(215d) Emissions Testing of Pressure Assisted Flare Burners

The flare system for a new US Gulf Coast propylene production unit will be a multipoint ground flare utilizing pressure assisted burners. The strategy utilized for the regulatory permitting process was to divide the flare into two sections based on use:

• Normal flaring – first stage / steam assist / conforms to 40CFR60 and 40CFR63.
• Maintenance / Startup / Shutdown (MSS) – for all pressure assisted burners.

By design, pressure assisted flare burners operate outside the velocity limits set by 40CFR. The ability to operate outside these limits and utilize these burners require proof that the expected emissions will be no worse than those from a well-designed steam or air assisted flare burner. The proof was accomplished with emissions testing of a single burner from the new unit flare design. Results from this testing have been used for the permitting process with “Alternate Means of Emission Limitation” (AMEL) and “Alternative Means of Control” (AMOC) requests for regulatory approval.

This paper will report on the set-up and results from this emissions testing.