United States Patent [191

Desty
[54] FLARE WITH INWARDLY DIRECTED
COANDA NOZZLE

[75] Inventor:
[73] Assignee:

Denis H. Desty, Weybndge, England

The British Petroleum Company

Jun. 22, 1982

3,914,093 10/1975

.... .. ..................... .. 431 35 X

4,073,613

Desty ................................ .. 431/354

3,915,622 V1975 Drgsiyot a1_

2/1978

FOREIGN PATENT. DOCUMENTS

1303439 9/1970 United Kingdom.
1/1975

United Kingdom .

1401763 7/1975 United Kingdom.

Primary ExaminerSamuel Scott

Jan. 23, 1978

Assistant Examiner-G. Anderson

For'ign Application Priority Data

Jan. 28, 1977 [GB]

[45]
References Cited

1381867

[21] Appl. No.: 871,531

[30]

4,336,017

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Limited, London, England

[22] Filed:

[56]

[11]

United Kingdom ...... ..... .. 03518/77

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Morgan, Finnegan, Pine,

Foley & Lee
[57]
ABSTRACT
Flare for disposal of combustible gases which includes a

Int. Cl.3 ...................................... .... .. F23D 00/00

Coanda nozzle using high pressure steam. The nozzle

[52] US. Cl. ........ .._ ........................ .. 431/202; 431/354;

has a self adjusting slot and a low pressure fuel gas

[51]
v

239/DIG. 7
[58]

supply is entrained into the mouth of the nozzle.

Field of Search ..................... .. 431/354, 202, 284;

239/DIG. 7; 417/189; 48/180 F

10 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure >

US. Patent

Jun. 22, 1982

4,336,017

Entrained Hz'r -

4,336,017

1.

FLARE wtTHtNwARnL-Y' DIRECTED-"COANDA -

NOZZLE

This invention relates'toF-a ?are foi'iresitlltia-li combusti

5-.1

. t

w ~.

' Re?nery and chemical plant oper'atidn often requires '

that a vesselis: vented through pressure relief valves
into a vent system running at near atmospheric pressure.
Gas from this low pressure vent system is then burnt off
by ?aring fro'im'an elevated stack so as to aid the disper

sion of any oxide of sulphur that may be formed during

combustion.

Pat. No; 1,401,763."

'

hus according to the'present invention there is pro

vided a ?are comprising a ?ow tube,~one end of which

ble gas, and. in particular itr'elates"to thew-disposal of

re?nery residual gases.

" relativeto the Coanda unit which is the arrangement of

"

Y'

'

?ow tube communicates with-a Coanda nozzle (as here

inbefore "de?ned)iione " edge of 'i'thelslot of the Coanda
nozzle. being contiguous'with the'Coanda surface, the

opposite edge of th'eslot being formed from airesilient

?ap capable of bending within de?ned limits in response
to the pressure'of the gas supply to vary the effective
slot width, characterised in that'there are means for

directing low pressure fuel gas into the ?ow tube, said
means being in a ?xed position relative to theCoand
nozzle during use of 'the ?are.

Since the low pressure of the gas precludes the use of

The means for directing low pressure fuel gas is pref

air entrainment devices, the possible sulphur content

makes grpund level ?aring in a natural draght ?are

mm spaced~ apartv and upstream of the Coanda nozzle, or

impracticable, one way to improve combustion and

reduce the amount of smoke formed during'su'ch emer

outlet 0 to 150 mm downstream of - the Coanda nozzle

erably'eith'er (a) a supply pipe having its outlet 0 to 150

(b) a supply pipe within the ?ow tube and having its

gency ?aring operations is to add steam to the ?ared 20 arrangement.

gas, which,_.,then reacts with any carbon particles by

" Preferably the resilient ?ap of the Coanda nozzle is

undergoing a water gas reaction, thus preventing smoke -

pre-loaded against the Coanda surface, The resilient

formation.

