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Venting pipeline natural gas -- Before use of recompression and portable flare trailer -- venting is 23 times worse environmental damage than CO2 from burning 

 Before the use of the portable trailer flare, the pipeline natural gas
was vented.  The venting of natural gas is 23 times more damaging
than the CO2 produced by burning the natural gas.

Texas Eastern Pipeline used a combination of gas recompression/transfer
(if a second pipeline was near by) and flaring (when no second pipeline
was available or when the pressure was too low for recompression) to
reduce emissions -- quite progressive company for the late 1980's.

 

 

First section of pipeline work with portable flare trailer -- NAO worked with TX Eastern and local authorities to resolve their concerns about heat/noise/safety

 

First section of pipeline being serviced with portable trailer flare.

Texas Eastern and the local fire companies were all very concerned and
Cautious about the flare operation (heat, flame, radiation, noise, safety).
NAO worked with Texas Eastern and the local fire/county authorities to
explain the trailer flare's operation, design and safety features.

Once the trailer had been connected & operation started both Texas Eastern
and the local officials gained confidence.  The flare could be located fairly
close to buildings since it was elevated (80') and the heat/thermal radiation/noise
with the MULTI TIP FLARE BURNER were minimal.

 

Multi Tip Flare provides smokeless operation with clean/short flame and less visible flame and lower noise levels

 

The MULTI TIP FLARE (NMEC -- NAO Multi External Coanda "HOT DOG" Tip) uses
long horizontal "T" shaped burners (24 for this case) to spread out the natural gas
over a wide area (about 8' diameter) in order pull in and mix with air for combustion
.... producing a short clean flame with reduced visibility.

Each HOT DOG burner has about 72 vertical holes or jets to pump in air and mix with
the air, these many small holes also act to reduce overall noise from the gas flow.
The many small flames (about 1728) also produce lower combustion noise levels that
one large flame.

 

 

Field connection from the pipeline to the portable flare trailer -- with purge gas connection and isolation valve

 

Field connection from pipeline vent to portable trailer flare with
purge gas connection at top and manual shut off valve (foreground
- orange) and automatic isolation valve (left - gray - laying horizontally)
with nitrogen trailer (dark gray) for gas freeing (after initial gas bleed down)
pipeline and air freeing (after completion of work) pipeline and air
compressor (white) to allow safe working conditions on the pipeline
after removing the gas & nitrogen purge.

 

 

Field piping and trailer setup along pipeline right-of-way

 

Field piping with 8" flanged pipe sections (150 PSIG RATED)
and high pressure stainless steel flexible hose for bends and
changes in elevation.  Wood cribbing was used to provide level
surface to lay pipe.

 

 

Close up of flare trailer desk and drums (LEFT drum is disentrainment drum to remove any liquids or condensates from natural gas stream) (RIGHT drum is water seal to act as flame arrestor -- for pipeline service this drum was DRY and acted as a second disentrainment)Close up flare trailer from front of trailer with high pressure flexible hose to inlet flare drum -- stack being raised by trailers hydraulic winch and "A" frame

 

LEFT PHOTO
Close up of  trailer flare desk with high pressure flexible
hose to inlet of flare drums.  The LEFT drum is a knock-out
drum to remove any liquids or condensates from natural
gas stream.  The RIGHT drum is water seal to act as flame
arrestor -- for pipeline service this drum was DRY and acted
as a second disentrainment.

RIGHT PHOTO
Close up of trailer flare from front of trailer with high pressure
flexible hose to inlet of flare disentrainment drum.  The stack is
being raised by means of the trailers hydraulic winch & "A" frame.

 

Field piping at flare trailer -- 8" flanged pipe sections -- high pressure stainless steel flexible hose -- wood cribbing/blocks to lay pipe on uneven terrain and hills

 

Field piping at the trailer flare with 8" flanged pipe sections (150 PSIG RATED) and
high pressure stainless steel flexible hose for bends and changes in elevation.
Wood cribbing and blocks was used to provide level surface to lay pipe on uneven
terrain and hills.

Stabilizing guy wires can also be seen (left and right sides of the stack) from the
flare stack to the two trailer flare self-leveling hydraulic outriggers.

 

 

 

Portable flare trailer in mountains at dusk -- with multi tip flare burner

 

Portable trailer flare along right-of-way in mountains of Pennsylvania at dusk
-- flaring at maximum blowdown rate -- remote area (no second pipeline nearby
- therefore recompression could not be used - only the flare trailer) -- with multi tip
flare burner at peak load

 

 

 

 

 

Flare trailer along rural pipeline right-of-way

 

Trailer flare setup along rural pipeline right-of-way
with multi tip flare burner installed.

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and assistance, contact....  Johnny Straitz   --   Ext. 213
Telephone ---  215-743-5300   Toll Free ----   800-523-3495    All USA and Canada
Fax ------------  215-743-3018    or    215-743-3020    E-mail -------- sales@nao.com