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    Application Story: Thermal Imaging Cameras For Flare Monitoring

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    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    Thermal imaging cameras can monitor flare stacks used to burn off waste gases from oil and gas operations and other industrial plants. These cameras can detect flames day and night in any weather, unlike other monitoring technologies. The FLIR A310 camera uses thermal imaging to verify combustion, detect loss of flame, and provide temperature readings and alarms. It can connect to control systems to automate monitoring and adjustment of flare processes. Thermal cameras overcome limitations of other methods in varying gas flow conditions.

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    Application Story: Thermal Imaging Cameras For Flare Monitoring

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    42 views2 pages
    Thermal imaging cameras can monitor flare stacks used to burn off waste gases from oil and gas operations and other industrial plants. These cameras can detect flames day and night in any weather, unlike other monitoring technologies. The FLIR A310 camera uses thermal imaging to verify combustion, detect loss of flame, and provide temperature readings and alarms. It can connect to control systems to automate monitoring and adjustment of flare processes. Thermal cameras overcome limitations of other methods in varying gas flow conditions.

    Original Description:

    Thermography Infrared applications

    Original Title

    Flare Monitoring

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    Thermal imaging cameras can monitor flare stacks used to burn off waste gases from oil and gas operations and other industrial plants. These cameras can detect flames day and night in any weather, unlike other monitoring technologies. The FLIR A310 camera uses thermal imaging to verify combustion, detect loss of flame, and provide temperature readings and alarms. It can connect to control systems to automate monitoring and adjustment of flare processes. Thermal cameras overcome limitations of other methods in varying gas flow conditions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    42 views2 pages

    Application Story: Thermal Imaging Cameras For Flare Monitoring

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    Thermal imaging cameras can monitor flare stacks used to burn off waste gases from oil and gas operations and other industrial plants. These cameras can detect flames day and night in any weather, unlike other monitoring technologies. The FLIR A310 camera uses thermal imaging to verify combustion, detect loss of flame, and provide temperature readings and alarms. It can connect to control systems to automate monitoring and adjustment of flare processes. Thermal cameras overcome limitations of other methods in varying gas flow conditions.

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    application story

    Thermal imaging cameras for


    flare monitoring

    FLIR A310 thermal imaging camera

    Flare stacks are used in many industries to burn off unwanted waste gas byproducts, or
    flammable gasses released by pressure relief valves during unplanned over-pressuring of
    plant equipment.
    Applications include oil and gas well drilling operations, oil refineries, chemical process
    plants, gas distribution infrastructure, and landfills. In many cases, regulations require the
    monitoring of a stacks flame, or the pilot flame that ignites the gasses, to avoid having
    unburned hydrocarbons enter the atmosphere.
    Thermal imaging cameras are an ideal
    monitoring tool, since they allow automated
    remote monitoring on a 24/7 basis in virtually
    any weather. In addition, thermal imaging
    cameras avoid many of the technical and
    cost-related problems associated with other
    technologies such as ultraviolet (UV) flame
    detectors, flame ionization spectrometers,
    thermocouples, and pyrometers.
    FLIR thermal imaging cameras
    - Verify combustion, minimize unburned
    pollutants
    - Instantly report loss of combustion with
    visual and audible alarms
    - Provide remote visual monitoring with a
    TV or PC display

    www.flir.com

    - 
    Provide a quantitative temperature
    readout
    - Can notify plant management via email
    and intranet connections
    - Can be connected to a central control
    room via Ethernet
    - Work day and night, seven days a week
    and in any weather
    Flaring is a Complex Process
    Flare systems are often a last line of defense
    that prevents dangerous hydrocarbon
    pollutants from entering the atmosphere.
    One example is methane, which is not only
    combustible, but is also 23 times more
    potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

    Although invisible to the naked eye a thermal imaging


    camera can monitor whether a flare is burning or not.
    If the flare is not burning, harmfull gasses can enter the
    atmosphere, an alarm can go off and immediate action
    can be taken.

    application story

    When this ratio is properly adjusted, it


    improves combustion and minimizes
    smoke. Upset conditions require immediate
    adjustment of the air or steam volume to
    maintain proper combustion. As a bonus,
    automated assist gas injection control can
    help avoid excessive steam consumption,
    and provide significant cost savings.
    The FLIR A310 cameras provide several
    features that facilitate automatic control. As
    a starting point, the camera senses flame
    temperature and size, key elements in a
    control scheme. This calibrated data can be
    communicated through the A310 Ethernet
    port to a PLC or PC running the assist gas
    control program, using either a wireless
    access point, fiberoptic cable, or CAT-6
    Ethernet cable.

    A plant manager needs to know


    immediately if flare stack combustion is
    lost, and get the flame reignited quickly to
    prevent a plant shutdown.
    Various technologies have been tried for
    monitoring the pilot flame that ignites
    gas flow and detects the stack flame,
    with varying degrees of success. Many of
    these technologies are useless or poor at
    minimizing smoke from stake combustion,
    an important indicator of burn efficiency.
    One of the problems is that flare gas flows
    can range from low volumes during fuel
    gas purges in normal operations, to very
    large flows during emergency relief valve
    dumps or during total plant blowdowns.
    The size and brightness of the resulting
    stack flame, and the amount of smoke
    generated, depends on how much
    flammable material is released. Assist gases
    such as air or steam may be injected into
    the gas flow to improve combustion and
    help minimize smoke.
    FLIR thermal imaging cameras offer a
    solution
    FLIR thermal imaging cameras recognize
    the difference in the heat signature of
    a flare stack flame and the surrounding

    background (usually, the sky or clouds). In


    addition to detecting stack flame, these
    cameras can be positioned to monitor
    the igniter flame. Typically, cameras are
    mounted on a pedestal or other rigid
    structure in moisture resistant housings
    to protect them from harsh weather
    conditions.
    The cameras spectral response and
    calibration allows it to see through moisture
    in the air to obtain a good image and
    relative temperature reading of the flare
    stack or pilot flame. The images obtained
    with FLIR thermal imaging cameras even
    allow an observer to detect stack flame
    that might not be visible to the naked eye
    because of its composition or low gas flow
    volume.
    This overcomes problems associated with
    UV flame detectors, which can be blinded
    by smoke. Thermal and visual images can
    be transmitted in real time to a central
    control room as either analog or digitized
    data.
    Automated Control
    In addition to visual monitoring of stack
    flame and smoke, automatic control of
    the assist gas to waste gas ratio is possible.

    Flares invisible to the naked eye can be clearly seen on


    a thermal image.

    For more information about thermal imaging


    cameras or about this application,
    please contact:
    FLIR Commercial Systems B.V.
    Charles Petitweg 21
    4847 NW Breda - Netherlands
    Phone : +31 (0) 765 79 41 94
    Fax : +31 (0) 765 79 41 99
    e-mail : flir@flir.com
    www.flir.com

    T820230 {EN_uk}_A

    Schematical overview of a flare detection installation

    If data falls outside the users preset limits,


    the camera can send alarm signals to
    the control room via the data I/O port.
    In addition, A310 cameras can also be
    configured to automatically send numerical
    data and images via Ethernet to a PC via
    e-mail (SMTP) or FTP protocol whenever a
    data setpoint is reached, thereby creating a
    record for subsequent review.

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