>

.One type of ?are suitable forthe'disposal of residual

combustible gas utilises the Coanda principle and Co
anda type ?ares can- be either ofwthe'external type (e.g.
as in our UK. Pat. Nos. 1,303,439 or 1,381,867) or of the

internaltype (e.g. as in our UK. Pat. No. 1,495,013).

Our U.K.-:Pat. No. 1,381,867 describes a method of
disposing of low pressure fuel gases, which! method

?ap is preferably an annular ring, the outer edge of the

ring being held and the inner edge being free to move in
respo'nseto the gas pressure from the Coanda nozzle.

Most preferably the resilient ?ap of the ?are comprises

two or more co-axial rings of the same width and diame
ter.

'-

passed into a supply of low pressure fuel gas emerging

The ?ow tube has an increasing cross-sectional area

in a direction downstream from the Coanda nozzle, and
most preferably takes the form of a; cone having a semi
included angle of from 3 to 10. The ?are preferably
hasa baffle positioned at the outlet of the ?ow tube
which may be of the type described in the US. patent

from an internalpassageway of the director body, the

resultant mixture of steam, air and fuel gas being-ignited

application Ser. No. 736,312, ?led Oct. 28, 1976, as

signed to the British Petroleum Company Limited.

comprises' passing steam at pressure over a. director

body, the surface of which is curved so that the steam

?ow entrains'surrounding'"air, said steam and 'a'ir'being

andbu'r'ned.

"

'

"

'1

" '_.'The invention also includes a method for the disposal

Our U.K. Pat. No. 1,495,013 (hereinafter referred to

of low pressure fuel gases wherein the low pressure fuel
as the parent patent) describes a Coanda unit compris
gas is directed into the ?ow tube of a ?are (as hereinbe
ing a supply line for a pressurised gas and a Coanda
fore described), there being a high pressure gas emerg
body'positioiied acrossthe outlet of the supply line so as
ingfrom the Coanda nozzle which entrains the low
to de?ne a slot for discharging the gas along the surface
pressure fuel gas and surrounding air along the ?ow
of the Coanda body, one edge of the slot being contigu
tube, the resultant'mixture being combusted at or above
ous with the Coanda surface, the opposite edge of the
the'butlet of the ?ow tube. The high pressure gas is
slot being formed from a resilient ?ap capable of bend 45 preferably steam butmay also be a high pressure fuel
ing within de?ned limits in response to the pressure of .gas. An array of the ?are units may be used, for exam
the gas supply to vary the effective slot width.
' '
ple, when ?aring large quantities of gas.
The present invention describes a modi?cation to the
The invention will now be described by way of exam
preferred internal type Coanda unit of the above men
ple only with reference to the accompanying drawing.
tioned application which, when used with steam as an 50
The drawing shows a diagrammatic representation of
air inducing medium, offers certain advantages in the
a ?are for the disposal of low pressure residual fuel
disposal of residual low pressure combustible gases.
gases by use of high pressure steam.
It is known that when an extension of one lip of the
Steam is fed into the Coanda section of the ?are by
mouth of a slot through which a ?uid emerges under
means of an inlet pipe 1. The Coanda section of the ?are
pressure, progressively diverges from the axis of the 55 comprises an annular steam chamber 2 which connects
exit of the slot, the extended lip thus creates a pressure with an internal Coanda surface 3 of a Coanda nozzle at'

drop in the surrounding ?uid causing ?uid ?ow towards

the low pressure region. This physical phenomenon is

the throat of a diverging flow tube or trumpet 4 when a

deformable element 5 is opened by the steam pressure.

known as the Coanda effect and a body exhibiting this -- -'- The-deformable element 5 takes the form of an annu
effect is known as the Coanda body. A Coanda nozzle 60 lar ring which is clamped at its outer edge to the main

may thus be de?ned as a nozzle capable of discharging

a ?uid at high pressure into another ?uid of low pres
sure through a narrow slot of chosen dimensions having
a surface of a Coanda body substantially contiguous
with one wall of the slot.

