StoneCold
Chemical
- Mar 11, 2003
- 992
I am working on installing a small ground flare for an intermittent reactor off gas. The off gas is a mixture of butane and ethane at about 10 scfm. Turns out to be about one million BTU/hr. My problem is this. I have not been able to find any locating information on flares. There is an API guideline but I am not sure it is really applicable. My insurance company is quoting the API guidline. It states my flare must be 100 ft from any building. (My reactor is in a large concrete building). That is not a huge problem. But the second statement is the flare must be 300ft from the nearest open flame. Since this flare is on a small plot of land I can not meet that criteria. Fire codes etc seem to be silent on industrial gas flares.
I talked to the flare people about switching to a thermal oxidizer because my insurace company seems to look at them as harmless, they can go right next to the building if you want. They thought I was nuts for suggesting the switch.
Does anyone with experience with small ground flares have a reference that I can use in locating my flare?
Can I get around the 300ft by having flame out interlocks? (I am planning on having them anyway)
Thanks
StoneCold
I talked to the flare people about switching to a thermal oxidizer because my insurace company seems to look at them as harmless, they can go right next to the building if you want. They thought I was nuts for suggesting the switch.
Does anyone with experience with small ground flares have a reference that I can use in locating my flare?
Can I get around the 300ft by having flame out interlocks? (I am planning on having them anyway)
Thanks
StoneCold