FLARE SYSTEMS: Sizing a Flare Stack height & Radiation Calculation Design Basis

Prepared by: Engr. Rotimi Olusegun S/N

Email: rotimiolusegung@gmail.com 1. Maximum Allowable Radiation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rotimi-olusegun-r-engr- at 90m Horizontal radius from
2160aaa7 the stack base at peak flaring 1,500 Btu/hr-ft²
(including solar radiation)
2. Solar Radiation (included in
FLARE SYSTEMS max. Allowable Radiation 300 Btu/hr-ft²
Flare system is a safe disposal device to meet the Environmental above) Note 1
norms and regulations. 3. Average wind velocity to be
Flare system components include: Flare Header, Flare Knock out considered during peak flaring 30 Ft/sec
drum, Water seal drum, Flare riser, Molecular Seal, Flare tip, Flame 4. Flare tip Diameter d 66 Inches
Front Generator and Pilot flame monitoring system. 5. Flare Gas Flowrate Q 877,468 Kg/hr
6. Flare Gas Molecular Weight 20.01
Flare System-Design Codes: Density:
0.8443 Kg/m³
✓ API 521: Guide for Pressure relieving and Depressurizing
7. Flare Gas Temperature 25 Deg.C
systems
8. Flare Gas LHV 1013.9 Btu/scf
✓ API 537: Flare details for General refinery and 9. Relative Humidity r 90 percentage
Petrochemicals. 10. Specified Radiation Point of 295.29 Ft
interest from stack base 90 m
Types of flares
Note 1 API RP-521 radiation calculation does not include solar
A. With respect to level
radiation, therefore the design basis for radiation used in this
✓ Elevated flares
calculation will be MAX ALLOWABLE RADIATION – SOLAR RADIATION
✓ Ground flares
(1500-300) BTU/hr-ft²
✓ Mobile flares
B. With respect to pressure = 1200 BTU/hr-ft²
✓ High Pressure
✓ Low Pressure Sizing a Flare Stack Height using the Simple Approach (Ref. C.2)
C. With respect to flare tip/flare burner design
✓ Single point Step 1: Basic Radiation Calculation
✓ Multi point Write the Basic Radiation calculation formula
ῖXFXQ
D2 = 4 X ᴫ X K ----------------------------------------------------eqn.1
Types of Elevated Flares Where:
❖ Derrick Supported D = Distance from center of flare flame to point of interest for
❖ Self-Supported radiation in feet
❖ Guy wire supported ῖ= Fraction of Heat Intensity transmitted (Value decreases with
Types of Ground Flares increase in humidity) (Max. Value can be: 1.0)
❖ Burn-pit type flares F= Fraction of total Heat released emitted as radiant heat = 0.13
❖ Enclosed Multi-Point Staged flares Q= Total Heat released based on lower heating value of the gases
❖ Thermal Oxidizers type flares being flared, expressed In BTU/hr Unit
Flame Ignition Type given by:
o FFG
o HEI Gas flow rate kg/hr
Q = Density of my flare gas m3/hr x Flare Gas LHV Btu/scf x 35.313
o Gun Shot
conversion factor
Pilot Flame Monitoring
✓ Duplex Thermocouples
Therefore,
✓ UV/IR Scanners at Ground Level 877468 kg/hr
✓ CCTV Camera Q= x 1014 x 35.3134
0.8443m3/hr

Flare Stack Design = 3.7211E+10 Btu/hr

K= Allowable or Resultant radiation value at the point of interest
Criteria: Important design criteria that determine the size and cost given = 1200 Btu/hr-ft2
of flare stacks include flare-tip diameter and exit gas velocity, ᴫ= constant 3.14159
pressure drop considerations, flare stack height, gas dispersion R= Radius from stack base to point of interest (ft) =295.29ft
limitations, flame distortion caused by lateral wind and radiation
considerations. Step-2
Write the formula of ῖ as it varies wrt to the Relative humidity
Design Calculations – Flare Systems percentage:

Reference: API RP-521 Fifth Edition, January 2007 Appendix C.

