Flare Gas Recovery Systems- Recovering And Reusing

By Author: Crystal TCS
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Ejectors in Flare gas Recovery systems
Ejectors perform a central role in Flare Gas Recovery Systems [subsequently denoted by FGRS] by compressing the low pressure gas mixtures to working pressures. Ejectors utilize the available high pressure gas as an energy source to bring about this compression.
Since the commencement of Oil and Gas Production and advent of petroleum refineries, little importance was given to the generated flare gas mixtures. This gas was termed as waste gas and was collected in large diameter headers. The gas was then burned off and the combustion products were let off to the Atmosphere.
Ejectors are preferred over Mechanical type Compressors due to the following reasons:
Ejectors satisfy the criteria for very long running times without any downtime which is instrumental for Flare Gas Recovery Systems.
Ejectors are static devices and require very less maintenance during their operating life.
No contamination of gas mixture as the motive fluid is also natural gas and hence the gas mixture at the Ejector Outlet can be injected directly in the Fuel-gas headers.
Low ...
... Capital costs compared to a Mechanical Compressor.
No risk of ignition of gases inside the Ejector.
Recovering and Reusing Flare Gas
An increasingly popular method is Flare Gas Recovery. Flare Gas Recovery is the process of recovering waste gases that would normally be flared. These gases are then used elsewhere in the facility, therefore reducing emissions and waste and consequently increasing efficiency.
The process involves capturing the gas from the flare knock-out vessel and compressing it using liquid ring compressors. The recovered gases can then be reused within the facility’s fuel gas system, as a refinery feedstock, or for re-injection.
Flare Gas Recovery System can be used in any industry that uses flaring. These include refining, production, LNG, biogas and pharmaceutical.
Challenges in Recovery and Utilization of Flare Gases:
Variable composition of constituents in Flare gases during the operating life of the plant. This provides a challenge for design of involved equipment and also for estimating the energy input from these gases.
Flare Gas mixtures are produced at low pressure. For utilization they need to be compressed to high pressures.
Flare Gases have a low molecular weight and hence tend to occupy large volumes. This increases the size of the involved equipment leading to more infrastructure cost.
Being a flammable mixture, care in handling is important.
Flare gas production is a continuous process and hence the recovery systems also need to work round the clock.
Need for Flare Gas Recovery
Flare Gas being a combination of petroleum gases can be used as a source of Energy. An industrial survey has indicated that the amount of Gas burned in the Flare Stacks throughout the world in the year 2011 amounted to almost USD 29.8 billion.
Utilizing Flare gases helps the plant to cut down on its Energy costs and also create an in-house Fuel source.
Improper burning and incomplete burning leads to generation of toxic and harmful gaseous pollutants. The produced gases are known to create harmful and deadly effects on human life and the surrounding environment.
The Flaring of Flare gas is also a considerable source of carbon di-oxide emissions.
Hence utilizing flare gases can help an industry to reduce Energy costs, reduce its Carbon footprint and be responsible to the environment.
We at Crystal TCS Pvt. Ltd have taken a theory based approach towards establishing the Ejector performance estimation and have developed design from the basic principles of Thermodynamics and Fluid flow dynamics.
As stated above Flare Gas Recovery has to operate with a variable range of working conditions and compositions over their lifetime. We at Crystal TCS Pvt. Ltd have performed intensive research and development for coming with Ejectors in Flare Gas Recovery Systems.
Contact us: 02532501600
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