ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
(OP)
Does anybody having experience with ice plugging in flare during winter?
I'm in a plant where we flare gaz from a seal drum of oil-water-h2s-gaz... And me I'm pretty new with process engineering.
Could you tell me what you think about, to add a nitrogen purge in the flare and maybe to try to dry much our vapor?
Is that important if we shoot vapor before to flare and after? Does it has a link with creating ice? Is that better to only use vapor at the end? Does it exist any litterature or norms which show how to adjust everything?
We shoot vapor aroud the tip and not by the middle...
Thanks for your help!
I'm in a plant where we flare gaz from a seal drum of oil-water-h2s-gaz... And me I'm pretty new with process engineering.
Could you tell me what you think about, to add a nitrogen purge in the flare and maybe to try to dry much our vapor?
Is that important if we shoot vapor before to flare and after? Does it has a link with creating ice? Is that better to only use vapor at the end? Does it exist any litterature or norms which show how to adjust everything?
We shoot vapor aroud the tip and not by the middle...
Thanks for your help!
mech eng.





RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
All sub headers leading into the main flare should have a small flow of gas at the very begining to continuously sweep the flare system of tramp gases or air. Normaly this is dry nitrogen or natural gas, whichever is cheaper. There are guidelines for flowrates which I dont have in front of me. All refinery flares I have seen have this. There is often pressure from the management and/or accountants to minimise or remove this flow since it costs money. This should be resisted.
The propensity to freezing obviously depends on tip and seal design, of which there are many.
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying " Damn that was fun!" - Unknown>>
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
On a previous job in a very cold climate we had a constant Fuel gas (natural gas) purge and we had the flare headers traced, only in the bottom section of the header. In this case electrical tracing.
Could be a good idea to spcifically go for electrical tracing here if one experiences a trip while it is cold and steam might not be available at all times.
If it was up to me I would also like to have a facility to add some MeOH.
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
<<A good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend
will be sitting beside you saying " Damn that was fun!" - Unknown>>
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
Was that the old 19F3 flare at the old GCOS plant?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
As we say I'm in a beautiful chalenge "with the managers".
But what you told me confirm what API say, but the best could be, "maybe", to eliminate all water entering in the flare. But, my seal drum work with water and steam... Here is the bigger problem I see for now.
An other thing is I've read about drying the vapor going in the flare... like to separate exasparating water for keeping only vapor, and by tracing the vapor line.
But OWG, are you telling they have used a crane for un-plugging the flare???? WoW!!! We actually use boiler feedwater for un-plugging.
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?
RE: ice plug in flare - how to fix that?