U.S. patent application number 15/801362 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-02 for adjustable capacity gas incinerator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Questor Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to John Sutherland.
Application Number | 20190128517 15/801362 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66242808 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-02 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190128517 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sutherland; John |
May 2, 2019 |
Adjustable Capacity Gas Incinerator
Abstract
An adjustable capacity gas incinerator includes a base portion
defining a lower chamber through which combustion air can flow from
outside the gas incinerator into the lower chamber. A combustion
stack extending vertically upward from the base portion and having
a wall defining a combustion chamber and a combustion gas exit
opening through which products of combustion can exit the
combustion chamber. The combustion stack includes a lower stack
section and an upper stack section removably joined to the lower
stack section and which is removable from the lower stack section
to change a combustion capacity of the combustion chamber.
Inventors: |
Sutherland; John; (Calgary,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Questor Technology, Inc. |
Calgary |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
66242808 |
Appl. No.: |
15/801362 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23G 5/24 20130101; F23G
7/085 20130101; F23G 5/50 20130101; F23D 14/60 20130101; F23J
2213/203 20130101; F23G 7/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F23G 5/50 20060101
F23G005/50; F23G 7/08 20060101 F23G007/08; F23D 14/60 20060101
F23D014/60 |
Claims
1. A method for incinerating gas comprising the steps of: providing
a gas incinerator that has a base portion defining a lower chamber
through which combustion air can flow from outside the gas
incinerator into said lower chamber, a combustion stack extending
vertically upward from said base portion and having a wall defining
a combustion chamber in communication with said lower chamber at
one end and a combustion gas exit opening at its opposite end
through which products of combustion can exit said combustion
chamber, and said combustion stack having a lower stack section and
an upper stack section removably connected to said lower stack
section by a bolt and flange coupling; injecting gas from a source
of gas at a flow rate into said combustion chamber and combusting
said gas in said combustion chamber; and removing said upper stack
section from said lower stack section when said flow rate of said
gas declines to a rate in which said upper stack section is not
required to maintain combustion of said gas without said combustion
occurring beyond said combustion gas exit opening.
2. A gas incinerator comprising: a base portion defining a lower
chamber through which combustion air can flow from outside the gas
incinerator into said lower chamber; a combustion stack extending
vertically upward from said base portion and having a wall defining
a combustion chamber and a combustion gas exit opening through
which products of combustion can exit said combustion chamber; and
wherein said combustion stack includes a lower stack section and an
upper stack section removably joined to said lower stack section
and which is removable from said lower stack section to change a
combustion capacity of said combustion chamber.
3. The gas incinerator of claim 2, wherein said lower stack section
and said upper stack section are removably joined together by a
bolted flange coupling.
4. The gas incinerator of claim 3, wherein said bolted flange
coupling includes a first flange member extending around said wall
of said lower stack section and a second flange member extending
around said wall of said upper stack section.
5. The gas incinerator of claim 3, wherein said first flange member
reinforces said wall of said lower stack section and wherein said
second flange member reinforces said wall of said upper stack
section.
6. The gas incinerator of claim 2, further comprising one or more
lifting lugs disposed on said upper stack section.
7. The gas incinerator of claim 6, wherein said one or more lifting
lugs are removably connected to said upper stack section.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to gas incinerators,
and more particularly, relating to a gas incinerator that
completely combusts gas without visible flames at the outlet for
the combustion gases and that has a variable capacity that is
adjustable according to combustion demand.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There are several factors that govern the gas flow rate
capacity of a gas incinerator and one of those is the height of the
combustion stack. All other design features being identical, a
taller combustion stack has higher efficiency than a lower
combustion stack. Within the oil and gas industry, there are many
areas where gas incineration is required. Two of the most common
are initial well flow backs and production facilities. Due to the
potential for large fluctuation in gas flow rates between these two
activities, it is challenging to adequately serve both important
needs. It has been a customary practice for industry to rent large
capacity incinerators for the initial flow backs and then remove
those after a sufficient wellbore evaluation flow back period to
make room for the purchase of many small incinerators for their
production facilities. This is an expensive and time-consuming
process.
