maximum size of stack for sizing calculations
SIZINGWINDSPEED m/s The windspeed selected for sizing when wind rose data is
used in sizing calculations
SIZINGWINDDIREC- radian The wind direction selected for sizing when wind rose data
TION is used in sizing calculations
15-15

Retrieves the integer value of a numeric variable or a checkbox
setting. The following values of varName are recognised.
ISREADY A value indicating whether the calculation object is

ready for calculations, 1 = Ready, 0 = Not Ready
USESOLARRADIATION A value indicating whether solar radiation is to be

included in the radiation calculation, 1 = Yes, 0 =
No.
USEWINDCHILL A value indicating whether windchill is to be

No.
USEBACKGROUNDNOISE A value indicating whether background noise is to

be included in the noise calculation, 1 = Yes, 0 =
No.
ATTENUATENOISE A value indicating whether attenuation of noise

with distance is to be included in the noise calcula-
tion, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
ADIABATICTEMPERATURECOR- A value indicating whether adiabatic correction of

RECTION temperatures in the tip calculations are to be
applied, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
RKZFACTOR A value indicating whether the Redlich Kwong

method is to be used to calculate the Z factor in the
tip calculations, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
FLAMEELEMENTCOUNT The number of flame elements to be used in the

modelling of flame shape.
EXPOSURETIMESTEPS The number of time steps to be used in the temper-

ature rise calculation
15-16
OLE Interface 15-17

Sets the integer value of a numeric variable or a checkbox setting.
The method returns True if the value was set successfully or False if
not. The following values of varName are recognised.
USESOLARRADIATION A value indicating whether solar radiation is to be

No.
USEWINDCHILL A value indicating whether windchill is to be

No.
USEBACKGROUNDNOISE A value indicating whether background noise is to

be included in the noise calculation, 1 = Yes, 0 =
No.
ATTENUATENOISE A value indicating whether attenuation of noise

with distance is to be included in the noise calcula-
tion, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
ADIABATICTEMPERATURECOR- A value indicating whether adiabatic correction of

RECTION temperatures in the tip calculations are to be
applied, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
RKZFACTOR A value indicating whether the Redlich Kwong

method is to be used to calculate the Z factor in the
tip calculations, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
FLAMEELEMENTCOUNT The number of flame elements to be used in the

modelling of flame shape.
EXPOSURETIMESTEPS The number of time steps to be used in the temper-

ature rise calculation
15-17
15-18 ITips Object
15.5 ITips Object

The ITips object provides access to the collection of tip objects
defined in the model. The following properties are recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of tip objects in the ITips collection. Read only
property.
Item(What as Variant) as ITip

Returns an ITip interface object to the tip specified by the What
parameter. The What parameter must be either an integer specifying
the number of the tip in the collection (first tip is number 1) or a
string containing the name of the tip. Read only property.
The ITips object also provides the following methods.
NewEnum() as IUnknown
Returns a new enumerator for the collection. Not usually called
directly but supplied to support For Each style iteration over the
ITips collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as ITip

Creates a new tip object in the collection and returns an ITip
interface to the newly created tip. If the Name variable is left as the
default empty string a default name will be assigned to the tip.
Delete(What as Variant)
Deletes the tip specified by the What parameter. The What
parameter must be either an integer specifying the number of the tip
in the collection (first tip is number 1) or a string containing the
name of the tip.
15-18
OLE Interface 15-19
15.6 ITip Object

The ITip object provides access to the tip information that is
normally supplied through the Tip view. The ITip object provides
the following methods.

NAME The name of the tip.
ASSISTFLUID The name of the assist fluid attached to the tip. If

no assist fluid is attached “None” is returned.
FFACTORMETHOD or A string describing the F Factor method selected

EMISSIVITYMETHOD for the tip.
ONSTACK The name of the stack to which this tip is attached.

“None” is returned if this is not set.
FLUID or FLUIDPRIMARY or The name of the primary fluid flowing through the
FLUID1 tip. “None” is returned if this is not set.
FLUIDSECONDARY or The name of the secondary fluid flowing through a

FLUID2 combined HP/LP tip. “None” is returned if this is
not set.
PURGEFLUID The purge fluid used for the tip.
TIPFLOWTYPE The calculated flow type through the tip.
TIPTYPE The type of the tip.
COMBNOISEMETHOD The method used for combustion noise for the tip.
SEALTYPE The type of seal used for the tip.

method returns True if the value was successfully set or False if
not.The following values for varName are recognised.
15-19
15-20 ITip Object
NAME The name of the tip.
ASSISTFLUID The name of the assist fluid to be attached to the

tip. To clear an existing assist fluid set varData to
the empty string ““.
FFACTORMETHOD or The string describing the F Factor method selected

EMISSIVITYMETHOD for the tip. The following values are recognised -
User, Natural Gas, Kent, Tan, Cook, High Effi-
ciency, Generic Pipe.
ONSTACK The name of the stack to which this tip is attached.
FLUID or FLUIDPRIMARY or The name of the primary fluid flowing through the
FLUID1 tip.
FLUIDSECONDARY or The name of the secondary fluid flowing through a

FLUID2 combined HP/LP tip. To clear an existing second-
ary fluid set varData to the empty string ““.
PURGEFLUID The purge fluid used for the tip.
TIPTYPE The type of the tip. The following values are rec-
ognised - Pipe, Sonic, Welltest, Hp/Lp
COMBNOISEMETHOD The method used for combustion noise for the tip.
The following values are recognised - Acoustic
Efficiency, Low Noise Reference, Standard Refer-
ence, User Reference
SEALTYPE The type of seal used for the tip. The following
values are recognised - None, Fluidic, Fluidic2,
Fluidic3, Mole1, Mole2

as Double
are recognised.
15-20
OLE Interface 15-21
varName Default Unit varData Description
ANGLETOHORIZONTAL radian Angle of the tip to the horizontal.
ANGLEFROMNORTH radian Angle of the tip from north..
APIFLAMELENGTH m Length of flame calculated by API method.
ASSISTFLUIDRATE kg/s Calculated flow rate of the assist fluid.
ASSISTFLUIDRATEUSER kg/s User specified flow rate of the assist fluid.
ASSISTFLUIDRATIO Unitless Calculated flow ratio for assist fluid
CONTRACTIONCOEFF Unitless Calculated contraction coefficient.
CONTRACTIONCOEFFUSER Unitless User defined contraction coefficent.
COMBNOISEHEATRELEASE W Reference heat release value for user defined refer-

ence noise method.
COMBNOISEEFFICIENCY % Efficiency for acoustic efficiency noise method.
DENSITY kg/m3 Density of fluid calculated at tip exit.
DIAMETER m Tip Diameter
EFFECTIVEOPENING % Effective tip burner opening
EXITLOSS Unitless Exit loss coefficient as number of velocity heads.
FFACTOR or FFACTORCALC Unitless Calculated value of F Factor.

or EMISSIVITYCALC
FFACTORUSER or Unitless Value of user defined F Factor.

EMISSIVITYUSER
FLAMELENGTH m Calculated flame length used for radiation calcs.
HEATRELEASE W Calculated heat released. Note combined heat

release for HP/LP tip.
HEATRELEASESHAPE W Calculated heat released for flame shape calcula-

tion. Note this is primary fluid heat release only for
HP/LP tip.
LENGTH m Tip length
MAXFFACTOR or Unitless Maximum F Factor for combined HP/LP tip.

MAXEMISSIVITY
15-21
15-22 ITip Object
MACHNUMBER Unitless Mach number at tip exit.
MASSFLOW or kg/s Mass flow rate of primary fluid through tip.

MASSFLOWPRIMARY or
MASSFLOW1
MASSFLOWSECONDARY or kg/s Mass flow rate of secondary fluid through a com-

MASSFLOW2 bined HP/LP tip.
NOISEDISTANCE m Reference distance for noise calculation.
NOISE dB Calculated noise value.
PURGEFIXEDVELOCITY m/s Fixed velocity for purge calculations.
PURGEFIXEDVOLFLOW m3/s Fixed volumetric flow rate for purge calculations.
PURGEHUSAO2 % Oxygen content used for HUSA purge gas calcula-

tion.
PURGEHUSAHEIGHT m Depth into stack used for HUSA purge gas calcula-
tions.
PURGEFIXEDVELOCITY- kg/s Calculated purge gas flow using fixed velocity

CALCFLOW method.
PURGEFIXEDVOLFLOW- m/s Calculated purge gas velocity using fixed volume

CALCVELOCITY flow method.
PURGEFIXEDVOLFLOW- kg/s Calculated purge gas flow using fixed volume flow
CALCFLOW method.
PURGEAPICALCVELOCITY m/s Calculated purge gas velocity using API method.
PURGEAPICALCFLOW kg/s Calculated purge gas flow using API method.
PURGEHUSACALCVELOC- m/s Calculated purge gas velocity using HUSA

ITY method.
PURGEHUSACALCFLOW Calculated purge gas flow using HUSA method.
PURGEREDUCEDHUSACAL- Calculated purge gas velocity using reduced

CVELOCITY HUSA method.
PURGEREDUCEDHUSACAL- Calculated purge gas flow using reduced HUSA

CFLOW method.
RISERDIAMETER m Diameter of tip riser.
15-22
OLE Interface 15-23
ROUGHNESS m Roughness of tip riser.
SEALBACKPRESSURE Pa Calculated static back pressure at seal.
SEALDP Pa Calculated static pressure drop across seal.
SEALTOTALBACKPRES- Pa Calculated total back pressure at seal.

