flare.IQ

flare control anddigital verification.
Global regulations often require periodic calibration
checks on flare vent gas meters, with results recorded
once or twice a year at regular intervals or based on themanufacturer’s recommended frequency. If a flare meter
is not regularly and properly maintained, a meter failure
can cause significant refinery downtime and possibly
incur penalties due to non-compliance.
Users can verify the health of a meter by applying any one ofthese three options:•Ex-situ: Refers to pulling out sensor probes from flarelines to inspect for potential contamination and defects.
The sensor probes are then mounted in a referencebox filled with air to verify functionality.

•In-situ: Refers to validation by visual inspection of
the flare meter system and data collection of metersin process gas.

•Digital verification: Allows the flare meter to be validated
on-line and in-process through remote communication
with a plant’s distributed control system (DCS).

The current ex-situ and in-situ methods of verification
require a service engineer to travel to the customer’s site,pull permits, build the necessary scaffolding, and monitor themeter with support from the plant’s technicians. Operational
downtime and logistical support also increases costs.
Alternatively, remote digital verification safely validates theflare meter on-line by communicating with it through theplant’s DCS, reducing unnecessary labor and expense.

Digital verification
powered by flare.IQ

Digital verification powered by flare.IQ collects data from theflare meter along with gas composition from the gas analyzer,
and process pressure and temperature (P/T) through a plant’sDCS. Once the flare process stabilizes, digital verification uses aproprietary, patented algorithm to calculate theoretical soundspeed based on gas composition and P/T and compares itwith measured sound speed from the meter. Along with themeter’s diagnostics, flare.IQ uses this information to digitally
verify if the meter has passed inspection.

Quick results

Digital validation can be scheduled for a pre-determined time or initiated on demand, with the results of digital verification
evaluated by a Baker Hughes service engineer. If the service engineer accepts the results, he/she issues a certificate to plant
operators as proof of compliance. If the engineer identifies issues during digital verification, he/she analyzes the data todiscover the root cause and engages in corrective action. Digital verification is typically available through the Panametrics
FlareCare, our supporting service agreement (SSA).

Digital verification powered by flare.IQ
Diagnostics
and SoS

Pressure

Ethernet

Temperature
Analyzer•Compare sound speed withtheoretical reference•

Analyze meter diagnostics

Gas composition(when available)

FlareCare powered by flare.IQ

Meet your daily needs withPanametrics FlareCare (SSA)

Panametrics FlareCare supporting service agreements cansave your plant unnecessary expense and increase uptime.
With many options to choose from, your company candetermine what plan works best to support:•Decreased EHS safety risks•

Reduced liability•

Lowered costs associated with scaffolding installations
and transducer extraction

Learn more about the Panametrics FlareCare program.

Complete plug-and-play solution
for flare compliance

Designed for operators, the Panametrics flare.IQ digitalplatform provides new plug-and-play capabilities for theplant DCS. The flare.IQ platform offers two major modules:
one for flare system control and the latest for ultrasonic flare
meter digital verification.

2flare.IQ for control

Given the potential complexities, complications andoverwhelming risks associated with developing an
all-encompassing flare system solution, flare.IQ enables
plant operators to eliminate control challenges with
automated software algorithms that remove the need tomanually control the flare.

flare.IQ for digital verification

In addition to optimizing combustion efficiency of the flare,
the Panametrics flare.IQ digital verification platform allows
operators to meet regulation-mandated meter verifications.
Probe verifications of ultrasonic flow meters usually require
removal from the process in order to inspect and test. The
digital verification platform sends data, not people, whichsaves your company time and costs while reducing risk.