[0003] Oil and gas wells initially flow at high rates and, after
the initial flow period, there is a natural decline and reduction
in flow rate from the wells prior to the production facility being
commissioned. Another contributing factor is that many production
facilities will have pipelines being constructed to transport gas
away from the production facility, however, those pipelines often
cannot accommodate the full gas flows. For these reasons
incinerators are required for production facilities but for reduced
capacities as compared to the initial well capacities.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a single gas incinerator
having a combustion capacity capable of handling an initial, high
gas flow rate and, then once the gas flow rate declines, the
combustion capacity can be reduced to meet the lower gas flow rate,
thereby eliminating the need to install a high capacity incinerator
and then replace the high capacity incinerator with smaller
capacity incinerator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present specification describes a gas incinerator having
a combustion capacity that can handle an initial, high flow gas
rate and, then once the gas flow rate declines, the combustion
capacity is adjustable to meet combustion demand of the declined
gas flow rate. Combustion capacity is adjustable by providing a
combustion stack having a stack height that can be decreased to
meet combustion demands.
[0006] The present gas incinerator would be set in the precise
location where the smaller lower capacity incinerator would
normally be set up. Once the wellbore evaluation period was
completed the top portion of the combustion stack would be removed
and a smaller, but appropriate, capacity stack would remain to
serve the requirements of the production facility. In other words,
what was traditionally a temporary incinerator would become the
permanent incinerator, by removing the top portion.
[0007] This is an operational breakthrough in that industry
significantly reduces equipment handling and their overall lease
size. Further, purchasing the bottom portion of the incinerator and
renting the top portion is much more economical than current
practice where a full incinerator is rented and then replaced by
purchasing a completely different designed production incinerator.
The removed tops would then be re-used on incinerator bottoms on
other projects and the operation simply repeats.
[0008] According, in general, in one aspect, a method for
incinerating gas is provided. The method comprising the steps of:
[0009] a. providing a gas incinerator that has a base portion
defining a lower chamber through which combustion air can flow from
outside the gas incinerator into the lower chamber, a combustion
stack extending vertically upward from the base portion and having
a wall defining a combustion chamber in communication with the
lower chamber at one end and a combustion gas exit opening at its
opposite end through which products of combustion can exit the
combustion chamber, and the combustion stack having a lower stack
section and an upper stack section removably connected to the lower
stack section by a bolt and flange coupling; [0010] b. injecting
gas from a source of gas at a flow rate into the combustion chamber
and combusting the gas in the combustion chamber; and [0011] c.
removing the upper stack section from the lower stack section when
the flow rate of the gas declines to a rate in which the upper
stack section is not required to maintain combustion of the gas
without the combustion occurring beyond the combustion gas exit
opening.
[0012] In general, in another aspect, a gas incinerator with a
variable combustion capacity is provided. The gas incinerator
includes a base portion defining a lower chamber through which
combustion air can flow from outside the gas incinerator into the
lower chamber. A combustion stack extending vertically upward from
the base portion and having a wall defining a combustion chamber
and a combustion gas exit opening through which products of
combustion can exit the combustion chamber. The combustion stack
includes a lower stack section and an upper stack section removably
joined to the lower stack section and which is removable from the
lower stack section to change a combustion capacity of the
combustion chamber.
[0013] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly some features
of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that
follows may be better understood and so that the present
contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
[0014] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of
presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of
the present invention when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in numerous
ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology employed herein are for description and should not be
regarded as limiting.
