Patent ID: 9267686
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: F23G,F23N

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for monitoring a vertical flare stack system comprising: a vertical flare stack comprising a delivery line for delivering a flare gas comprising a waste gas, a released gas, or a combination thereof to an upper end of said vertical flare stack, said upper end of said vertical flare stack having a height of at least 15 feet, said delivery line having an open upper end at said upper end of said vertical flare stack for discharging said flare gas, and said vertical flare stack having a flare combustion zone projecting upwardly from said upper end of said vertical flare stack wherein said flare gas is combusted; an image receiver which is positioned not more than 5 feet from a monitored combustion zone at said upper end of said vertical flare stack and is oriented to receive an image of said monitored combustion zone at said upper end of said vertical flare stack or of a heated structure at said upper end of said vertical flare stack proximate to said monitored combustion zone; an image analyzer; a fiber optic line extending from said image receiver to said image analyzer to transmit said image to said image analyzer, said fiber optic line comprising at least one optical fiber; and a conduit extending upwardly to said upper end of said vertical flare stack and having at least an upper end portion of said fiber optic line positioned therein.