Flare Area

[MickyF]

What classification are does a flare stack area fall under?
div 1 or div 2 or nothing since there is an open flame all the time

 

[GregLamberson]

MickyF

I see no one has responded for a while, let me thro9w out a few ideas that I cabbaged on to from a Flare spec. I would say Div I due to the fact that Div I is normally used for "outdoor locations in the immediate vicinity of continuously discharging vents and flares or openings on individual containers, storage tanks and vehicles in which volatile flammable liquids are stored or handled. Also for outdoor locations in the immediate vicinity of continuously discharging vents on storage tanks containing hydrocarbon liquids. Or for locations having positive and reliable mechanical ventilation, which are in the immediate vicinity of the fill openings and vents on individual containers to which volatile flammable liquids are being transferred (as defined in NFPA 30, NFPA 70 and NFPA 497M), where failure or abnormal operation of the ventilating equipment shall initiate an alarm."

I plagirized the words in quotations above from an ExxonMobil spec I had in my files.

Also chcek out API RP 500, Sections A, B, and C if you have not already.

Greg Lamberson, BS, MBA
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website:

http://www.oil-gas-consulting.com

 

[MickyF]

Thats the way i was leaning towards but someone walked in and through in the "what if" comment and I got confused. One person was under the assumption that a flare is "usually" going at abnormal conditions which would make it Div 2, then another person made the comment well theres an open flame all the time so its probaly unclassified. Two many ways you could lean on this, but the majority leaned towards Div 1.