Relief and Blowdown System
Relief and Blowdown System
Some parts of the flare system such as flare tip and ignition
system are proprietary equipment and must be carefully
checked.
Oil & Gas Processing Course
3
CODES AND STANDARDS
API Std 2000 : Venting atmospheric and Low Pressure Storage tanks
(non refrigerated and refrigerated).
RELIEVING DEVICES
- Pressure relief valves,
- Rupture discs,
- Blow down valves,
- Control valves.
SUB-HEADERS AND HEADERS
FLARE DRUM
SEALING DEVICES
- Purge gas,
- Water seal,
- gas seal.
DISPOSAL DEVICES
- Cold vent
- Burning tip
- Liquid burner
- burn pit
GENERAL DEFINITION
- Maximum allowable pressure ( MAWP )
- Set pressure
- Accumulation
- Back pressure
PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES
- Pressure safety valves
conventional type
Balanced type
Pilot operated type
RUPTURE DISCS
BLOW DOWN VALVES
PRESSURE CONTROL VALVES ( PCV )
REMOTELY OPERATED VALVES ( HIC, XV, ROV )
3 TYPES
-CONVENTIONAL
The popping pressure depends partly on the back pressure
Its use is limited to a back pressure less than 10% of the set pressure of
the relief valve
-BALANCED
The popping pressure is independent of the back pressure
The back pressure should be limited to 50% of the set pressure of the
relief valve
-PILOT OPERATED
As balanced type but allows smaller valves bodies
-COLD VENT
-BURN PIT
PIPE FLARE
SONIC FLARE
- Exit gas velocity is > 1 Mach
- Back pressure 2 to 10 bar
- Each manufacturer has its own design
Main manufacturers
AIR OIL
BIRWELCO
EET
JOHN ZINK
KALDAIR
Variables slots shall not be used
- DRAWBACKS
More maintenance
More noise
Low pressure flare could not be connected to sonic flare due to back
pressure. In this case a separated low pressure flare system is required
or combined with the sonic tip, the LP flare being installed in the center
of the sonic tip.
MULTIPLE TIPS
- Not recommended
- DRAWBACKS
High cost
Weight
Limited to a relatively small flow
No visible flame for operation point of view
Air blower to be continuously run
Maintenance of air blower, burner and fire resistant material of the
chimney
- The sizing can be performed only by the vendors
- or a pipe flare tip ( as for flare tip ) but without the device for the flame
stability. The gas velocity through the tip is to be about 0.8 Mach in order
to achieve a good dispersion of the gas to atmosphere.
When the flow of gas through a flare or cold vent stack reduces to very low or
no flow, air ingress from the mouth of the stack to form an explosive mixture in
the stack or flare header.It is normal to avoid this hazard by continuous
blending a small flow of oxygen-free hydrocarbon or inert gas ( purge gas )
through the stack to deter air ingress. For a flare that can also initiate a risk of
burn back which induces a quickest deterioration of the tip.
When using a purge gas with a molecular weight below the molecular weight of
air ( 29 ) a large part of the flare piping could be under partial vacuum.
The purge gas must be injected at the beginning of the largest flare headers
and sub-headers in order to purge the whole flare system.
Horizontal water seal drum located not so far from the flare stack
- Gas seals
MOLECULAR SEAL
- Not to be used with sonic flare tip
- Needs some operational attendance ( particular periodic
draining )
FLUIDIC SEAL
- Could be used with a sonic flare
WATER SEAL DRUM
- Not to be used with a sonic flare due to the back pressure
- Needs some operational attendance ( check of water levels )
- To be avoid in cold countries
PILOT BURNERS
Pilot burners are provided to ensure a continuous ignition source at the
flare tip.
The design is done by the flare vendor but typical figures are :
Tip diameter Nb of pilots
8 and below 2
10 - 36 3
Greater than 36 4
Gas consumption per pilot burner is typically 8 to 10 Nm3/h.
One individual line per pilot.
PILOT IGNITION
Generally, flame propagation type. It is designed by flare vendor.
Manual system.
Special gun.
ONSHORE
OFFSHORE
inclined boom
LINES SIZING
FLARE DRUM
PURGE GAS
POSSIBLE CAUSES
- Blow down
- Blocked outlet
- Fire
- Blow-by
- Loss of power
- Loss of cooling
- Loss of reflux
- Excessive heat input
- Loss of control ( instrument air, power, )
- Heat exchanger tube rupture
- Etc.
CRITERIA
- Velocity
- V
PSVs
The maximum capacity of PSV shall be considered.
P between the protected equipment and the PSV < 3% of the PSV set
pressure.
PSV inlet size.
V 25 000 kg/m/s for 2.
V 30 000 kg/m/s for P 50 bar g.
V 50 000 kg/m/s for P > 50 bar g.
BACK PRESSURE
VELOCITY AND V
Monophasic ( gas ) :
intermittent flow :
Lines downstream relieving devices and sub-headers :
0.7 Mach maxi. and V < 150 000 kg/m/s considering the
maximum capacity of the relieving device and the relevant
occurrence.
Headers :
0.7 mach maxi. and V < 150 000 kg/m/s considering the
maximum flow rate due to process limitations and for the
relevant occurrence, however, a velocity of 0.8 Mach can be
accepted for long straight line without bends and connections.
For V > 100 000 kg/m/s vibration and line support studies are
required.
VELOCITY AND V
- Monophasic ( gas ) :
Continuous flow :
Velocity < 0.35 Mach maxi. and
V 50 000 kg /m/s.
- Multiphase :
Velocity < 0.35 Mach maxi. and
V 50 000 kg /m/s.
For flare and cold vent, the drum sizing follows API RP 521 method
with the following droplets size in microns :
FINAL PRESSURE : 7 bar g considering the fire heat input or 50% design
pressure considering no fire heat input, whichever the most stringent.
DEPRESSURISATION TIME : by default 15 minutes for piping and equipment
containing both gas or liquid and 8 minutes for equipment containing LPGs or
light condensate.
RUTURE DISCS
E 0.196 1 2 1E2
F 0.307 1 2 1F2
1 2 1F2
G 0.503 1 2 1G2
2 3 2G3
H 0.785 1 3 1 H3
2 3 2 H3
2 3 2J3
J 1.287 2 4 2J4
3 4 3J4
K 1.838 3 4 3K4
3 6 3K6
L 2.853 3 4 3L4
4 6 3L6
M 3.600 4 6 4M6
N 4.340 4 6 4N6
P 6.379 4 6 4P6
Q 11.045 6 8 6Q8
R 16.000 6 8 6R8
6 10 6 R 10
T 26.000 8 10 8 T 10