The British Flame Research Committee Investigation of the Methane Destruction Efficiency of Flares
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Tom ElsonMeet our Digital Engineering expert Tom Elson and learn more about his expertise in CFD which enhances our projects with innovative solutions.
Background
ÈÕ±¾avÎÞÂëDigital Engineering were approached by an Oil & Gas operator on behalf of the to conduct Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations on a damaged flare tip. The aim was to carry out transient CFD simulations and determine the destruction efficiency of methane. This was done to inform the Oil & Gas industry about the reality of the destruction efficiency of flares in comparison to the industry-accepted values of 98-99% efficiency.
The Challenge
The challenge of this work was both to run transient CFD simulations of a damaged flare tip with multiple crosswind velocities and to accurately model the physics of combustion. This meant that the model needed to be optimized for capturing the region of the plume as well as capturing the combustion of methane. The crosswind needed to be modeled to interact with the flow of methane accurately as well. Following this, a calculation of all the methane destroyed in the fluid domain had to be carried out to determine the destruction efficiency of the flare tip.
The Solution
The solution showed that the destruction efficiency assumed by the Oil & Gas industry is far higher than what is actually predicted by CFD (around 18% higher). Parallel work using a different method came to a similar conclusion. This indicated that the Oil & Gas industry is operating with an unrealistic assumption for destruction efficiency which could be leading to greater environmental damage. More research work is needed to ensure the Oil & Gas industry is operating with accurate data regarding the destruction efficiency of their flares.
The Result
The result of this work has allowed for more research to take place in this field with validation methods being developed to ensure that CFD can be compared to experimental data. This will allow for better predictive capabilities for Oil & Gas clients who utilize ÈÕ±¾avÎÞÂëDigital Engineering’s CFD studies for their equipment.
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