Dynamic Simulation As a Robust Tool for Optimum Flare Systems Design

Having a well designed flare system is critical in today's refining environment. With growing competition and ever increasing costs of material and fabrication coupled with slim margins and tighter environmental regulations, refineries are challenged with walking the tight rope of increasing production yet mainting profitability. Capital costs in designing and expanding a flare disposal system can weigh in significantly in impacting some of these issues.

With growing environmental awareness and statutes, refineries fear falling our of complaiance and as a result run the risk of commissioning flare systems that may be designed for overestimated relief loads. Understanding the nature of routine and non-routine venting over a finite timeline can help home in on superfluous design elements and result in well-tailored systems.

This paper focuses on using dynamic simulation as a tool to achieve an optimum design for a flare system and discuss the various considerations that needs to made and their impact on equipment in the flare network. Insight into variations in relief pressure, temperature, composition and flow rates across various nodes in a flare network through the illustration of some case studies will be offered in this paper. The proper application of dynamic simulation as a tool for flare design can result in significant benefits in terms of equipment availability, plant performance, capital and operating expenditures, and emission reduction.