SURE
SEALTOTALDP Pa Calculated total pressure drop across seal.
SONIC m/s Calculated sonic velocity at tip exit.
STACKBACKPRESSURE Pa Calculated static back pressure at stack entrance.
STACKDP Pa Calculated static pressure drop across stack.
STACKTOTALBACKPRES- Pa Calculated total back pressure at stack entrance.

SURE
STACKTOTALDP Pa Calculated total pressure drop across stack.
TIPBACKPRESSURE Pa Calculated static back pressure at tip entrance.
TIPDP Pa Calculated static pressure drop across tip
TIPOUTLETPRESSURE Pa Calculated static tip exit pressure.
TIPOUTLETPRESSURESPEC Pa Specified static tip exit pressure.
TIPTOTALBACKPRESSURE Pa Calculated total pressure drop across tip
TIPTOTALDP Pa Calculated total pressure drop across tip.
TIPTOTALOUTLETPRES- Pa Calculated total tip exit pressure.

SURE
VELOCITY m/s Calculated tip exit velocity.
VOLUMEFLOW m3/s Calculated volume flow at tip exit.
SetDimValue(varName as String, varValue as Double, Optional

15-23
15-24 ITip Object
ANGLETOHORIZONTAL radian Angle of the tip to the horizontal.
ANGLEFROMNORTH radian Angle of the tip from north..
ASSISTFLUIDRATEUSER kg/s User specified flow rate of the assist fluid.
CONTRACTIONCOEFFUSER Unitless User defined contraction coefficent.
COMBNOISEHEATRELEASE W Reference heat release value for user defined refer-

ence noise method.
COMBNOISEEFFICIENCY % Efficiency for acoustic efficiency noise method.
DIAMETER m Tip Diameter
EFFECTIVEOPENING % Effective tip burner opening
EXITLOSS Unitless Exit loss coefficient as number of velocity heads.
FFACTORUSER or Unitless Value of user defined F Factor.

EMISSIVITYUSER
LENGTH m Tip length
MAXFFACTOR or Unitless Maximum F Factor for combined HP/LP tip.

MAXEMISSIVITY
MASSFLOW or kg/s Mass flow rate of primary fluid through tip.

MASSFLOWPRIMARY or
MASSFLOW1
MASSFLOWSECONDARY or kg/s Mass flow rate of secondary fluid through a com-

MASSFLOW2 bined HP/LP tip.
PURGEFIXEDVELOCITY m/s Fixed velocity for purge calculations.
PURGEFIXEDVOLFLOW m3/s Fixed volumetric flow rate for purge calculations.
PURGEHUSAO2 % Oxygen content used for HUSA purge gas calcula-

tion.
PURGEHUSAHEIGHT m Depth into stack used for HUSA purge gas calcula-
tions.
15-24
OLE Interface 15-25
RISERDIAMETER m Diameter of tip riser.
ROUGHNESS m Roughness of tip riser.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the tip object is ready

for calculations, 1 = Ready, 0 = Not Ready
ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the tip is active and

will be included in calculations, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
ISCRITICAL A value indicating whether the flow through the tip

is choked, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
NOOFBURNERS The number of burners for the tip.
FREQUENCYCOUNT The number of points in the noise frequency table.
CALCOPENING A value indicating whether the burner opening is to

be calculated automatically, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the tip is active and

NOOFBURNERS The number of burners for the tip.
CALCOPENING A value indicating whether the burner opening is to

be calculated automatically, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
15-25
15-26 ITip Object
GetArrayValues(varName as String, Optional varUnits as

Variant) as Variant.
This method retrieves array values from the tip object. The contents
of the varUnits variant parameter and the returned variant will
depend on the value of varName as follows. .
varName varUnits Description of return value
FLAMEMID- Array(0 to 2) of string Array (0 to N-1, 0 to 2) of Double defining midpoints of the

POINTXYZ defining coordinates. flame where
Default m/s N is total number of flame elements
Array(i, 0) is x (northing) coordinate of flame element i
Array(i, 1) is y (easting) coordinate of flame element i
Array(i, 2) is z (elevation) coordinate of flame element i
FLAMESHAPE Array(0 to 2) of string Array (0 to N-1, 0 to 2) of Double defining end points of the
defining coordinates. flame elements where
Default m/s N is total number of flame elements
Array(i, 0) is x (northing) coordinate of flame element i
Array(i, 1) is y (easting) coordinate of flame element i
Array(i, 2) is z (elevation) coordinate of flame element i
NOISEFREQUEN- Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining frequencies for noise
CIES Default Hz frequency spectrum where
N is total number of frequencies
Array(i) is frequency of point i in the spectrum
NOISEJET Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining jet noise results for the
Default Db frequency spectrum where
Array(i) is jet noise of point i in the spectrum
NOISECOMBUSTION Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining combustion noise

Default Db results for the frequency spectrum where
Array(i) is combustion noise of point i in the spectrum
NOISEOVERALL Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining overall noise results for
Default Db the frequency spectrum where
Array(i) is overall noise of point i in the spectrum
15-26
OLE Interface 15-27
NOISEREFERENCE- Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining the noise reference data
DATA Default Db for the frequency spectrum where
Array(i) is noise reference value of point i in the spectrum
SetArrayValues(varName as String, varValues as Variant,

Optional varUnits as Variant) as Boolean.
This method sets array values in the tip object. The contents of the
varValues parameter and the optional varUnits variant parameter
will depend on the value of varName as described below. The
method will return True if successful, False if not .
varName varUnits varValues Description
NOISEREFERENCE- Single string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining the noise reference data
DATA Default Db for the frequency spectrum where
Array(i) is noise reference value of point i in the spectrum
15-27
15-28 IPoints Object
15.7 IPoints Object

The IPoints object provides access to the collection of receptor point
objects defined in the model. The following properties are
recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of receptor point objects in the IPoints
collection. Read only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IPoint

Returns an IPoint interface object to the receptor point specified by
the What parameter. The What parameter must be either an integer
specifying the number of the receptor point in the collection (first
receptor point is number 1) or a string containing the name of the
receptor point. Read only property.
The IPoints object also provides the following methods.
IPoints collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IPoint

Creates a new receptor point object in the collection and returns an
IPoint interface to the newly created receptor point. If the Name
variable is left as the default empty string a default name will be
assigned to the receptor point.
Deletes the receptor point specified by the What parameter. The
What parameter must be either an integer specifying the number of
the receptor point in the collection (first receptor point is number 1)
or a string containing the name of the receptor point.
15-28
OLE Interface 15-29
15.8 IPoint Object

The IPoint object provides access to the receptor point information
that is normally supplied through the Receptor Point view. The
IPoint object provides the following methods.

NAME The name of the receptor point.
RELATIVELOCATION The name of the point used as the reference point

for specifying the receptor point location.
ORIENTATION A string describing the orientation of the receptor

point.
LAYOUTFILE A string defining the name of the layout file to be

used for graphic reports.

NAME The name of the receptor point.

for specifying the receptor point location.

point. The following values are recognised - None,
Northing-Easting, Northing-Elevation, Easting-
Elevation.
LAYOUTFILE The name of the layout file to be used for graphic

reports.
15-29
15-30 IPoint Object

as Double
are recognised.
varName Default Unit Description of returned value
EMISSIVITY Unitless Emissivity of receptor point for re-radiation of heat

in surface temperature calculation.
ABSORBTIVITY Unitless Absorbtivity of receptor point for absorbtion of

radiative heat in surface temperature calculation.
AREARATIO Unitless The ratio between area of receptor available for

heat loss to the area available for heat input.
MASSPERUNITAREA kg/m2 The mass per unit area of the receptor point to be
used in calculation of rate of temperature rise.
CP J/kg/K The mass heat capacity of the receptor point to be

INITIALTEMPERATURE K The initial temperature of the receptor point to be

used in calculation of rate of temperature rise
MAXRADIATION W/m2 The maximum radiation allowed for the receptor

point to be used for stack sizing calculations.
MAXNOISE Db The maximum total noise allowed for the receptor

MAXNOISEA Db The maximum A weighted noise allowed for the

receptor point to be used for stack sizing calcula-
tions.
MAXNOISEAVERAGE Db The maximum average noise allowed for the

tions.
OBSERVEDRADIATION W/m2 The measured value of radiation at the receptor

point to be used in F Factor fitting calculations.
15-30
OLE Interface 15-31
RADIATION W/m2 The calculated value of radiation at the receptor

point.
NOISE Db The calculated value of total noise at the receptor

point.
NOISEA Db The calculated value of A weighted noise at the

receptor point.
NOISEAVERAGE Db The calculated value of average noise at the recep-

tor point..

EMISSIVITY Unitless Emissivity of receptor point for re-radiation of heat

in surface temperature calculation.
ABSORBTIVITY Unitless Absorbtivity of receptor point for absorbtion of

radiative heat in surface temperature calculation.
AREARATIO Unitless The ratio between area of receptor available for

heat loss to the area available for heat input.
MASSPERUNITAREA kg/m2 The mass per unit area of the receptor point to be
CP J/kg/K The mass heat capacity of the receptor point to be

INITIALTEMPERATURE K The initial temperature of the receptor point to be

used in calculation of rate of temperature rise
15-31
15-32 IPoint Object
MAXRADIATION W/m2 The maximum radiation allowed for the receptor

MAXNOISE Db The maximum total noise allowed for the receptor

MAXNOISEA Db The maximum A weighted noise allowed for the

tions.
MAXNOISEAVERAGE Db The maximum average noise allowed for the

tions.
OBSERVEDRADIATION W/m2 The measured value of radiation at the receptor

point to be used in F Factor fitting calculations.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the receptor point

object is ready for calculations, 1 = Ready, 0 = Not
Ready
ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the receptor point is

active and will be included in calculations, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.
FREQUENCYCOUNT The number of points in the noise frequency table.
TEMPERATURECOUNT The number of points in the temperature rise table.

