Patent ID: 9677762
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: F23G

Claim:
1. A system, comprising: a flare having a flame for burning waste gases; a smoke detecting electromagnetic energy sensor device comprising an enclosed optical chamber, a source arranged to pass electromagnetic energy across said optical chamber, and a sensing unit, wherein the source may pass electromagnetic energy across the enclosed optical chamber through which the sensor unit gathers at least a sampling of emissions including any smoke from the flame of the flare sensing a change in at least one of transmittance and backscattering of electromagnetic energy due to presence of smoke by sensing particulate matter coming from the flame of the flare, wherein the smoke is detectable by the electromagnetic energy sensor independent from combustion efficiency of the flare wherein the sensor unit detects the smoke inside the optical chamber and wherein the said electromagnetic energy sensor device creates a signal indicative of the smoke sensed in the optical chamber; an infrared energy absorption sensor positioned to sense energy absorbed by volatile organic compounds in an interrogation zone outside of a flame zone of the flare wherein energy absorption by volatile organic compounds which indicate the level of unburned volatile organic compounds which therefore also provides an indication of the combustion efficiency of the flare wherein the said infrared energy absorption sensor creates a signal indicative of the volatile organic compounds sensed; a smoke suppressant injector for injecting smoke suppressant into the flare; and a controller configured to adjust rate of smoke suppressant injection from the smoke suppressant injector to the flare based on signals received from either of the electromagnetic energy sensor device and the infrared energy absorption sensor, but receives signals from both, wherein the controller is programmed to deliver a rate of smoke suppressant high enough to prevent smoke from emanating from the flare and also maintain the rate of smoke suppressant sufficiently low enough to for the flame of the flare to burn a very high amount of any volatile organic compounds that might be delivered to the flare, especially when the infrared energy absorption sensor detects an undesirably high level of unburned volatile organic compounds emanating from the flare.