©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 1

Pilots for Reliability

Steam Traps for

Proper Operation

Process Combustion Technology Forum

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 2 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Important Notice

The information contained in these materials is for informational purposes only and is provided “AS IS”, without warranties of any kind. Your use of the information contained herein is at your sole risk. We expressly disclaim any express or implied representations, warranties or guaranties, including without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. We will have absolutely no liability (whether direct, indirect or consequential) in connection with these materials (and/or the information contained therein) including without limitation, any liability for damage to person or property. We also reserve the right to make subsequent changes to the materials without prior notice. For purposes of this notification, “We” includes John Zink Company LLC and its affiliates and their respective employees, partners, principles, agents and representatives, and any third-party providers or sources of information or data.

johnzinkhamworthy.com/trademarks

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 3 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

If it doesn’t light

this time let’s try

your idea of using

the flame thrower.

How Not To Light Your Flare

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 4 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Fundamentals

The pilot is the most important piece

of equipment on the flare system.

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 5 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Fundamentals

►What are the key goals for a properly

designed pilot?

►Reliable and automatic pilot ignition for safety

and to meet local regulations

►Prevent pilot flame from being extinguished

►Provide pilot flame stability per API 537

recommendations

►Accurate and quick detection

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 6 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Detection / Ignition

Case Study 1

► A flare had only FFG for ignition and thermocouples for detection.

► All thermocouples burned out, so an IR pilot detector was

installed.

► The IR detector consistently showed a “proved flame”.

► The flare gas contained high CO2 and high H2S.

► The flare went out, possibly due to low BTU gas composition.

► The IR detector sounded an alarm, but it was too late to prevent serious emission violations. Apparently, the pilots had been out and may have been for a long time.

► It took an extended time to relight the pilots with FFG system.

► Customer installed dual-ignition and dual-detection system for these flare pilots and at numerous other flare installations

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 7 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Dual Ignition & Detection

►Ignition

►InstaFire® Pilot

►ZEUS™ Pilot

►FFG

►Detection

►Ionization

►Thermocouple

►SoundPROOF® System

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 8 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Ignition Systems

►Flame Front Generator

►Spark Ignition

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 9 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Conventional FFG

►Flame Front Generator

►Original ignition system

►The Flame Front Generator (FFG) is the most

common method for lighting a flare pilot.

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 10 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Conventional FFG

► Method – Send a fireball through a pipe to the pilot.

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 11 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Spark electrode

Direct Spark Ignition (InstaFire pilot)

►Ignition is achieved by a heavy duty “spark

plug type” electrode mounted in the pilot

nozzle

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 12 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Comparison of Ignition Systems

CONVENTIONAL FFG 1. Compressed air required

2. 1” diameter ignition line

3. Main components at grade

4. Automatic or manual –

Operator attention may be

needed

DIRECT SPARK

1. Compressed air not req’d

2. No ignition line required

3. Not all components at grade

4. Provides Ignition & Monitoring

a. Operator attention not required

b. Relights within seconds

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 13 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Flame Detection

►Why Monitor Pilots?

►For your safety!

►Case Study 1 Example

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 14 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Flame Detection

►Pilot Flames Produce

►Heat

►Ionized Gases

►Light

►Sound

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 15 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Heat - Thermocouple

►Typical temperature is 1200°F

►Set point typically 300°F

►Installed in thermowell for long life

►Type “K” with SS sheath

Pilot thermowell

Thermocouple

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 16 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Thermocouple Disadvantages

►Usually can only be replaced when flare is

down

►Long response time

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 17 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Ionized Gases - Electrode

►If a flame is present, there will be an area of ionized gases within the pilot nozzle

►Ionized gases allow current to pass from the spark rod electrode to grounded pilot

Pilot tip Ceramic insulated

spark rod/electrode

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 18 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

SoundPROOF System

►Listens for the unique

sound generated by

pilot

►Uses the pilot ignition

line for sound

transmission

GAS LINE

O

N

O

FF

AIR

GAS

DRAIN

FLARE

PILOT

FLAME

MONITOR

•TM

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 19 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

SoundPROOF Pilot Monitoring System

►Distinguishes individual pilots

►Quick response time

►Mounted at grade

►Maintained while flare is operating

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 20 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Pilot Monitoring Comparison

Distinguish

Individual

Pilot?

Installation/

Maintenance

Response

Weather

Problems

T/C Infra-Red SoundPROOF Ionization

5 to 10 Min. Seconds++ Seconds Seconds

At tip

during

shutdown

At grade

anytime At grade

anytime

At tip

during

shutdown

Yes No Yes Yes

Rain cools

T/C

Heavy rain,

fog, & snow None None

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 21 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

WindPROOF™ Pilot

►Exceeds API 537 wind and rain

recommendations

►Options:

►FFG Ignition

►Spark Ignition

►Thermocouple Detection

►InstaFire Detection

►SoundPROOF Detection

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 22 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

InstaFire Fast Response Advantage

The InstaFire system can relight a pilot within approximately 4 seconds after pilot failure, compared to

thermocouples which take much longer and waste valuable time between pilot outage and re-ignition.

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 23 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Case Study 2 Conditions

►Inlet steam pressure is 10 Bar

►Design smokeless steam rate is 40,000 kg/hr.

►Pressure downstream of steam valve is ~8 Bar

►Minimum cooling steam is ~450 kg/hr.

►What is the pressure downstream of steam valve?

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 24 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

FI

RO

10 Bar STEAM

Warm up bypass

Standard Disc Trap

Standard Disc Trap

To flare tip main steam ring

Existing condensate boot

at elbow before final rise

2.7 Bar Condensate Header

Previous System Installation

Case Study 2

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 25 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Improved System Installation

Case Study 2

Trap for high pressure side of steam valve

Trap for low pressure side of steam valve

Option required for condensate return system

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 26 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Improper Steam Trapping

Case Study-Similar Problem

► Incorrect installation downstream of control valve

►Too Short of drip leg

►Should not return to condensate return line

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 27 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Proper Steam Trapping

Case Study –Same Flare

►Correct Installation

downstream of

control valve

►Sufficiently sized

drip leg

►Open to

atmosphere

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 28 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Steam Trap Drip Leg Sizing

Steam Operation & Maintenance

Courtesy of

Armstrong

International

©2016 John Zink Company, LLC 29 This presentation is not, and should not be considered, legal advice.

Questions?