15-32
OLE Interface 15-33
ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the receptor point is

Yes, 0 = No.

This method retrieves array values from the receptor point object.
The contents of the varUnits variant parameter and the returned
variant will depend on the value of varName as follows. .
NOISERESULTS Array(0 to 1) of string. Array (0 to N-1, 0 to 2) of Double defining the noise spec-
Array(0) - Frequency trum results where
unit, default Hz N is number of noise spectrum points
Array(1) - Noise unit, Array(i, 0) is frequency of spectrum point i
default Db Array(i, 1) is noise for spectrum point i
Array(i, 2) is A weighted noise for spectrum point i
TEMPERATUR- Array(0 to 1) of string Array (0 to N, 0 to 2) of Double defining the temperature vs

ERESULTS Array(0) - Time unit, time results where
default s N is total number of points in temperature curve.
Array(1) - Tempera- Array(i, 0) is time for point i in curve
ture unit, default K Array(i, 1) is temperature for point i in curve
WINDSPEEDAR- Array(0 to 6) of string Array(0 to N-1, 0 to D, 0 to 6) of Double defining the recep-

RAYRESULTS Array(0) - Radiation tor point results for wind rose calculations at a range of
unit, default W/m2 windspeeds where
Array(1) - Tempera- N is number of windspeeds
ture unit, default K D is number of winddirections
Array(2) - Noise unit, Array(i, j, 0) is radiation at windspeed i from direction j
default Db Array(i, j, 1) is surface temperature at windspeed i from
Array(3) - A weighted direction j
noise unit, default Db Array(i, j, 2) is noise at windspeed i from direction j
Array(4) - Average Array(i, j, 3) is A weighted noise at windspeed i from direc-
noise unit, default Db tion j
Array(5) - Windspeed Array(i, j, 4) is average noise at windspeed i from direction j
unit, default m/s Array(i, j, 5) is windspeed at windspeed i from direction j
Array(6) - Wind direc- Array(i, j, 6) is wind direction at windspeed i from direction
tion unit, default radian j
15-33
15-34 IPoint Object
WINDDIRECTION- Array(0 to 6) of string Array(0 to D, 0 to 6) of Double defining the receptor point

RESULTS Array(0) - Radiation results for wind rose calculations at a range of wind direc-
unit, default W/m2 tions where
Array(1) - Tempera- D is number of winddirections
ture unit, default K Array(i, 0) is radiation at direction i
Array(2) - Noise unit, Array(i, 1) is surface temperature at direction i
default Db Array(i, 2) is noise at direction i
Array(3) - A weighted Array(i, 3) is A weighted noise at direction i
noise unit, default Db Array(i, 4) is average noise at direction i
Array(4) - Average Array(i, 5) is windspeed at direction i
noise unit, default Db Array(i, 6) is wind direction direction i
Array(5) - Windspeed
unit, default m/s
Array(6) - Wind direc-
tion unit, default radian

Executes the action specified by varAction using the data passed the
varData parameter. The method returns True if successful or False if
not. The following actions can be specified with the following data..
varAction Description of Action and varData
SAVEWRPLOT Saves the current wind rose results plot as a graph-

ics file. The varData parameter is a single string
defining the name of the file to be saved. The plot
will be saved as a JPG file.
SAVEWRTABLE Saves the current wind rose results table to a file.

The varData parameter is a single string defining
the name of the file to be saved. The data will be
saved in a comma separated value format.
SAVEWRREPORT Generates and saves a wind rose results graphical

report to file. The varData parameter is a single
string defining the name of the file to be saved.
The type of the plot file will be determined by the
file extension of the supplied file name.
15-34
OLE Interface 15-35
PRINTWRREPORT Generates and prints a wind rose results graphical

report to the currently defined printer. The varData
parameter should be a single dummy string and
will be ignored.
GetLocation(varName as String, Optional varUnits as Variant)

as Variant
This method gets a location. The optional varUnits parameter is an
Array(0 to 2) of String defining the units of conversion for the
location coordinates returned which will depend on the setting for
the varName as follows..
LOCATIONABSXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the absolute location

Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates of the receptor point where
Array(1) - y coord unit Array(0) is x (northing) coordinate
Array(2) - z coord unit Array(1) is y (easting) coordinate
All default m Array(2) is z (elevation) coordinate
LOCATIONXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining receptor point location

Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates relative to reference location in xyz coordinates
LOCATIONPOLAR Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the receptor point location
Array(0) - radius coord coordinates relative to reference location in polar units
unit, default m Array(0) is radius coordinate
Array(1) - angle to hor- Array(1) is angle to horizontal coordinate
izontal unit, default Array(2) is angle from north coordinate
radian
Array(2) - angle to
north unit, default
radian
SetLocation(varName as String, varPoints as Variant, Optional

varUnits as Variant) as Boolean
This method sets a location. The optional varUnits parameter is an
15-35
15-36 IPoint Object
location coordinates contained in varPoints which will depend on

the setting for the varName as follows. The method returns True if
successful, False if not
varName varUnits varPoints Description
LOCATIONXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining receptor point location

Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates relative to reference location in xyz coordinates
LOCATIONPOLAR Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining receptor point location

radian
Array(2) - angle to
north unit, default
radian
15-36
OLE Interface 15-37
15.9 IStacks Object

The IStacks object provides access to the collection of stack objects
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of stack objects in the IStacks collection. Read
only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IStack

Returns an IStack interface object to the stack specified by the What
the number of the receptor point in the collection (first stack is
number 1) or a string containing the name of the stack. Read only
property.
The IStacks object also provides the following methods.
IStacks collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IStack

Creates a new stack object in the collection and returns an IStack
interface to the newly created receptor point. If the Name variable is
left as the default empty string a default name will be assigned to the
receptor point.
Deletes the stack specified by the What parameter. The What
parameter must be either an integer specifying the number of the
stack in the collection (first stack is number 1) or a string containing
the name of the stack.
15-37
15-38 IStack Object
15.10 IStack Object

The IStack object provides access to the receptor point information
that is normally supplied through the Stack view. The IStack object
provides the following methods.

NAME The name of the stack.

for specifying the stack location.

NAME The name of the stack.

for specifying the stack location.

as Double
are recognised.
15-38
OLE Interface 15-39
ANGLETOHORIZONTAL radian Angle of the stack to the horizontal.
ANGLEFROMNORTH radian Angle of the stack from north.
LENGTH m The length of the stack.

ANGLETOHORIZONTAL radian Angle of the stack to the horizontal.
ANGLEFROMNORTH radian Angle of the stack from north.
LENGTH m The length of the stack.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the stack object is

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the stack is active and

15-39
15-40 IStack Object

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the stack is active and

GetLocation(varName as String, Optional varUnits as Variant)

as Variant
This method gets a location. The optional varUnits parameter is an
location coordinates returned which will depend on the setting for
the varName as follows..
STACKBASEAB- Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the absolute location

SXYZ Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates of the stack base where
STACKBASEXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the stack base location
Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates relative to reference location in cartesian coor-
Array(1) - y coord unit dinates
Array(2) - z coord unit Array(0) is x (northing) coordinate
All default m Array(1) is y (easting) coordinate
Array(2) is z (elevation) coordinate
STACKBASEPOLAR Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the stack base location
radian
Array(2) - angle to
north unit, default
radian
15-40
OLE Interface 15-41
STACKENDABSXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the absolute location

Array(0) - x coord unit coordinates of the top of the stack where
STACKENDXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double of the location coordinates of the

Array(0) - x coord unit top of the stack relative to reference location in cartesian
Array(1) - y coord unit coordinates
STACKENDPOLAR Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining the location coordinates

Array(0) - radius coord of the top of the stack relative to reference location in polar
unit, default m units
Array(1) - angle to hor- Array(0) is radius coordinate
izontal unit, default Array(1) is angle to horizontal coordinate
radian Array(2) is angle from north coordinate
Array(2) - angle to
north unit, default
radian
SetLocation(varName as String, varPoints as Variant, Optional

varUnits as Variant) as Boolean
This method sets a location. The optional varUnits parameter is an
location coordinates contained in varPoints which will depend on
the setting for the varName as follows. The method returns True if
successful, False if not. .
STACKBASEXYZ Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) of Double defining stack base location coor-
Array(0) - x coord unit dinates relative to reference location in cartesian coordi-
Array(1) - y coord unit nates
15-41
15-42 IStack Object
STACKBASEPOLAR Array(0 to 2) of string. Array (0 to 2) Double defining stack base location coordi-
Array(0) - radius coord nates relative to reference location in polar units
radian
Array(2) - angle to
north unit, default
radian
15-42
OLE Interface 15-43
15.11 IGrids Object

The IGrids object provides access to the collection of receptor grid
recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of receptor grid objects in the IGrids collection.
Read only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IGrid

Returns an IGrid interface object to the receptor grid specified by the
What parameter. The What parameter must be either an integer
specifying the number of the receptor grid in the collection (first
receptor grid is number 1) or a string containing the name of the
receptor grid. Read only property.
The IGrids object also provides the following methods.
IGrids collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IGrid

Creates a new receptor grid object in the collection and returns an
IGrid interface to the newly created receptor grid. If the Name
assigned to the receptor grid.
Deletes the receptor grid specified by the What parameter. The What
receptor grid in the collection (first receptor grid is number 1) or a
string containing the name of the receptor grid.
15-43
15-44 IGrid Object
15.12 IGrid Object

The IGrid object provides access to the receptor grid information
that is normally supplied through the Receptor Grid view. The
IGrid object provides the following methods.