-\

In the present invention, the Coanda ~nozzle has a

(?xed spatial relationship to the low pressure gas'supply

and does not require movement of thefuel 'ga's- outlet

body of the ?are unit. A spacer (not shown) is used to

adjust the position of the annular ring depending on the
pressures used and a limit plate 6 restricts the movement
of the ring 5 to avoid deformationoccurring.
i
' In useof the ?are unit, high pressure steam enters the

'chambe'r2 from inlet pipe 1. At a p're-determinedpres

sure, thevfs'team pressure in chamber 2 causes the de
fo'rmable ring 5 t'o'open, thus allowing steam to pass

4,336,017

ratio causes combustion noise and ?ame instability with

over the internal Coanda surface 3 to the throat of the

Coanda body and thence upwards through the ?ow

the pilot light (not shown) keeping the ?ame alight. The

tube 4 to emerge at the combustion zone above the

?ame is extinguished when the ratio reaches approxi

mately 1.5 to 1.
outlet of flow tube 4.
At a ?xed distance below the mouth; 7 of the Coanda 5
The examples illustrate how the ?ame varies with
body, there is positioned the outlet 8- of a pipe 9 con-v
steam pressure. The use of the variable slot Coanda ?are
nected to a supply of residual fuel gas. The Coanda
enables a wider range of steam ?ow rates to be attained
effect causes entrainment of surrounding primary air so
by use of a much smaller range of steam pressures. This
that a mixture of steam and air passes along the tube 4 to
enables wider ranges of low pressure fuel gas flows to
the combustion zone, and the residual fuel gas discharg- 10 be disposed of, and improves steam economy at low
ing from the outlet 8 is entrained with this steam and air
residual gas flows.
mixture. The mixture of air, steam and residual fuel gas
Further tests were carried out using a larger Coanda
is burned in a combustion zone above the outlet of ?ow
?are system. The dimensions of the second ?are unit
tube 4. A ?ame stabilising ring 10 may be used at the
used were as follows:
outlet of ?ow tube 4.
15
Optimum operating conditions, e.g. to achieve clean
I
smoke free combustion of the residual fuel gas, are
.

Chanda "umpet mum diameter

= 007 mm

Coanda trumpet Semidncludcd angle

= 45

Annular ring external diameter at clamp

= 1075 mm

Coanda trumpet throat diameter

achieved by adjustment of the steam pressure.

The dlmCnSlOnS Of the ?are unit are as fOllOWS:

= 800 mm

20 point
Coanda trumpet mouth diameter

= 350 mm

Annular ring internal diameter

Length of annular ring free movement

= 844.3 mm
75 mm

Coanda trumpet throat diameter

Coanda trumpet semi_included angle

= 217 mm
: 3_5=

Annular rlng thlcklless

Annular ring material

= _10 gauge
stainless steel (304)

Annular ring external diameter at clamp point

= 402 mm

Annular ring internal diameter

= 274 mm

Annular ring thickness

= 2.52 mm

=Ferra1iumn
stainless steel

In these tests, three annular rings 1n parallel were

used in order to reduce the tendency of the rings to

Annular ""8 maxlmum de?ecm" (gap)

= 1-27 "1m

oscillate in use. The distance of the 600 mm diameter

Annular ring material

(Ferralium" is a trade mark)

Annular 7mg maxlmum de?ectlo"

= 0-6 mm , .

25
,

,_

steam pipe below the clamp point of the annular rings

The following table shows results obtained with this 30 was about 25 mm.
_
variable slot internal Coanda ?are unit
The results obtained are shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2
Steam

Remarks
Smoke point
Smoke point
Smoke point
Flame invisible

Manifold
Pressure
psig
19.5
21.0
24.5
37.5

Gas
Flow

Flow

Ratio

LB/HR

KG/HR

LB/HR

KG/HR

wt/wt.

