Flares are essential, and they are also a regulatory necessity. Facilities that operate flares must comply with numerous regulations that are often changing across local, national, and international jurisdictions.

An effective flare stack monitoring program typically requires a variety of instruments, sensors, and visual observation techniques. 

Unfortunately, as regulations become more stringent and industry facilities become more complex, many of the existing approaches are no longer viable. They fail to provide accurate, objective, and real-time information on the entire flare system. This lack of visibility leads to greater compliance risk, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced workplace safety. 

In a highly volatile environment, industrial facilities need Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring solutions that provide 24/7 real-time coverage of multiple flares from a single, remote location. 

Faced with factors outside of their direct control, industrial companies are being forced to adapt and change how they invest in new technologies.

Among the greatest challenges are constantly shifting regulatory requirements. Local, national, and international laws govern how industrial facilities operate, and these regulations can change frequently. This uncertainty places an additional burden on companies to accurately measure and report on key metrics, such as flare performance and emissions. 

Around 140 bcm of natural gas is flared each year, and a malfunctioning flare can quickly lead to the uncontrolled release of large volumes of methane, natural gas, or other pollutants. Companies are increasingly under pressure from governments, investors, and the public to reduce emissions and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement at every stage of the production process. 

Finally, safety must always be a top priority. Despite a period of decline from 2006 to 2019, workplace incidents in the US oil & gas and industrial sectors have started to increase again in recent years. The most common causes of injuries and fatalities include exposure to hazardous fumes, combustion incidents, and workers operating in confined spaces. 

An effective flare stack monitoring system will always include a range of sensors, instrumentation, cameras, and software. Each serves a specific purpose and can provide useful information about a particular component or function. 

However, faced with the challenges mentioned above, facilities are missing out on key information because of the limitations of these tools. 

For example, thermocouples are widely used for pilot flame monitoring. However, they do not provide any data on the main flame, and they offer no visual confirmation of flame quality, shape, or stability. Similarly, pyrometers are used to assess combustion zone temperature and determine flame health, but have a very narrow field of view and can only measure a single point temperature. 

Despite the widespread adoption of technology, visual observation remains the most common approach to determining flare performance. In the US, EPA Method 22 mandates that visual observation is used to measure smoke and particulate matter, while similar regulations require visual observation to measure flame opacity and other key parameters. 

However, visual observation techniques are time and location-dependent, meaning visible emissions or other incidents that occur outside of the observation window are not detected or resolved. Moreover, the reliance on human judgment makes visual observation subjective and prone to inaccuracies. 

Today’s industrial facilities need a better approach to flare stack monitoring that does not depend on visual observation or the limited capabilities of existing tools. 

Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring solutions from Viper Imaging leverage advanced thermal and visual cameras to provide 24/7 coverage of the entire flare system. With greater visibility and real-time data on flare characteristics, including shape, color, temperature, and smoke, Operators can immediately detect abnormal conditions, automatically adjust inputs, or take emergency action to prevent catastrophic failure.