Patent ID: 7857898

Claim:
A flare stack comprising: a burner assembly for burning a fuel to generate thermal energy and combustion byproducts; an exhaust stack cooperatively associated with the burner assembly to direct the thermal energy and combustion byproducts away from the burner assembly; a housing at least partially defining a fluid-receiving chamber in thermal communication with the exhaust stack, the housing having a closed top, a closed bottom positioned above the burner assembly, an inlet to permit a heat-transfer liquid to flow into the fluid-receiving chamber, and an outlet to permit the heat transfer liquid to flow from the fluid-receiving chamber; and a fuel line in fluid communication with the burner assembly to deliver fuel to the burner assembly, at least a portion of the fuel line disposed within the fluid-receiving chamber so as to be in thermal communication with the heat-transfer liquid received in the fluid-receiving chamber to permit fuel in the fuel line to absorb thermal energy from the heat transfer liquid before reaching the burner assembly.