1800
2150
2900
7150

816
975
1315
3243

9906
18458
24980
17472

4493
8372
11331
7925

5.5
8.6
8.6
2.4

in daylight

TABLE 1.
Test

STEAM
Pressure Flow Rate

FUEL GAS
Flow Rate

Gas to
Steam Ratio

No.

1b/in2

lb/hour

ft3/hour

(wt/wt.)

5.5

285

12390

4.1

2
3

5.5
5.5

285
285

40710
56640

13.5
18.7

565

12980

2.2

565

19470

3.3

Remarks
Flame invisible in

sunlight
Smoke point
Smoky ?ame
Flame invisible and

noisy
Flame just invisible

in daylight
6
7
8

9
16
16

565
1300
1300

48340
42480
20060

8.1
3.1
1.5

9
10

16
16

1300
1300

14750
35400

1.1
2.6

Almost on smoke point

Flame invisible
Short, noisy,
unstable ?ame
Flame extinguished
Short, vertical blue

The low pressure fuel gas of density about 1.3 was

introduced into the mouth of the Coanda ?are through

a 150 mm nominal bore pipe terminating 55 mm below
the lower face of the unit.

In general at low and medium fuel gas ?ows, smoke 65

does not form in the ?ame until the gas to steam ratio
exceeds 10 to l. The ?ame is made virtually invisible at
a gas to steam ratio of 5 to 1, further reduction in this

I claim:

1. A ?are, comprising:
a ?ow tube having an inlet end portion and an outlet

end portion;

4,336,017

said inletend portion of said ?ow tube including a

predetermined ?xed spatial position relative to said

Coanda nozzle directed towards the interior of said

Coanda nozzle during use of the ?are.

2. A ?are according to claim 1, in which the means

?ow tube;

for directing low pressure fuel gas is a supply pipe hav

ing its outlet 0 to 150 mm spaced apart and upstream of

means for passing a pressurized gas through said

Coanda nozzle and thereafter, together with en

the Coanda nozzle.

trained surrounding gas, along the inside of said

flow tube;
said ?ow tube transporting the gas ?ow to the outlet

3. A ?are according to claim 1 in which the means for

directing low pressure fuel gas is a supply pipe within

the ?ow tube and having its outlet 0 to 150 mm down

end portion thereof;
10 stream of the Coanda nozzle.
said Coanda nozzle including a circumferentially
4. A ?are according to claims 1, 2 or 3 in which said

extending outlet vslot through which said pressur

resilient ?ap is pre-loaded against said Coanda surface.

ized gas ?ows and a circumferentially extending

5. A ?are according to claim '1 wherein said resilient
?ap comprises two or more co~axial annular rings of the
Coandasurface inside said ?ow tube contiguous
same annular Width and diameter.
with one edge of said Coanda nozzle outlet slot, the
6. A ?are according to claims 11 or 5 in which the ?ow
opposite edge of said Coanda nozzle outlet slot
tube has an increasing cross-sectional area in a direction
comprising a resilient ?ap arranged to ?ex in re
downstream from the Coanda nozzle.
sponse to the pressure of said pressurized gas pass
7. A ?are according to claim 6, including a baf?e
ing through said Coanda nozzle outlet slot to vary
20
positioned
at the outlet portion of said ?ow tube.
the effective slot width thereof;
8. A ?are according to claim 6 in which said ?ow
said resilient ?ap comprising an annular ring, the
tube has the form of a cone having a semi-included

outer circumferentially extending edge of which is

angle of from 3 to 10.

?xed while the inner circumferentially extending

'

9. A ?are according to claim 8, including a baf?e

edge thereof is free to move in response to said 25 positioned at the outlet portion of said ?ow tube.
pressure of said pressurized gas; and
v10. A ?are according to claims 1 or 5 having a baf?e
means for directing low pressure gas into the inlet
positioned at the outlet portion of said ?ow tube.
portion of said flow tube, said means located at a

40

45

50

-55

65

*'