FTIS remote sensing of flare emissions

Abstract

Increasing regulatory standards for the limitation of greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions from industrial facilities require new environmental control strategies and innovative and cost- effective measurement techniques. Elevated flare stacks present a difficult measurement challenge, because it is extremely difficult to determine concentration in the post-combustion gas of operational flares by sampling techniques. A remote sensing measurement system has to be used, therefore. Fourier-Transform-Infrared-Spectroscopy (FTIS) measurements were realized using a mobile environmental laboratory which is equipped with a high resolution K300 spectrometer. A Multi-component Air Pollution Software (MAPS) was used to determine CO2, CH4, CO and NO concentrations. It is based on radiative transfer line-by-line calculations and least-square fit procedures. The paper focuses on the results of FTIS flare emissions measurements at natural gas production facilities. Different types offlares have been investigated under varying operational conditions. Emission rates and combustion efficiencies are calculated which indicate that the environmental impact of methane emissions from flares is rather small.