Remote Ignition of Flare

Hello Heita

The important thing with such flare-gas ignition, is that it must be non-electronic, reliable, and able to be used remotely in all weather conditions, safely.

The image at left, from:

NORWAY: Flare gas ignition activated up to 2,000 meters away

For further information, use Google - Search Terms: gas ignition flare tower (That's what I did, just now, especially for you)

Kind Regards....

Well, at least I was in the ballpark (and know some weapons that make willie peat look like a match), but I was wondering why the 'Non-electric'? Just askin' ya know.

And yes, I checked your link that mentions high temp issues for electrics, but I would think those same issues would make a pipe delivering a pellet an issue as well...but I'm just an outsider on the spark thing, I like my munitions mobile, directable and lethal.

Hello tomkaighin

The reason for non-electric is simple: In an emergency situation, when the flare gas must be fired within a few seconds, reliably and safely, an electrical igniter may be prone to instantaneous failure at any time, and because if ift fails at the crucial instant, or is too late by a few milliseconds, the resultant explosion may be devastating.

The Pellet firing system, sprays at very high speed, the ignition particles (It carries it's own Oxygen, because it is basically a large firework) into the gas cloud, to light the flare in a very short time.

So in that manner it is safer, more reliable, and cheap, being used in thousands of installations throughout the World.

Kind Regards....

cool, makes sense (sorta, but I'm not going to go against experience...too often :P). I'm assuming you know something about it and it has probably been tested and retested (ad nausium). Just what are the temps out there at the flaming butthole of hell end that cause all this chaos? Inquiring minds want to know :P

Hello tomkaighin

Temperatures of the burning particles range from around 1500 Degrees Celsius, to 4000+ degrees Celsius, and no electric firing system is equal to the task.

When one is fired, the picture is very impressive, particularly at night.

Kind Regards....

I would think an electric sparker would do the job better, but if you really want a heat-generating projectile, and have a true need for it, I can put you in contact .with those that can provide it.

You will have to give me your contact information as well as company information (cr4 mail is fine) or you can send it to tom@kaighin.us. No one on this site or any other should give out that kind of information, regardless of the innocuousness of the question.

I would pass on your contact information and have a suitable rep contact you after verification. Is that suitable to your needs?

Hello again

Thank you for both of your help up to now.

You know, I want this remote ignition device for a flare stack connected to an offshore platform. This stack is located 165 m from the offshore platform and it has an elevation of 90 m.

Sparkstation tell me if I'm wrong! in the picture you've sent there is no flare stck, right? it seems that the pellet has released the sparks right on the water!

The remote flare ignition device I had heard about seemed to be much simpler than this. Maybe something like a shot gun that one can use to ignite the gases from a distance. There in the Norwegian flare ignition system a guide pipe is needed to send the spark pellet into the cloud released from the flare.

Our company is trying to use this shot gun method, 'cause actually the flame front pipes carrying the flames to the flare pilots to ignite them, haven't been welded in a proper way and they're not safe. If they have to install a guide pipe on the sea-bed to perform this remote ignition program, perhaps it would be more beneficial to do the weldings all over!!

I'm looking for something that doesn't need this much installations!

Thank you

~Heita~

Ive an primitive idea regarding this use a steel cable go for MOC which can sustain high temp, have one end on flare top and other at platform fixed and fire guided small rocket bearing fire torch... this wud be better compared to shotgun and wont require the headache of mech installations of carrier pipes

Hello Heita

Picture shows a test pellet being fired, and with no flare gas being released, so there was no flare-up of the gas fireball.

The picture shows the normal trajectory pattern of the burning particles from the pellet, thus it is easy to see that explosive heat input into a gas cloud can never be matched by any electrical device.

The dispersed burning particle pattern is designed to ensure no stray pocket of non-ignited gas remains.

I am sure you are aware, that the fireball from burning gas rises, due to heat generated, thus sea level flare ignition system is quite OK, and assists in ensuring the safe ignition of the gas cloud.

Are you intending to manually fire your remote flare ignition device?

If you want a very cheap way to do it, use skyrockets, or white-colour rockets used for ships signalling, they will do the job quite well.

Kind Regards....

you can refer to API RP 537

I dunno about these things...
Why do they burn off this stuff ? Can't they do something useful with it????