NAME The name of the receptor grid.

grid.
POINTORIENTATION A string describing the orientation of the individual
receptor points within the grid
OVERLAYFILE A string defining the name of the overlay file to be

used as the background for isopleth plots.
OVERLAYUNITS A string defining the dimension units used in the

overlay definition.

reports.

NAME The name of the receptor grid.

grid. The following values are recognised -
Northing-Easting, Northing-Elevation, Easting-
Elevation.
15-44
OLE Interface 15-45
POINTORIENTATION A string describing the orientation of the individual

receptor points within the grid. The following val-
ues are recognised - None, Northing-Easting,
Northing-Elevation, Easting-Elevation.
OVERLAYFILE A string defining the name of the overlay file to be

used as the background for isopleth plots.
OVERLAYUNITS A string defining the dimension units used in the

overlay definition.

reports.

as Double
are recognised.
AXIS1MINIMUM m The minimum dimension of the first axis.
AXIS1MAXIMUM m The maximum dimension of the first axis.
AXIS2MINIMUM m The minimum dimension of the second axis.
AXIS2MAXIMUM m The maximum dimension of the second axis.
OFFSET m The offset of the receptor grid.
POINTEMISSIVITY Unitless The emissivity of each point in the receptor grid to

be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise.
POINTABSORBTIVITY Unitless The absorbtivity of each point in the receptor grid

to be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise.
15-45
15-46 IGrid Object
POINTAREARATIO Unitless The ratio of area available for heat loss to area
available for heat input for each point in the grid to
be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise
OVERLAYAXIS1MIN m The minimum dimension for axis 1 for the overlay

drawing used for the isopleth background.
OVERLAYAXIS1MAX m The maximum dimension for axis 1 for the overlay




The following values for varName are recognised. .
AXIS1MINIMUM m The minimum dimension of the first axis.
AXIS1MAXIMUM m The maximum dimension of the first axis.
AXIS2MINIMUM m The minimum dimension of the second axis.
AXIS2MAXIMUM m The maximum dimension of the second axis.
OFFSET m The offset of the receptor grid.
POINTEMISSIVITY Unitless The emissivity of each point in the receptor grid to

be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise.
POINTABSORBTIVITY Unitless The absorbtivity of each point in the receptor grid

to be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise.
15-46
OLE Interface 15-47
POINTAREARATIO Unitless The ratio of area available for heat loss to area
available for heat input for each point in the grid to
be used in calculation of rate of temperature rise





ISREADY A value indicating whether the receptor grid object

is ready for calculations, 1 = Ready, 0 = Not Ready
ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the receptor grid is

Yes, 0 = No.
AXIS1POINTS The number of points in the grid for axis 1.
OVERLAYMATCHESGRID A value indicating whether the dimensions of the

overlay drawing used for the isopleth background
matches the dimensions of the receptor grid, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.
SHOWOVERLAY A value indicating whether the overlay drawing is

to be displayed for the isopleth background, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.
15-47
15-48 IGrid Object
CONTOURTYPE A value indicating the interpolation method to be

used for generating the contour curves, 0 = Linear,
1 = Cubic, 2 = BSpline.
GRAPHREPORTTYPE A value indicating the type of graphical report to

be produced, 0 = Radiation, 1 = Noise, 2 = Tem-
perature.
LABELCURVE A value indicating whether isopleth curves are to

be labeled, 1 = Yes, 0 = No
RADIATIONDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid radiation results

are to be displayed, 0 = Table, 1 = Plot
NOISEDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid noise results are to

be displayed, 0 = Table, 1 = Plot
TEMPERATUREDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid temperature results


ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the receptor grid is

Yes, 0 = No.
OVERLAYMATCHESGRID A value indicating whether the dimensions of the

overlay drawing used for the isopleth background
matches the dimensions of the receptor grid, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.
SHOWOVERLAY A value indicating whether the overlay drawing is

to be displayed for the isopleth background, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.
15-48
OLE Interface 15-49
CONTOURTYPE A value indicating the interpolation method to be

used for generating the contour curves, 0 = Linear,
1 = Cubic, 2 = BSpline.
GRAPHREPORTTYPE A value indicating the type of graphical report to

be produced, 0 = Radiation, 1 = Noise, 2 = Tem-
perature.
LABELCURVE A value indicating whether isopleth curves are to

be labeled, 1 = Yes, 0 = No
RADIATIONDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid radiation results

NOISEDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid noise results are to

be displayed, 0 = Table, 1 = Plot
TEMPERATUREDISPLAY A value indicating how the grid temperature results


This method retrieves array values from the receptor grid object. The
contents of the varUnits variant parameter and the returned variant
will depend on the value of varName as follows. .
RADIATIONISOVAL- Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for radia-
UES Array(0) - radiation tion isopleth lines where
unit, default W/m2 N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is radiation value of isopleth line i
RADIATIONISOCOL- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for radiation
OURS Array(0) - Dummy isopleth lines where
empty string ““ N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is colour value of isopleth line i as an RGB value
RADIATIONISPOT- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for radia-
YPES Array(0) - Dummy tion isopleth lines where
Array(i) is line type value of isopleth line i, 0 to 5.
15-49
15-50 IGrid Object
RADIATIONISOW- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for radia-
IDTHS Array(0) - Dummy tion isopleth lines where
Array(i) is line width in pixels of isopleth line i
NOISEISOVALUES Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for noise
Array(0) - noise unit, isopleth lines where
default Db N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is noise value of isopleth line i
NOISEISOCOLOURS Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for noise iso-
Array(0) - Dummy pleth lines where
NOISEISPOTYPES Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for noise
Array(0) - Dummy isopleth lines where
NOISEISOWIDTHS Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for noise
TEMPERATUREISO- Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for tem-
VALUES Array(0) - temperature perature isopleth lines where
unit, default K N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is temperature value of isopleth line i
TEMPERATUREISO- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for tempera-
COLOURS Array(0) - Dummy ture isopleth lines where
TEMPERATUREIS- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for tem-
POTYPES Array(0) - Dummy perature isopleth lines where
TEMPERATURE- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for tem-
ISOWIDTHS Array(0) - Dummy perature isopleth lines where
15-50
OLE Interface 15-51
AXIS1VALUES Array(0 to 0) of string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining points along first axis of
Array(0) - Dimension receptor grid where
unit, default m N = Number of points on first axis
Array(i) - distance of point i along first axis
AXIS2VALUES Array(0 to 0) of string Array(0 to N-1) of Double defining points along second
Array(0) - Dimension axis of receptor grid where
unit, default m N = Number of points on second axis
Array(i) - distance of point i along second axis
RADIATIONVALUES Array(0 to 0) of string Array(0 to N-1, 0 to M-1) of double defining radiation

Array(0) - Radiation results of the receptor grid where
unit, default W/m2 N = number of points on first axis
M = number of points on second axis
Array(i,j) = radiation value at point i, j in grid
NOISEVALUES Array(0 to 0) of string Array(0 to N-1, 0 to M-1) of double defining noise results of
Array(0) - Noise unit, the receptor grid where
default Db N = number of points on first axis
Array(i,j) = noise value at point i, j in grid
TEMPERATURE- Array(0 to 0) of string Array(0 to N-1, 0 to M-1) of double defining temperature

VALUES Array(0) - Tempera- results of the receptor grid where
ture unit, default K N = number of points on first axis
Array(i,j) = temperature value at point i, j in grid

This method sets array values in the receptor grid object. The
contents of the varValues parameter and the optional varUnits
variant parameter will depend on the value of varName as described
below. The method will return True if successful, False if not .
RADIATIONISOVAL- Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for radia-
UES Array(0) - radiation tion isopleth lines where
unit, default W/m2 N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is radiation value of isopleth line i
15-51
15-52 IGrid Object
RADIATIONISOCOL- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for radiation
OURS Array(0) - Dummy isopleth lines where
RADIATIONISPOT- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for radia-
YPES Array(0) - Dummy tion isopleth lines where
RADIATIONISOW- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for radia-
IDTHS Array(0) - Dummy tion isopleth lines where
NOISEISOVALUES Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for noise
Array(0) - noise unit, isopleth lines where
default Db N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is noise value of isopleth line i
NOISEISOCOLOURS Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for noise iso-
Array(0) - Dummy pleth lines where
NOISEISPOTYPES Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for noise
NOISEISOWIDTHS Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for noise
TEMPERATUREISO- Array(0 to 0) of String. Array (0 to N) of double defining radiation values for tem-
VALUES Array(0) - temperature perature isopleth lines where
unit, default K N is number of isopleth lines
Array(i) is temperature value of isopleth line i
TEMPERATUREISO- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining colour values for tempera-
COLOURS Array(0) - Dummy ture isopleth lines where
15-52
OLE Interface 15-53
TEMPERATUREIS- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line type values for tem-
POTYPES Array(0) - Dummy perature isopleth lines where
TEMPERATURE- Array(0 to 0) of String Array (0 to N) of Long defining line width values for tem-
ISOWIDTHS Array(0) - Dummy perature isopleth lines where

SAVERADIATIONPLOT Saves the current radiation isopleth plot as a graph-

ics file. The varData parameter is a single string
defining the name of the file to be saved. The plot
will be saved as a JPG file.
SAVENOISEPLOT Saves the current noise isopleth plot as a graphics

file. The varData parameter is a single string defin-
ing the name of the file to be saved. The plot will
be saved as a JPG file.
SAVETEMPERATUREPLOT Saves the current temperature isopleth plot as a

graphics file. The varData parameter is a single
The plot will be saved as a JPG file.
SAVERADIATIONTABLE Saves the receptor grid radiation results table to a

file. The varData parameter is a single string defin-
ing the name of the file to be saved. The data will
be saved in a comma separated value format.
SAVENOISETABLE Saves the receptor grid noise results table to a file.

