Thermal mass flow meters offer solutions for measuring and monitoring flare gas in various systems, including biogas, landfill gas, and natural gas.

Flare Gas and Vent Gas Systems

Flare gas and vent gas systems are used worldwide in various industries, including oil refineries, well-drilling operations, chemical processing plants, natural gas plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and landfills. The systems are utilized to burn off waste gases, dispose of surplus gases, and protect people, equipment, and the environment. The flare gas measurement and monitoring are necessary to ensure the system operates correctly. Additionally, strict environmental regulations often require measuring flare gas emitted into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, inherent challenges to measuring and monitoring flare gas must be overcome, including extreme flow variation, the potential for changing gas composition, and working in hazardous locations. Thermal mass flow meters offer flare gas measurement and monitoring solutions in many of these applications.

Sage Metering Difference

The Sage Prime insertion style thermal mass flow meter provides the wide turndown required to cover both the extremely low flows (low velocities) associated with standard venting and the extremely high flow (high velocities) associated with an upset condition. Its fast response to flow changes, low-pressure drop, and reproducibility are important characteristics of a flare application. In addition, Sage Thermal Mass Flow Meters provide the customer with a unique in-situ calibration check at a “no flow” (0 SCFM) condition. This important procedure assures that the flow meter has retained the original NIST Traceable calibration, verifies the meter’s accuracy, and also confirms that the sensors are clean and that the flow meter hasn’t drifted or shifted. This is a tremendous benefit since it eliminates the cost and inconvenience of annual calibrations on the flow meter and provides the data needed to comply with several environmental protocols.

Reference Material

• “Flare Gas Measurement Using Thermal Mass Flow Meters,” a white paper by Bob Steinberg of Sage Metering
• 4 Challenges (with Solutions) of Flare Gas Metering
• Flare Gas Applications – A Guide for Thermal Mass Flowmeters