ῖ= 0.79 x (100/r)1/16 x (100/D)1/16 -------------------------------eqn.2
Section C.2 & C.3
where r= relative humidity percentage
Step-3 Therefore,
The value of ῖ is inserted in basic equation for D in step 1 above and ∑ Ua/Uj = 30/451.53
on rearranging this equation becomes: = 0.066
From Fig.9 (of API521-5th ed.) for ∑ Ua/Uj = 0.066
Where r = relative humidity percentage = 90
For the value of ∑ Ua/Uj calculated above, go to fig. 9 of API 521 and
Hence, the value of D can be calculated get the value for ∆x/L and ∆Y/L

D = ( 0.79 X (100/r)1/16 x (100/D) 1/16 x F x Q) / ( 4 X ᴫ XK)1/2 ∆x/L = 0.73 ∆Y/L = 0.5

Step-7
D = ( 1.05348 X (100/r)0.0625 X F X Q)/ ( 4 X ᴫ X K) 1/2.0625
Knowing the Value of ∆x/L and ∆Y/L and flame length L you can
proceed to find ∆X and ∆Y in ft

Where, r = relative humidity, percentage = 90 ∆X = 0.79 x L = 0.79 x 590 = 430.7 ft

F = Fraction of total heat release emitted as radiant heat = 0.13 ∆Y = 0.48 x L = 0.5 x 590 = 295 ft
Q = Total heat release in Btu/hr unit = 3.7211E+10
K = Allowable or resultant radiation value at the point of interest in
Btu/hr-ft2 = 1200 Step- 8
From Step 4 ,
Accordingly, the value of D becomes; 480.88 ft
R1 = R -1/2 ∑∆X

Step-4 Where R is specified radiation point of interest/radius from stack

As per API 521 of Appendix ANNEX Pg 161. ‘C’ the flare stack height base to point of interest in ft. which is given
H, is calculated as follows:
Therefore, Calculate the R1
H1 = H + ½ ∑∆Y & R1 = R -1/2 ∑∆X
R1 = 295.29 - 1/2 (430.7)
Step-5
R1 = 79.94 ft
From Fig.8 (of API 521 – 5th ed.) for the heat release
of 3.7211E+10 Btu/hr, trace out the flame length L in ft

Flame length, L = 590 ft (179.82 m) Step- 9

Step 6 Similarly using D2 = (R1)2 + (H1)2 , with the value of D calculated above
From Fig.9 (of API 521-5th ed.) for ∑ Ua/Uj and R1 values calculated, you can get the value of H1 in ft.
Where
Ua is the design wind speed ft/sec = 30 ft/sec (H1)2 = D2 - (R1)2

= 480.88² - 79.94²
Uj is the tip exit velocity (m/s) then later convert to ft/s
It is Calculated using Q=AV m/sec and convert it to ft/sec. = 474.19 ft

NB. Q is the gas flowrate in m3/hr = kg/hr value x 1.22, Step- 10

From step 4, H1 = H + ½ ∑∆Y the Height of the Flare stack can be

Area A=ᴫd2 /4.
calculated in ft.
d = is the flare tip diameter in m. NB: this is supplied by the vendor
d = 66 inch = 66 x 25 mm = 1.65 m From this,

Area A=ᴫ x (1.65)2 /4 = 2.14 m² H = H1 – ½ ∑∆Y

From, Q = AV H = 474.19 – ½ (295)

H = 326.69 ft = 99.57m
Q m³/h = 877468 kg/hr x 1.22
= 1,070,510.96 m³/h
Q = 297.364 m³/s
The above height H is the height of the flare stack required to meet
Therefore, the required radiation at any Grade level location.
V = Uj = Q/A = 297.364/2.14
Uj = 139m/s

Convert to ft/s
Uj = Tip exit velocity = 451.53 ft/s