The varData parameter is a single string defining
the name of the file to be saved. The data will be
saved in a comma separated value format.
15-53
15-54 IGrid Object
SAVETEMPERATURETABLE Saves the receptor grid temperature results table to

a file. The varData parameter is a single string
defining the name of the file to be saved. The data
will be saved in a comma separated value format.
SAVERADIATIONREPORT Generates and saves a radiation isopleths graphical

SAVENOISEREPORT Generates and saves a noise isopleths graphical

SAVETEMPERATUREREPORT Generates and saves a temperature isopleths graph-

ical report to file. The varData parameter is a sin-
gle string defining the name of the file to be saved.
PRINTRADIATIONREPORT Generates and prints a radiation isopleths graphical

will be ignored.
PRINTNOISEREPORT Generates and prints a noise isopleths graphical

will be ignored.
PRINTTEMPERATUREREPORT Generates and prints a temperature isopleths

graphical report to the currently defined printer.
The varData parameter should be a single dummy
string and will be ignored.
SAVERADIATIONISOPOINTS Generates and saves a list of the radiation isopleth

contour points to a file. The varData parameter is a
single string defining the name of the file to be
saved. The data will be saved in a comma sepa-
rated value format.
15-54
OLE Interface 15-55
SAVENOISEISOPOINTS Generates and saves a list of the noise isopleth con-

tour points to a file. The varData parameter is a
single string defining the name of the file to be
rated value format.
SAVETEMPERATUREISOPOINTS Generates and saves a list of the temperature isop-

leth contour points to a file. The varData parameter
is a single string defining the name of the file to be
rated value format.
15-55
15-56 IShields Object
15.13 IShields Object

The IShields object provides access to the collection of shield
recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of shield objects in the IShields collection. Read
only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IShield

Returns an IShield interface object to the shield specified by the
specifying the number of the shield in the collection (first shield is
number 1) or a string containing the name of the shield. Read only
property.
The IShields object also provides the following methods.
IShields collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IShield

Creates a new shield object in the collection and returns an IShield
interface to the newly created shield. If the Name variable is left as
the default empty string a default name will be assigned to the shield.
Deletes the shield specified by the What parameter. The What
shield in the collection (first shield is number 1) or a string
containing the name of the shield.
15-56
OLE Interface 15-57
15.14 IShield Object

The IShield object provides access to the receptor point information
that is normally supplied through the Shield view. The IShield

NAME The name of the shield.
SHIELDTYPE The type of shield.
WATERSCREENMETHOD The method to be used for water screen calcula-

tions.

NAME The name of the shield.
SHIELDTYPE The type of shield. The following values are recog-

nised - User, Water Screen.
WATERSCREENMETHOD The method to be used for water screen calcula-

tions. The following values are recognised - User,
Long

as Double
15-57
15-58 IShield Object

are recognised.
NOISETRANSMISSIVITY Unitless Fraction of noise tranmitted through shield.
TRANSMISSIVITY Unitless Fraction of radiation transmitted through shield
NOZZLEDIAMETER m Diameter of water screen spray nozzles.
LAYERTHICKNESS m Specified thickness of water screen.
LAYERTHICKNESSCALC m Calculated thickness of water screen.
WATERFLOW m3/s Water flow rate of water screen.
DROPLETVELOCITY m/s Velocity of droplets in water screen.

The following values for varName are recognised..
NOISETRANSMISSIVITY Unitless Fraction of noise tranmitted through shield.
TRANSMISSIVITY Unitless Fraction of radiation transmitted through shield
NOZZLEDIAMETER m Diameter of water screen spray nozzles.
LAYERTHICKNESS m Specified thickness of water screen.
WATERFLOW m3/s Water flow rate of water screen.
DROPLETVELOCITY m/s Velocity of droplets in water screen.
15-58
OLE Interface 15-59

ISREADY A value indicating whether the shield object is

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the shield is active and

NOZZLECOUNT The number of nozzles generating the water

screen.

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the shield is active and

NOZZLECOUNT The number of nozzles generating the water

screen.

This method retrieves array values from the shield object. The
SECTIONNAMES Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to N-1) of string defining shield section names
Array(0) - Dummy where
empty string N is number shield sections
Array(i) is name of shield section
15-59
15-60 IShield Object
SECTIONPOINTS Array(0 to 2) of string. Array(0 to N-1) of Variant describing locations of vertices

Array(0) - x coord unit for each shield section making up the shield where
Array(1) - y coord unit N is number of shield sections
Array(2) - z coord unit Array(i) is a Varray (0 to 2, 0 to P-1) of Double defining the
All default m coordinates for each vertex of the shield section i where
P is number of vertices in shield section i.
Varray(0, j) is x (northing) coordinate of vertex j
Varray(1, j) is y (easting) coordinate of vertex j
Varray(1, j) is z (elevation) coordinate of vertex j

ADDSECTION Adds a section to the shield. The varData parame-

ter is an Array(0 to 3) of Variant containing the
data for the shield section as follows
Array(0) is an integer defining the number of verti-
ces, P, in the shield section
Array(1) is a string defining the shield section
name
Array(2) is a string defining the units of measure-
ment for the vertex coordinates, default m
Array(3) is a Varray(0 to 2, 0 to P-1) of Double
defining the coordinates of the shield section verti-
ces as follows
Varray(0, j) is x (northing) coordinate of vertex j
Varray(1, j) is y (easting) coordinate of vertex j
Varray(1, j) is z (elevation) coordinate of vertex j
DELETESECTION Deletes a section from the shield. The varData

parameter is an integer defining the number of the
shield section to be removed.
15-60
OLE Interface 15-61
15.15 IEnvironments Object

The IEnvironments object provides access to the collection of
environment objects defined in the model. The following properties
are recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of environment objects in the IEnvironments
Item(What as Variant) as IEnvironment

Returns an IEnvironment interface object to the environment
specified by the What parameter. The What parameter must be either
an integer specifying the number of the environment in the
collection (first environment is number 1) or a string containing the
name of the environment. Read only property.
The IEnvironments object also provides the following methods.
IEnvironments collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IEnvironment

Creates a new environment object in the collection and returns an
IEnvironment interface to the newly created environment. If the
Name variable is left as the default empty string a default name will
be assigned to the environment.
Deletes the environment specified by the What parameter. The What
environment in the collection (first environment is number 1) or a
string containing the name of the environment.
15-61
15-62 IEnvironment Object
15.16 IEnvironment Object

The IEnvironment object provides access to the receptor point
information that is normally supplied through the Environment
view. The IEnvironment object provides the following methods.

NAME The name of the environment.
TRANSMISSIVITYMETHOD The method used for transmissivity calculations.

NAME The name of the environment.
TRANSMISSIVITYMETHOD The method used for transmissivity calculations.

The following values are recognised - User, Calcu-
lated

as Double
are recognised.
15-62
OLE Interface 15-63
HUMIDITY % Humidity of environment. Used in calculation of

transmissivity.
NOISE Db Background noise.
PRESSURE Pa The atmospheric pressure for the environment.
SOLARRADIATION W/m2 The background solar radiation.
WINDSPEED m/s The windspeed.
WINDDIRECTION radian The direction from which the wind is blowing, 0 is

North, PI/2 is east.
TRANSMISSIVITY Fraction The fraction of radiation transmitted by the atmos-

phere.

HUMIDITY % Humidity of environment. Used in calculation of

transmissivity.
NOISE Db Background noise.
PRESSURE Pa The atmospheric pressure for the environment.
SOLARRADIATION W/m2 The background solar radiation.
WINDSPEED m/s The windspeed.
WINDDIRECTION radian The direction from which the wind is blowing, 0 is

North, PI/2 is east.
15-63
TRANSMISSIVITY Fraction The fraction of radiation transmitted by the atmos-

phere.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the environment object

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the environment is

Yes, 0 = No.
DOWINDSPEEDARRAY A value indicating whether the calculations for all

directions for the defined range of windspeeds will
be included, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
DOWINDSPEEDVSDIRECTION A value indicating whether the calculations for the

matrix of windspeed vs direction will be included,
1 = Yes, 0 = No.
USEWINDROSEFORSIZING A value indicating whether the current wind rose

method will be used in sizing calculations, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.

