The (IR) Camera Never Lies

Flare systems are subject to strict controls and regulations that demand continuous pilot flame monitoring. This control means a need for real-time insight into pilot flame and flare conditions to ensure that:

 

• Vented gases are ignited in a carefully supervised way and burn with optimum efficiency.
• The possibility of uncontrolled ignition is eliminated.
• Operators are immediately alerted to potential problems, including lost combustion (should combustion be lost for any reason, the plant operator needs to know immediately to reignite the flame and avoid production stops).

Industry standard regulations therefore demand a reliable system to continuously monitor flare stacks to guarantee they are operating correctly. Yet there are various challenges involved with installing such a system such as inaccessibility, particularly with offshore platforms which also present harsh monitoring environments such as high winds, waves and storms. Irrespective of location, there is the challenge of emissions variability; flares can differ greatly in terms of their composition, temperature and flow rate.

The conventional approach to pilot flame monitoring is to insert a thermocouple directly into or very close to the flame. This relatively crude but effective approach is known as ‘in process’ monitoring. It indicates the presence of a flame but gives very limited information on a single flare tip.  This is a far from reliable approach as the thermocouple is regularly exposed to thermal shocks in a highly corrosive environment leaving the equipment with a very short life span. Once the thermocouple fails, the operator is faced with a difficult choice – continue operating and risk releasing undesirable gases into the environment or shut down operations for a very expensive repair.

The far more appealing option is remote flare monitoring such as the FlareSpection infrared camera system. Designed for continuous and automatic pilot flame and flare stack monitoring, this system can be used to measure multiple stands simultaneously while recording each individual pilot flame and flare.  FlareSpection works by bringing together a high-resolution thermal imaging camera and high magnification optics, which are housed in an explosion-proof, stainless steel enclosure that protects the system in harsh environments and hazardous areas. As a non-contact solution, the system can be mounted in safer areas at distances of up to 300m from the target while still providing clear focus irrespective of weather conditions.

The FlareSpection system is more than just a thermographic camera. Equally important is the software that records, analyses and transforms the flare stack and pilot flame data into useful and actionable information for plant operators.  The software offers intuitive image and data displays providing a better understanding of the thermal characteristics of the flaring process. It can also log performance, record video and provide alerts for measurements that may fall out of the preset limits.  The ability to provide thermal snapshots, real-time camera feeds, captured sequences and temperature profiles over large areas or precise pinpoint locations further contributes to information that supports process control and environmental and safety goals.

If you would like to understand more about how our FlareSpection system works, why not get in touch with a product specialist today?