As regulatory pressure to monitor flares increases, so does the need for dependable pilot and flare monitoring instrumentation. Pilot flames are typically monitored with thermocouples, but these often fail unexpectedly due to thermal shock during flaring events. Generally, the failed thermocouples can only be replaced during a plant shut down, which means either the plant needs to be shut down to replace them or the pilot flames go unmonitored until the next scheduled shut down.
When installed in parallel with thermocouples, Advanced Energy’s FlareSpection™ provides remote, system redundancy for pilot monitoring. This allows the plant to continue to operate by providing crucial pilot flame information to the plant’s distributed control system (DCS).
Remote flaring control system integration with local DCS
FlareSpection is designed for applications requiring simultaneous remote, continuous and automatic monitoring of multiple pilot flames and/or multiple flares. The system’s advanced optical design renders the industry’s best pilot flame and flare image quality by utilizing a high resolution 640 x 480-pixel thermal imaging camera. This enables the user to position the system hundreds of meters from the target while minimizing time-consuming false alarms.
FlareSpection directly addresses the most critical operational issues of a petrochemical plant, such as safety, environmental protection, regulatory compliance and reduced maintenance costs.
In addition to the advanced hardware that makes FlareSpection a valuable plant monitoring system, its feature-rich system software brings Industry 4.0 capabilities to flare monitoring with real-time reporting, data analysis and control for plant automation.
FlareSpection Thermal Image
Created with special spectral ranges, calibrations and optics, FlareSpection focuses clearly through moisture, heavy rain and fog, even over distances of hundreds of meters. With its sturdy mount and base, the powerful lens and high-resolution camera offer a clear view of flare details from a convenient ground mounting location.
Thermal imaging camera in ATEX-certified housing
The camera is protected in a stainless-steel enclosure with an integrated sight tube to prevent dust and dirt on the window, permitting long-term use. FlareSpection’s explosion proof -ATEX certified-housing adds another layer of reliability when the system is installed in a hazardous area.
Among the value-added features of FlareSpection are:
- Real-time thermal monitoring of multiple pilot flames and flares
- Thermal camera operating in weather-proof stainless-steel housing complying with ATEX, IECEx, US and Canada certified explosion proof regulations.
- Industry 4.0 functionality:
- Image, event and alarm logs for audits
- Automated alarms with user-defined parameters
- Image recording for historical events review
- Easy integration with plant distributed control system (DCS)
Remote system installation in distances up to 300 m possible for monitoring flares
Contact:
Advanced Energy
LumaSense Technologies GmbH,
65479 Raunheim, Germany
