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 around the world 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 measurement and monitoring of flare gas is necessary to assure that the flare system is operating correctly. Additionally, strict environmental regulations often require the measurement of flare gas emitted to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, there are inherent challenges to measure and/or monitor flare gas that need to be overcome which include: extreme flow variation, potential for changing gas composition and working in hazardous locations. Thermal mass flow meters offer solutions for flare gas measurement and monitoring 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 normal venting, as well as 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 for 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 also provides the data needed to comply with a number of environmental protocols.

Reference Material

Coming soon: “Flare Gas Measurement Using Thermal Mass Flow Meters” a white paper by Bob Steinberg of Sage Metering