Burner controls gas flare emissions

Field trials of a new burner for gas flaring indicated that it significantly reduced NO_x, CO, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions, according to Expro International Group PLC, Aberdeen. Expro designed the burner in collaboration with FG Engineering Services BV, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and tested it over an extended period at gas flow rates between 60,000 and 200,000 normal cu m/day. Expro says that its Clean Enclosed Burner achieved 100% efficient combustion compared with typical 80-86% efficiency of conventional flares. The tests also demonstrated that during daylight, no visible light emission was evident with only a low level of visible emissions apparent during the night. The design burns the premixed gas and air on a permeable woven metal fiber mat. The outer walls, protected by an insulating layer, shield the flame and direct the heat upward. Expro says heat radiation to the surrounding area is minimal, and local ambient temperature rises by less than 5° C.