ISACTIVE A value indicating whether the environment is

Yes, 0 = No.
15-64
OLE Interface 15-65
DOWINDSPEEDARRAY A value indicating whether the calculations for all

directions for the defined range of windspeeds will
be included, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
DOWINDSPEEDVSDIRECTION A value indicating whether the calculations for the

matrix of windspeed vs direction will be included,
1 = Yes, 0 = No.
USEWINDROSEFORSIZING A value indicating whether the current wind rose

method will be used in sizing calculations, 1 =
Yes, 0 = No.

This method retrieves array values from the environment object. The
WINDSPEEDARRAY Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to N-1) of Double defining the wind speeds that
Array(0) - Speed unit the wind rose is to be calculated for where
default m/s N is number of windspeeds to be considered, max 10
Array(i) is windspeed for direction set i
WINDSPEEDDIREC- Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to 15) of Double defining the wind speeds for each
TIONARRAY Array(0) - Speed unit wind rose direction where
default m/s Array(i) is wind speed for direction i. Note i=0 is north,
then each direction increment is 22.5 degrees in a clockwise
direction from the previous direction.

This method sets array values in the environment object. The
contents of the varValues parameter and the optional varUnits
15-65
variant parameter will depend on the value of varName as described

below. The method will return True if successful, False if not. .
WINDSPEEDARRAY Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to N-1) of Double defining the wind speeds that
Array(0) - Speed unit the wind rose is to be calculated for where
default m/s N is number of windspeeds to be considered, max 10
Array(i) is windspeed for direction set i
WINDSPEEDDIREC- Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to 15) of Double defining the wind speeds for each
TIONARRAY Array(0) - Speed unit wind rose direction where
default m/s Array(i) is wind speed for direction i. Note i=0 is north,
then each direction increment is 22.5 degrees in a clockwise
direction from the previous direction.
15-66
OLE Interface 15-67
15.17 IFluids Object

The IFluids object provides access to the collection of fluid objects
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of fluid objects in the IFluids collection. Read
only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IFluid

Returns an IFluid interface object to the fluid specified by the What
the number of the fluid in the collection (first fluid is number 1) or a
string containing the name of the fluid. Read only property.
The IFluids object also provides the following methods.
IFluids collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IFluid

Creates a new fluid object in the collection and returns an IFluid
interface to the newly created fluid. If the Name variable is left as
the default empty string a default name will be assigned to the fluid.
Deletes the fluid specified by the What parameter. The What
fluid in the collection (first fluid is number 1) or a string containing
the name of the fluid.
15-67
15-68 IFluid Object
15.18 IFluid Object

The IFluid object provides access to the receptor point information
that is normally supplied through the Fluid view. The IFluid object
provides the following methods.

NAME The name of the fluid.
COMPOSITIONBASIS The basis for the fluid composition.

NAME The name of the fluid.
COMPOSITIONBASIS The basis for the fluid composition. The following

values are recognised - Mole, Mass

as Double
are recognised.
15-68
OLE Interface 15-69
MOLEWEIGHT Unitless The molecular weight of the fluid.
LOWERHEATINGVALUE J/kg The lower (net) heating value of the fluid.
CPCV Unitless The ratio of specific heats for the fluid.
LEL % The lower explosive limit for the fluid. Only used
for Brzustowski calculation method.
SATURATION % The percentage saturation (percentage paraffinic

material) of the fluid. Used only by the High Effi-
ciency F Factor method.
TEMPERATURE K The temperature of the fluid.
TC K The critical temperature of the fluid.
PC Pa The critical pressure of the fluid.
REFPRESSURE Pa The reference pressure at which the temperature is

supplied.

MOLEWEIGHT Unitless The molecular weight of the fluid.
LOWERHEATINGVALUE J/kg The lower (net) heating value of the fluid.
CPCV Unitless The ratio of specific heats for the fluid.
LEL % The lower explosive limit for the fluid. Only used
for Brzustowski calculation method.
15-69
15-70 IFluid Object

material) of the fluid. Used only by the High Effi-
ciency F Factor method.
TEMPERATURE K The temperature of the fluid.
TC K The critical temperature of the fluid.
PC Pa The critical pressure of the fluid.
REFPRESSURE Pa The reference pressure at which the temperature of

the fluid is given.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the fluid object is ready

for calculations, 1 = Ready, 0 = Not Ready
COMPONENTCOUNT The number of components defined for the fluid

composition.

This method retrieves array values from the fluid object. The
COMPONENT- Array(0 to 0) of string. Array (0 to N-1) of String defining the list of components in
NAMES Array(0) Dummy the fluid where
empty string. N is number components in the fluid
Array(i) is the name of component i
15-70
OLE Interface 15-71
COMPONENTFRAC- Array(0 to 0) of string Array (0 to N-1) of Double defining the component frac-
TIONS Array(0) - Fraction tions in the fluid where
unit, default ““ N is the number of components in the fluid.
Array(i is fraction for component i

This method sets array values in the fluid object. The contents of the
varValues parameter and the optional varUnits variant parameter
will depend on the value of varName as described below. The
method will return True if successful, False if not. .
COMPONENTFRAC- Array(0 to 1) of string Array (0 to N-1) of Double defining the component frac-
TIONS Array(0) - Fraction tions in the fluid where
unit, default ““ N is the number of components in the fluid.
Array(i is fraction for component i

ADDCOMPONENT Adds a component to the component list for the

fluid. varData is a string that defines the name of
the component to be added.
15-71
15-72 IComponents Object
15.19 IComponents Object

The IComponents object provides access to the collection of
component objects defined in the model. The following properties
are recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of component objects in the IComponents
Item(What as Variant) as IComponent

Returns an IComponent interface object to the component specified
by the What parameter. The What parameter must be either an
integer specifying the number of the component in the collection
(first component is number 1) or a string containing the name of the
component. Read only property.
The IComponents object also provides the following methods.
IComponents collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IComponent

Creates a new component object in the collection and returns an
IComponent interface to the newly created component. If the Name
assigned to the component.
Deletes the component specified by the What parameter. The What
component in the collection (first component is number 1) or a string
containing the name of the component. Note library components
cannot be deleted from the IComponents collection.
15-72
OLE Interface 15-73
15.20 IComponent Object

The IComponent object provides access to the receptor point
information that is normally supplied through the Component
Manager view. The IComponent object provides the following
methods.

NAME The name of the component.

as Double
are recognised. .
MOLEWEIGHT Unitless The molecular weight of the component.
LOWERHEATINGVALUE J/kg The lower (net) heating value of the component.
CPCV Unitless The ratio of specific heats for the component.
LEL % The lower explosive limit for the component.

material) of the component.
TC K The critical temperature of the component.
PC Pa The critical pressure of the component.
15-73
15-74 IComponent Object

MOLEWEIGHT Unitless The molecular weight of the component.
LOWERHEATINGVALUE J/kg The lower (net) heating value of the component.
CPCV Unitless The ratio of specific heats for the component.
LEL % The lower explosive limit for the component.

material) of the component.
TC K The critical temperature of the component.
PC Pa The critical pressure of the component.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the component object

ISLIBCOMP A value indicating whether the component object

is a library component, 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
15-74
OLE Interface 15-75
15.21 IAssists Object

The IAssists object provides access to the collection of assist fluid
recognised.
Count() as Integer
Returns the number of assist fluid objects in the IAssists collection.
Read only property.
Item(What as Variant) as IAssist

Returns an IAssist interface object to the assist fluid specified by the
specifying the number of the assist fluid in the collection (first assist
fluid is number 1) or a string containing the name of the assist fluid.
Read only property.
The IAssists object also provides the following methods.
IAssists collection.
Add(Optional Name as string) as IAssist

Creates a new assist fluid object in the collection and returns an
IAssist interface to the newly created assist fluid. If the Name
assigned to the assist fluid.
Deletes the assist fluid specified by the What parameter. The What
assist fluid in the collection (first assist fluid is number 1) or a string
containing the name of the assist fluid.
15-75
15-76 IAssist Object
15.22 IAssist Object

The IAssist object provides access to the receptor point information
that is normally supplied through the Assist Fluid view. The IAssist

NAME The name of the assist fluid.
FLOWBASIS The method to be used for calculating the flow of

the assist fluid.
SMOKELESSMETHOD The method to be used for calculating the flow of

the assist fluid required for smokeless operation.
FLUIDTYPE The type of the assist fluid.

NAME The name of the assist fluid.
FLOWBASIS The method to be used for calculating the flow of

the assist fluid. The following values are recog-
nised - User, Flaresim, User Ratio.
SMOKELESSMETHOD The method to be used for calculating the flow of

the assist fluid required for smokeless operation.
The following values are recognised - API,
Flaresim
FLUIDTYPE The type of the assist fluid. The following values

are recognised - Air, Steam/Water.
15-76
OLE Interface 15-77

as Double
are recognised.
USERFLOWRATIO Unitless The ratio of assist fluid to flared fluid to be used

for used defined flow method.

USERFLOWRATIO Unitless The ratio of assist fluid to flared fluid to be used

for used defined flow method.