Del

I once saw a training session for a gas company that included this. It occurs to me that as vital as it is to start the burn you should have your emergency response crews practice to obtain accuracy.

Googling "signal flares" produces a lot of companies that sell many types.

So nobody can tell me WHY we burn this stuff ???? (#9)

its not burned for fun ...........Just to maintain pressure in gas recovering system u need to let go some thing that is burned rather than relieved just like that

Hello Del the cat

Here in New Zealand's Motonui Synthethic Petrol plant, the flare stack burned continually for a number of years.

It was later discovered that one component of the gas flare could be made into Durene, an extremely valuable petrochemical.

The Durene component alone, of that wasted/burned off flare gas, was over 35,000 tonnes per year, at an average value in 1988 of US$4,000 per tonne.

Thus in that single wasted component alone, $140,000,000 was burned up per year, because the proprieters, Synfuel, did not understand what was in the flared gas.

Refer: http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/1721.1/28113/1/32030214.pdf

Durene is used for manufacturing raw materials of specialty heat resistant engineering plastics (polyamides) and as a cross-linking agent for alkyd resins.

Such is the mindlessness of the Managers and Accountants, who ran the process, that it was wasted, even though several Engineers and Research Chemists had stated what was being squandered in the flare gas.

It does make me wonder how many billions of tonnes of natural resources have been just wasted, over the last 120 years in the "Petroleum Game".

Kind Regards....

.

The usual theory is that the flue gasses are rather low pH, and it would cost more to refine them then the products are worth.

Obviously, this is not always correct.

Sort of like the companies that were dumping wast containing mercury. When the federal government made them stop, they discovered that they could sell it and make a nice profit.

One word Del, one word...Marshmellows

Seperately fueled pilot light anyone?

EVEN PORTABLE/REPLACEABLE PROPANE TANK?

MR. GUY

Use a bow and a flaming arrow

I saw it done back in the 1970's . A bow and arrow with a rag soaked in diesel lit a new flare stack pilot light. Set it off on the first shot. The stack was about 75 feet tall. It surprised everyone when it worked.

John Zink is one of the largest companies allover the world in design and supply of flare systems. You can contact my friend Sam Hanna:

Sam Hanna Flare Sales Division - Italy JOHN ZINK s.r.l. P.za Duca D'Aosta,14 20124 – Milano ( Italy ) Tel: +39 02 66981232 Fax: +39 02 670 18 40
Mobile: +39 335 604 98 41 Email: sam.hanna@johnzink.com

I'd like to indicate that igniting the flare with "shot gun" is differ from using "Flame Front Generator" FFG. I have an experience in mechanical design, fabrication and operation of flare stacks for oil and gas.

For starting igniting that type FFG, it is required to adapt air/fuel ratio. In 1987 I started to ignite a flare for oil distillation, and for a 3 days it didn't ignited. I discovered that some pipes used for fuel to pilots and those pipes for the flame transmission to those pilots had some sagging. Just solving the sagging problem and drying the pipes to avoid any moisture inside, the flare ignited at once.

Sagging and moisture make a damping to flame inside the pipe.

We use a Flame front generator on several applications. You said no electric ignition so some type of ignition source will be necessary, small explosive perhaps.

I was just given a flare pen yesterday, this pocket sized launcher was given to me by a friend who works in the Alberta oil fields and he uses them for igniting flare stacks in remote locations. This device is constructed of aluminum and steel, looks just like a mechanical pencil and launches small, screw-on flares that have a rim fire primer cap just like a .22 cal rimfire cartridge. The flares are small red plastic capsules that (individually) screw on the end of the pen. The firing mechanism is a simple spring loaded firing pin, just pull back on the little bolt and release. The flares shoot a very long ways (can't say exactly), far enough to be a safe distance from the flare stack.

I am heading up to the Syncrude refinery in the morning but I will stop in Edmonton at a supplier of these pens to get more info which I will forward to you.

I am told that the "Boy Scouts" sell them at their outfitter stores, many hiking/camping outfitters in western Canada sell them.

Try this web site www.macecanada.com/canada/wilderness1/Signal_Kits1.htm

Texaco in Port Author, Texas (when they were Texaco) used a bow and arrow to light flare stacks when all else failed!