[0015] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0016] For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference
should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter
in which there are illustrated embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are
included to provide further understanding of the invention for
illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No
attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in
more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of
the invention, the description taken with the drawings making
apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the
invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals
do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the
same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of
a feature with similar functionality In the drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an adjustable
capacity gas incinerator constructed in accordance with the
principles of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the gas incinerator
of FIG. 1 in partial cross-section;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an enlarged, diagrammatic view of a bolted flange
connection between two combustion stack sections;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic, partial perspective view of a
lower combustion stack section shown with an upper combustion stack
section removed therefrom; and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic, partial cross-section view showing
a lifting lug removably attached to a combustion stack section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] With initial reference to FIGS. 1 through 2, there is
representatively illustrated a new gas incinerator 10 in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention. The incinerator 10
includes a base portion 12 defined by a cylindrical side wall 14
that has a plurality of air openings 16 spaced therearound. The
base portion 12 defines a lower chamber 18, which receives ambient
air located outside the incinerator through openings 16. A
combustion stack 20 extends vertically upward from the base portion
12 and has a wall 22 that defines a combustion chamber 24 that is
in direct communication with the lower chamber 18. The incinerator
10 includes a combustion system for combusting gas injected into
the combustion chamber, such as the combustion system described by
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,422, the entirety of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
[0024] The combustion stack 20 is divided along its height into a
lower stack section 26 and an upper stack section 28. The upper
stack section 28 is joined to the lower stack section 26 to create
a continuous combustion stack 20 with combustion chamber 24
extending the height of the combustion stack. The upper stack
section 28 and the lower stack section are removably coupled
together by a bolted flange connection 30. The upper stack section
28 can be removed from the lower stack section 26 to change the
height of the combustion stack 20 and, thus, the capacity of the
combustion chamber 24. The lengths or heights of the lower stack
section 26 and the upper stack section 28 may be varied to meet
combustion requirements of an installation. For example, the upper
and lower stack sections 28 and 26 may have the same or different
heights (lengths).
[0025] Detail of the bolted flange connection 30 is shown in FIG.
3. The bolted flange connection 30 includes a first flange member
32 disposed around a top end 34 of the lower stack portion 26 and a
second flange member 36 disposed around a bottom end 38 of the
upper stack portion 28. The flange members 32 and 36 are supported
by a plurality of gussets 40. The flange members 32 and 36 are
connected by a plurality of bolts 42 that extend through
cooperating holes formed through the flange members. With reference
to FIG. 4, there is shown a partial view of the combustion stack 20
with the upper stack section 28 removed from the lower stack
section 26.
[0026] The mating flanges 32 and 36 on the upper and lower stack
sections 28 and 26 serve an additional purpose. The cylindrical
stack is designed with a wall thickness that requires mechanical
strengthening in to be transported and set up. Without added
mechanical strength the incinerator's steel walls might experience
a deformation or buckling during these activities. The flanges add
strength to mitigate this and the mechanical qualities of the
flange have been modeled appropriately to provide sufficient
mechanical integrity.
[0027] The incinerator 10 also includes lifting lugs 44 for lifting
and positioning the incinerator and stack sections and,
particularly, for lifting and positioning the upper stack section
28 on the lower stack section 26. Turning to FIG. 5, each lifting
lug 44 is removably attached to the sidewall 22 of the stack
section 26, 28 by a bolt 46 that is threaded through front and back
plates 48 and 50 welded to opposite sides of the sidewall 22.
[0028] In operation, the incinerator 10 is initially configured
with the combustion stack 20 having the upper stack section 28
secured to the lower stack portion 26 to provide a combustion
chamber 24 having a first combustion capacity according an initial
flow rate of a source gas 50 that is to be burned. The height of
the combustion stack 20 is such that combustion of the source gas
50 mixed with air 52 is entirely contained within the combustion
chamber so that no flames exit the combustion gas exit located at
the top end of the stack. Once the initial flow rate of the source
gas 50 declines to a rate that combustion can be supported entirely
within the lower stack section 26 alone, the upper stack section 28
is disconnected from the lower stack section and removed, thereby
changing the combustion capacity of the combustion chamber 24.
[0029] An embodiment of the present invention has been described.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of
the following claims. For example, while the description made
herein describes the combustion stack comprised of two sections,
the lower section 26 and the upper section 28, the combustion stack
could be comprised of more than two sections to allow for finer
combustion capacity adjustments.
* * * * *