ISREADY A value indicating whether the assist fluid object is

15-77
15-78 IAssist Object
15-78
Graphic Report Layout A-1
A Graphic Report Layout
Page
A.1 Introduction to XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A.1.1 Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A.1.2 Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A.1.3 Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A.2 Layout File Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

A.2.1 Allowed Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A.2.2 PageSize Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A.2.3 Text Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A.2.4 Unit Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A.2.5 Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A.2.6 Logo Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A.2.7 CaseData Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A.2.8 Line Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A.2.9 PlotArea Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A.2.10 LegendArea Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
A.2.11 ContourSet Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
A-1
A-2
A-2
The appearance of graphic reports produced by Flaresim is

controlled by layout files. These files contain a list of instructions in
a XML format that describe how data items, graphic items,
background text, background lines and background graphics will
appear on the report. This appendix describes the format of the
layout files.
A-3
A-4 Introduction to XML
A.1 Introduction to XML

XML is a standardised markup language for describing structured
data. The following description of the language is intended to
introduce the terms used in this appendix. For a full description of
the XML standard see http://www.w3.org/xml.
The figure below shows a fragment of the XML language taken from
one of the Flaresim layout files.
Figure A-1, XML File Fragment
The basic building block of a XML file is the element. An element

is a data fragment that has a tag, attributes and data.
A.1.1 Tags
An element’s tag can be thought of as its name. A tag enclosed in a
pair of “< >” brackets starts the description of an element and the
same tag preceded by a / character and enclosed in a pair of “< >”
brackets ends the description of the element. For example, an
element containing text data might be given the tag Description and
would appear as follows
<Description>The descriptive text</Description>.
A XML file can contain more than one element with the same tag
describing repeating data items. Tags are case sensitive, i.e.
<description> is different to <Description>.
Taking the XML fragment shown in Figure A-1 as an example, there

are six elements in total with four unique tags namely <Text>,
<Logo>, <CaseData> and <Var>. There are three <Text> elements.
A-4
A.1.2 Attributes
The attributes of an element can be thought of as data parameters
or additional descriptions of the element. Attributes are defined
within the “< >” brackets of the elements opening tag. A single
attribute is introduced by a name followed by an “=” sign followed
by the value of the attribute enclosed in quotes. For example our
Description tag might be extended to have an attribute called Font to
define the typeface to be used to print it thus.
<Description Font=”Arial”>The descriptive text</Description>
An element may have no attributes or multiple attributes. Attribute

names are case sensitive i.e. Font is different to font.
Taking the XML fragment shown in Figure A-1 as a further

example, the <Text> elements there each have four attributes name
X, Y, Font and Size.
A.1.3 Data
The data part of an element is contained between the opening tag
and the closing tag. The data can be either text or another element.
In our <Description> element example the data is the text “The
descriptive text”.
The data part of an element does not have to contain data, it can be
empty if for example all of the data contained in an element is
described through attributes. When the data part of an element is
empty the closing “/” character can be included in the opening tag
and the closing tag omitted thus.
<Description Font=”Arial”/>
Looking at our example XML fragment shown in Figure A-1 again,

we can see that the data sections of the <Text> elements contain
descriptive text, the data section of the <Logo> element contains a
file name and the data section of the <CaseData> element contains
another element introduced by the <Var> tag.
A-5
A-6 Layout File Structure
A.2 Layout File Structure

A Flaresim graphic report layout file must contain the following top
level data elements in order to be recognised as a valid graphic
report layout file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
This defines the version of the XML standard used to encode the file
and the unicode character set used. This is a standard element that
must appear as the first element in the file.
<FlaresimLayout>
This element is the top level data element that contains all other
elements that define the layout of the graphic report.
A.2.1 Allowed Elements

The following element tags are recognised within the main
<FlaresimLayout> element within the layout file. Each of these
elements is described in more detail below.
Element Tag Description Number
PageSize Defines the overall dimensions Single
Text Defines background text Multiple
Unit Defines units of measurement Multiple
Data Defines data items Multiple
Logo Defines background graphics items Multiple
CaseData Defines case description items Multiple
Line Defines background lines Multiple
PlotArea Defines plot area and style Single
LegendArea Defines plot legend area and style Single
ContourSet Defines contour list and styles Single
A-6
A.2.2 PageSize Element

Description
Defines the overall size of the plot to be produced.
Attributes
X Size of plot in X dimension in mm.
Y Size of plot in Y dimension in mm.
Data Value
None.
A.2.3 Text Element

Description
Defines individual items of background text to appear on the plot
such as titles and headings.
Attributes
X Required - X position in mm of the left edge of the
text
Y Required - Y position in mm of the centre line of the
text
Font Required - Integer denoting font to be used -
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining text height as % of plot
page height
Style Optional - Text describing style of text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
Data Value
The background text to be added to the plot.
A-7
A.2.4 Unit Element

Description
Defines individual items of unit of measurement text to appear on
the plot.
Attributes
unit text
unit text
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining unit text height as % of
plot page height
Style Optional - Text describing style of unit text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
Data Value
The name of the unit of measurement type to be output e.g. length,
temperature. The full list of recognised type names is the same as the
list of quantity names defined in the units.xml file as follows-
time, length, mass, temperature, sound, frequency,
surface_area, volume, force, small_length, energy, pressure,
velocity, plane_angle, fraction, percentage, power,
mass_flow, mass_heat_capacity, mass_energy,
heat_flux_density, heat_transfer_coefficient,
mass_per_area, mass_density, volume_flow.
A.2.5 Data
Description
Defines individual data items that will appear on the plot.
A-8
Attributes
data value
value
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining data value height as % of
plot page height
Style Optional - Text describing style of data value -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
Data Value
A <Var> data element defining the data item to be output as follows.
A.2.5.1 Var Element

Description
Identifies individual data item.
Attributes
Stack Optional - index of stack which variable is associated
with.
Tip Optional - index of tip which variable is associated
with. Note this is the index of the tip on the specified
stack i.e. a Tip index value of 1 denotes the first tip
on the specified stack regardless of whether the tip is
the first listed in the model.
A-9
Data Value
A text string identifying the data item to be output. The list of data
identifiers recognised is as follows.
Identifier Stack Id Tip Id
WindSpeed Not specified Not specified
WindDirection Not specified Not specified
SolarRadiation Not specified Not specified
Transmissivity Not specified Not specified
Humidity Not specified Not specified
BackgroundNoise Not specified Not specified
TransmissivityMin Not specified Not specified
TransmissivityMax Not specified Not specified
AtmTemperature Not specified Not specified
AtmPressure Not specified Not specified
CalculationMethod Not specified Not specified
NumberOfElements Not specified Not specified
BuoyancyPipe Not specified Not specified
BuoyancySonic Not specified Not specified
BuoyancyWellTest Not specified Not specified
OptSolarRadiation Not specified Not specified
OptWindchill Not specified Not specified
OptBackgroundNoise Not specified Not specified
OptAtmNoiseAttenuation Not specified Not specified
OptAdiabaticTempCorr Not specified Not specified
OptRKZFactor Not specified Not specified
NoiseCalcMethod Not specified Not specified
A-10
Name Required Not specified
Length Required Not specified
AngleToHorizontal Required Not specified
AngleToNorth Required Not specified
Name Required Required
Type Required Required
NbrOfBurners Required Required
Length Required Required
Diameter Required Required
BurnerOpening Required Required
ContractionCoefficient Required Required
ExitLossCoefficient Required Required
Roughness Required Required
OutletPressureSpec Required Required
SealType Required Required
AngleToHorizontal Required Required
AngleToNorth Required Required
Fluid Required Required
MassFlow Required Required
LHV Required Required
MW Required Required
CpCv Required Required
EmissivityMethod Required Required
Emissivity Required Required
Temperature Required Required
A-11
RiserDiameter Required Required
NoiseMethod Required Required
NoiseSPL Required Required
PeakFrequency Required Required
CombustionEfficiency Required Required
ExitVelocity Required Required
MachNumber Required Required
VolumeFlow Required Required
HeatRelease Required Required
FlameLength Required Required
APIFlameLength Required Required
TipExitPressure Required Required
TipInletPressure Required Required
TipDP Required Required
SealInletPressure Required Required
SealDP Required Required
StackInletPressure Required Required
StackDP Required Required
TotalTipExitPressure Required Required
TotalTipInletPressure Required Required
TotapTipDP Required Required
TotalSealInletPressure Required Required
TotalSealDP Required Required
TotalStackInletPressure Required Required
TotalStackDP Required Required
A-12
PurgeFluid Required Required
PurgeFixVolFlow Required Required
PurgeHUSAO2 Required Required
PurgeHUSAHeight Required Required
PurgeFixedVel Required Required
PurgeFixVelCalcFlow Required Required
PurgeFixVolFlowCalcVel Required Required
PurgeFixVolFlowCalcFlow Required Required
PurgeHUSACalcVel Required Required
PurgeHUSACalcFlow Required Required
PurgeRedHUSACalcVel Required Required
PurgeRedHUSACalcFlow Required Required
Fluid2 Required Required
MassFlow2 Required Required
LHV2 Required Required
MW2 Required Required
CpCv2 Required Required
Temperature2 Required Required
AssistFluid Required Required
AssistFluidMassFlow Required Required
AssistFluidFlowRatio Required Required
A-13
A.2.6 Logo Element

Description
Defines individual graphic files to be output on the plot. This is
usually used to include company logos etc in the plot.
Attributes
X1 Required - X position in mm of the top left corner of
the graphic item.
Y1 Required - Y position in mm of the top left corner of
the graphic item.
X2 Required - X position in mm of the bottom right
corner of the graphic item.
Y2 Required - Y position in mm of the bottom right
corner of the graphic item.
Data Value
A text string naming the graphic file to be included.
A.2.7 CaseData Element

Description
Defines items of case description data that will appear on the plot.
Attributes
the area for output of the data item.
the area for output of the data item.
corner of the area for output of the data item.
corner of the area for output of the data item.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining data item text height as %
of plot height
A-14
Style Optional - Text describing style of data value -

Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
Data Value
A text string defining the data item to be output. Recognised values
are.
Title
DataFile
Description
LastModified
Author
Revision
CheckedBy
FSWVersion
A.2.8 Line Element

Description
Defines background lines to be drawn on the plot. Typically these
are used to frame areas of the report.
Attributes
X1 Required - X position in mm of the first end of the
line.
Y1 Required - Y position in mm of the first end of the
line.
X2 Required - X position in mm of the second end of the
line.
Y2 Required - Y position in mm of the second end of the
line.
LineWidth Required - Line width in pixels.
Data Value
None
A-15
A.2.9 PlotArea Element

Description
Defines the area used to output the isopleth graph on the plot and sets
the options used when drawing it.
Attributes
the graph area.
the graph area.
corner of the graph area.
corner of the graph area.
Data Value
Elements defining the options used to draw the isopleth graph as
follows. Note one instance of each of these elements is required in
the <PlotArea> data. None of these elements has any data value, all
the required information is contained as attributes.
A.2.9.2 Grid Element

Description
Describes how the background grid for the isopleth graph is to be
drawn.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether grid is drawn. Allowed
values are Yes or No.
Lines Required - defines number of grid lines within graph
on each axid. Integer
BackColour Required - defines colour of graph background.
Value can be Transparent or one of the colours from
Table A.1 below.
A-16
Table A.1, Allowed Colours

Yellow
Red
Green
Cyan
Orange
Lemon
PaleGreen
BlueGreen
PaleBlue
LightGrey
MidGrey
DarkGrey
White
Black
Other colours may be defined
using a hex code to define the
RGB contributions as follows
0xRRGGBB where RR is red
value, GG is green value and BB
blue value in hex.
For example 0xFF0000 is pure
red.
A.2.9.3 Title Element

Description
Defines how the isopleth graph title will be output. The title is the
name of the receptor grid that the isopleth applies to.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether title is included. Allowed
values are Yes or No.
Space Required - Vertical spacing allowed for title as a
percentage of the Y range of the graph.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
A-17
Size Required - Value defining title text height as % of

graph height.
Style Optional - Text describing style of title text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
A.2.9.4 Desc Element

Description
Defines how the graph description will be output. The description
identifies whether the graph is a radiation, noise or temperature
isopleth and the current units of measurement.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether description is included.
Allowed values are Yes or No.
Space Required - Vertical spacing allowed for description
as a percentage of the Y range of the graph.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining description text height as
% of graph height.
Style Optional - Text describing style of description text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
A.2.9.5 XAxis Element

Description
Defines how the isopleth X axis label will be output.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether X axis label is included.
A-18
Space Required - Vertical spacing allowed for X axis label

as a percentage of the Y range of the graph.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining title X axis label height as
% of graph height.
Style Optional - Text describing style of X axis label text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
A.2.9.6 YAxis Element

Description
Defines how the isopleth Y axis label will be output.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether Y axis label is included.
Space Required - Horizontal spacing allowed for Y axis
label as a percentage of the X range of the graph.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining Y axis label height as % of
graph height.
Style Optional - Text describing style of Y axis label text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
A.2.9.7 Scale Element

Description
Defines how the scale labels will be output.
A-19
Attributes
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining scale label height as % of
graph height.
A.2.9.8 Flare Element

Description
Defines how the stack, tip and flare will be drawn on the isopleth
graph.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether the flare will be drawn.
FlameThick Required - defines thickness of line used to draw
flame in pixels.
FlameColour Required - defines colour of line used to draw flame.
Allowed values are given in Table A.1.
StackThick Required - defines thickness of line used to draw
stack in pixels.
StackColour Required - defines colour of line used to draw stack.
TipThick Required - defines thickness of line used to draw tip
in pixels.
TipColour Required - defines colour of line used to draw tip.
A.2.10 LegendArea Element

Description
Defines the area used to output the legend for the isopleth graph on
the plot and sets the options used when drawing it.
A-20
Attributes
the legend data area.
the legend data area.
corner of the legend data area.
corner of the legend data area.
Data Value
Elements defining the options used to draw the legend data on the
isopleth graph as follows. Note one instance of each of these
elements is required in the <LegendArea> data. None of these
elements has any data value, all the required information is
contained as attributes.
A.2.10.9 Layout Element

Description
This defines the number of columns used to output the legend and
the characteristics of the text part of the legend.
Attributes
NumCols Required - Integer defining number of colums to be
used for drawing the legend.
Font Required - Integer denoting font to be used for
legend label -
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining legend label height as %
of legend data area height.
A-21
A.2.10.10 Desc Element

Description
Defines how the legend description will be output. The description
identifies whether the graph is a radiation, noise or temperature
isopleth as well as the units used.
Attributes
Display Required - defines whether description is included.
0 = Arial
1 = Courier
2 = Times Roman
Size Required - Value defining description text height as
% of legend data area height.
Style Optional - Text describing style of description text -
Bold
Italic
BoldItalic
A.2.11 ContourSet Element

Description
Defines the details of the contours to be output on the isopleth graph.
Attributes
UseLayout Required - Specifies whether the contour data from
the layout file is to be used. Allowed values Yes or
No. If set to Yes the contour data will be taken from
the layout file. If not, the contour data will be taken
from the current isopleth definition for the receptor
grid.
Data Value
Multiple elements defining the individual contour lines to be output.
Up to 10 instances of <RadiationContour>, <NoiseContour> and
<TemperatureContour> can be specified.
A-22
A.2.11.11 RadiationContour Element

Description
Defines the details of a single radiation contour to be output on the
isopleth graph.
Attributes
IsoValue Required - Specifies the radiation value of the
isopleth contour in internal program units of W/m2.
Colour Required - Specifies the colour used to draw the
contour. Allowed values are given in Table A.1.
LineWidth Required - Integer specifying the width of the line
used to draw the contour in pixels.
Style Required - Specifies the style of the line used to draw
the contour. Allow values are.
Solid
Dashed
Dotted
DashDot
DashDotDot
A.2.11.12 NoiseContour Element

Description
Defines the details of a single noise contour to be output on the
isopleth graph.
Attributes
IsoValue Required - Specifies the noise value of the isopleth
contour in internal program units of dB.
Solid
Dashed
Dotted
A-23
DashDot
DashDotDot
A.2.11.13 TemperatureContour Element

Description
Defines the details of a single temperature contour to be output on
the isopleth graph.
Attributes
IsoValue Required - Specifies the temperature value of the
isopleth contour in internal program units of K.
Solid
Dashed
Dotted
DashDot
DashDotDot
A-24

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COPYRIGHT

No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval

The governing law of this warranty shall be that of England.

Copyright Softbits Consultants Ltd, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2006, 2008

3 Getting Started............................................. 3-1

5 General Setup .............................................. 5-1

6 Fluids ............................................................ 6-1

8 Stacks ........................................................... 8-1

9 Tips ............................................................... 9-1

10 Receptors ................................................... 10-1

12 Calculations ............................................... 12-1

13 Printing ....................................................... 13-1

14 Calculation Methods ................................. 14-1

15 OLE Interface ............................................. 15-1

A Graphic Report Layout............................... A-1

1.2 Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Flaresim is a computer program designed to assist professional

Flaresim provides a user friendly interface that follows standard

Output from the Flaresim is highly customisable with the user

Experienced flare system engineers should read the remainder of

Engineers new to flare system design should work through the

• Data may be entered and reported in the users choice of units

• Correlations are available for modelling a range of flare tips

• A number of correlations are provided to predict the fraction of

• Liquid flaring systems can be handled.

• A wide range of algorithms for calculation of thermal radiation.

• Full three dimensional flame shape analysis with complete flexi-

• A range of options for defining and analysing the noise spectrum

• Ability to define multiple environmental scenarios to allow rapid

• Multiple stacks/booms which can each have multiple flare tips.

• Calculation of radiation, noise spectrum and surface tempera-

• Calculation of radiation variation with wind direction and speed

• Ability to define multiple receptor grids in multiple planes for

• Plotting of grid results as isopleth contours for sterile area

• Receptor point characteristics for calculating surface tempera-

• Modelling of water curtains or solid shields to reduce radiation

• Sizing of stack or boom length to meet radiation, noise or sur-

• A setup wizard to allow new users to set up an initial model

• Import of files from previous DOS version of Flaresim.

• Quality Assurance options are included in the reports.

• Customisable HTML reports

• Customisable graphic reports

• An OLE interface to allow the Flaresim calculation engine to be

The wide range of calculation options available within Flaresim may

While we have tried to prevent the use of the move obvious

Softbits Consultants Ltd are always interested in continuing product

1.2 Program Overview

Flaresim provides a Case Summary view, see Figure 1-1, that

Object data complete

Object data missing

1.2.1 Flaresim Objects

for surface temperature calculations. Receptor grid objects provide

1.2.2 Object Definition

Creation of an object automatically opens its view to allow its data

Dimensions, Fluids, Results, Noise and Flame Shape. Individual

Figure 1-2, Tip View

Existing objects can be updated by double clicking them in the Case

1.2.3 Running a Model

While this is sufficient to perform calculations this will not calculate

Results from the calculations may be viewed through the

1.3 Documentation Overview

Chapter 2 describes installation of the software and activation with

Chapter 3 provides a tutorial with detailed worked examples.