Patent ID: 11859815
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Field: Environmental technology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  E | IPC E  F

Claim 9:
10. A flare system to receive produced fluid comprising hydrocarbon from a wellhead for combustion of the hydrocarbon, the flare system comprising:
a flare comprising:
a flare stack to receive the produced fluid, wherein the flare system to be disposed at a well site for flaring at the well site, the well site comprising the wellhead and a wellbore, the wellbore formed in a subterranean formation for production of crude oil or natural gas, or both, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises natural gas or crude oil, or both, and wherein the produced fluid comprises liquid comprising at least one of liquid water or the hydrocarbon including liquid crude oil;
a flare tip comprising a nozzle having a nozzle discharge opening for discharge of the produced fluid from the flare tip, wherein the flare tip is coupled to the flare stack to receive the produced fluid from the flare stack;
an elliptical choking ball positioned at the nozzle discharge opening, the elliptical choking ball configured to transition from a position in which the elliptical choking ball completely closes the nozzle discharge opening to a position in which the elliptical choking ball extends outside the flare tip external and downstream of the nozzle discharge opening and opens the nozzle discharge opening; and
a hydraulic piston to adjust a position of the elliptical choking ball to adjust flow area of the nozzle discharge opening;

an air compressor external to the flare to supply air to the flare tip to combine with the produced fluid in the flare tip and discharge with the produced fluid through the nozzle discharge opening from the flare tip;
a hydraulic system comprising a hydraulic pump to provide hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic piston to operate the hydraulic piston;
a control system to direct operation of the hydraulic system to adjust the flow area via the hydraulic piston and the elliptical choking ball; and
a sensor to measure an operating parameter of the flare system, wherein the control system is configured to direct operation of the hydraulic system to adjust the flow area in response to measurement of the operating parameter by the sensor.