Increase efficiency of thecomplete flare systemflare.IQ is pre-programmed with all required algorithms
necessary to address the most difficult aspects of properflare control and it can also be customized to the uniquefingerprint of each flare system. The program utilizes
surrogate modeling to draw correlations between flare flow
conditions and the required steam input to operate with novisible emissions.

flare.IQ also employs patented technology that addresses BTU
measurements’ latency that results from gas chromatograph(GC) technology. The BTU readings of the flare flow system
obtained by the GC deliver critical input to achieve therequired destruction efficiency in the flare combustion zone.
flare.IQ utilizes sound speed to help bridge the GC’s infrequent
BTU readings with near-continuous feedback and improved
operator control of the entire flare system.
The BTU measurement typically updates every 15 minutes
due to the latency inherent in the GC sampling. flare.IQ
includes a tuning algorithm that provides course adjustments
to the make-up/supplemental gas and steam flow,
allowing the flare to operate within a tighter control window
between the 15-minute updates from the GC, as illustrated
schematically in the figure below. This better optimizes theuse of make-up gas and steam (or air assist) to maintainthe proper BTU level in the flare combustion zone. When theGC updates, flare.IQ’s tuning algorithm learns and adjusts
its control set-point values.

2500

Reported NHV

Calculated NHV

MHV cz BTU/SCF

2000

1500

1000

500

004812162024283236404448525660

Time in minutes
Green: Under-steamed condition, potentially resulting in a smoking flare or consumption of excess supplemental gas.
Grey: Potential over-steaming condition. The flare.IQ controller reduces or eliminates these control gaps so that the flare
operates and responds to NHV changes in real time.
As seen in the chart on the next page, flare.IQ (green dots) provides an accurate estimation of net heating value (NHV)
compared to the on-line analyzer (black dots). flare.IQ even serves as back-up when the on-line analyzer is off-line forcalibration or maintenance, shown between the 1,000th minute and 1,500th minute interval. Once the on-line analyzer returns toservice, users can see that the heating value estimate from flare.IQ agrees with real-time data from the on-line analyzer.
3

1500
1400

HHV, Mass spectrometer

1300

HHV, flare.IQ

1200

BTU/SCF

1100
1000
900
800
700

600
500
400
300
200
10000500

1000

Reduce cost, time and risk

Panametrics’ patented process optimization algorithms
provide near-continuous feedback on flare performance,
helping drive down operational costs with reduced steam
and supplemental gas consumption, and reducing the needfor further capital investment in measurement assets.
flare.IQ helps the control engineer better manage theschedule and implementation risk to meet regulatory
emissions goals. With all the algorithms that control the entire
flare system, flare.IQ enables the control engineer to focus on
optimizing process control by removing the need to spend
valuable time and expense programming the flare system.

Specifications

Please review this list of flare.IQ specifications for
digital verification and control:
Installation•19” rack mountable (enclosed with tool access), 2
interconnected modules – top (4U) and bottom (3U)•
Flare Control software always comes with redundant
DPUs (i.e., 2 DPUs/flare); Digital Verification softwareby itself does not come with redundant DPUs unlesscombined with Flare Control.
Processor•
Intel Atom® E3815 Single Core 1.46GHz
Memory•Onboard 4GB DDR3L 1066 MHz•
Onboard 32GB eMMC storage
Connectivity•
One 10/100/1000 Mbps IEEE 802.3u (Ethernet) connection
for Modbus TCP/IP•
One 10/100/1000 Mbps IEEE 802.3u (Ethernet) connection
for DPU configuration/monitoring

Copyright 2020 Baker Hughes Company. All rights reserved.
BHCS34788 (06/2020)

Time (minutes)

1500

2000

2500

Power
•
AC configuration: Universal power supply adjusts
automatically from 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz•
Max power consumption 45 W•
DC configuration: Not available
Size/dimensions•
Top module: 19.02” (483 mm) Width x 6.93” (176 mm)
Height X 4.94” (126 mm) Depth
Weight = 8.65 lbs. (3.92 kg)•Bottom Module: 19.02” (483 mm) Width x 5.22” (133 mm)
Height X 8.05” (204.5 mm) Depth
Weight = 8.55 lbs. (3.88 kg) – with maximum numberof DPU’s (6) installed
Operating temperature•
0°C to +40°C (32°F to +140°F)
Storage temperature•-40°C to +70°C (-40°F to +158°F)
Relative humidity•
10% – 95% RH @ 25°C, non-condensing
Maximum operating altitude•2000 m (6562 ft)
Overvoltage (installation) category•
II
Pollution degree•
2Ingress protection•
IP 10 (Protected from touch by hands greater than 50mm; Not protected from liquids)
Warm-up time•
Meets specified accuracy within 5 minutes of turn-on

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