Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TITLE: WASTE GAS COMBUSTOR
TECHNICAL FIELD:
[0001] The present disclosure is related to the field of combustors, in
particular,
combustors for eliminating low pressure and low volume waste gas from
hydrocarbon
producing wells and hydrocarbon production facilities in addition to
hydrocarbon gases
produced from agricultural activities and from municipal landfills, waste
management
systems and sewage systems.
BACKGROUND:
[0002] Combustors can be used for burning off or combusting waste gas from a
hydrocarbon producing well or hydrocarbon production facilities where the
waste gas is
of too low a pressure or volume, or both, to be of any use as a downstream
hydrocarbon
product. Combusting the waste gas is the environmentally friendly method of
disposing
of the waste gas as allowing the waste gas to vent to the atmosphere can be an
environmental hazard as it can add to and worsen the effect of greenhouse
gases
("GHGs") in the atmosphere. Simply venting waste gas to the atmosphere is also
contrary
to environmental regulations in many jurisdictions.
[0003] Prior art combustors are typically a vertically oriented cylindrical
structure that are
difficult to transport and to install at a site. When placed at a site near a
well or venting
system, prior art combustors require a cement pad to be first placed to be
mounted on.
Prior art combustors often require to be supported and stabilized with guy
wires in addition
to mounting on a cement pad. Due to their configuration, transporting prior
art combustors
is difficult and a typical truck trailer is limited to carrying only two to
three prior art
combustors at a time, which increases transportation and logistics costs in
moving such
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combustor to and from well sites and venting equipment. The requirement of
placing
cement pads and the use of guy wires for stabilization increases both the time
and cost
to place prior art combustors.
[0004] By using combustors to burn off waste fuel gas from oil and gas
facilities, as well
as from land fill waste gas and agricultural waste, doing so can reduce the
amount of
GHGs being emitted to atmosphere. In so doing, carbon credits can be acquired
by
operators of combustors based on the amount of GHGs being destroyed. A problem
arising from this, however, is the ability to monitor and collect of data
relating to the
amount and type of GHGs that are burned off. It is possible to manually
monitor the
amount of GHGs combusted but doing so can be prone to errors and inaccuracies
and
may result in the operator not acquiring all the carbon credits they may be
entitled to.
Combustors can also be located in remote and often difficult places to reach,
which makes
accurate collection of data of GHG combustion more difficult.
[0005] It is, therefore, desirable to provide a combustor that can be easily
transported and
placed in close proximity to hydrocarbon producing wells and oil and gas
production and
storage facilities and equipment for disposing of waste gases that would be
otherwise
vented into the atmosphere and to provide means for accurate monitoring and
collection
of data of the combustion of GHGs.
SUMMARY:
[0006] A combustor having a rectangular prism structure, enclosed on a bottom
surface
and 4 sidewalls thereof with a top side left open for heat and combustion by-
products to
exit therefrom, can be provided with a burner assembly mounted inside for
burning waste
gas with combustion air provided through flame arrestors from outside
atmospheric air.
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The combustor can comprise a controller, configured as a burner management
system,
for operating an igniter disposed on the burner assembly, and can further
comprise
thermocouples for measuring the temperature of exhaust gas exiting the
combustor and
for measuring the skin temperature of the structure wherein the thermocouples
can
provide temperature information to the controller for controlling the
operation of the
combustor. In some embodiments, the combination of the burner management
system,
the flame arrestors and the thermocouples can allow the combustor to be placed
as close
as 10 metres to a well or gas venting equipment as the burner management
system can
be configured to monitor the exhaust temperature and the skin temperature of
the
combustor and control the rate of combustion of waste gas to keep those
temperatures
from exceeding the auto-ignition temperature of the waste gases. By reducing
the
distance the combustor can be placed near a well or venting equipment, this
reduces the
length, diameter and cost of the piping required to supply waste gas to the
combustor.
[0007] In some embodiments, the combustor can comprise a square base that can
be
lifted and transported by a forklift. In some embodiments, the combustor can
further
comprise rectangular sidewalls wherein the resulting combustor can be easily
placed at
a well site or near venting equipment without having a cement pad placed
first; the
combustor can be placed directly onto the ground and not require additional
stabilization
with guy wires and the like. By eliminating the need of a cement pad, the time
and cost
to place the combustor near a well site or venting equipment can be reduced.
[0008] In some embodiments, the square base can be nominally 60 inches on a
side and
the sidewalls can be nominally 120 inches tall. In such configurations, 7 to 8
units of the
combustor can be transported on a flat deck trailer or B-train trailer. This
can reduce the
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cost of transportation and logistics of moving the combustor to and from sites
as
compared to prior art combustors.
[0009] In some embodiments, the combustor can be used to safely dispose of
waste
hydrocarbon gases produced from oil and gas production activities,
agricultural activities
and from municipal landfills, waste management systems and sewage systems.
[0010] In some embodiments, the combustor can come equipped with a burner
management system, valve train and flow meter. The flow meter can measure the
gas
flow being burnt in the combustor that, in turn, can send data to the burner
management
system that can operate as a supervisory control and data acquisition
("SCADA") system
that can control data coming acquired about the GHGs being combusted. In some
embodiments, the burner management system can wirelessly transmit the data
using a
cellular transceiver device over a telecommunications network such as through
the public
switched telephone network ("PSTN"). This cellular device can then send the
raw data to
a central monitoring system for a geographic region where the central
monitoring system
can comprise a software platform that can store data received from a
particular
combustor. In some embodiments, the burner management system can safely light
the
combustor and monitor temperatures therein as well as providing visual
indications of the
temperatures for the operators to read.
[0011] The combination of the burner management system and the cellular unit
can
provide flow value and temperature data in addition to operation data as to
whether the
combustor is operating or not as well as the location of the combustor.
Operators can be
notified through the software program as to whether the combustors are running
and to
their whereabouts so they know where to go to check on them and get them up
and
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running again in the event the corn bustor ceases to operate. By operating
cornbustors
using the systems and methods described herein, operators can maximize the
operating
time of their combustors with minimal manpower given that the status and
operation of
every combustor can be monitored by the central control center. In addition,
the central
control center can accurately monitor the volume of waste gas burned by each
corn bustor
thereby ensuring the operator can accurately track the amount of carbon
credits they can
acquire from the volume of waste burned from each combustor. This enables
operators
to maximize the carbon credits they are able to earn from the waste gas being
corn busted
by the corn bustor.
[0012] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, a combustor can be provided, corn
prising:
an enclosure, further comprising a bottom panel and a plurality of sidewall
panels
disposed around a perimeter of the bottom panel, the plurality of sidewall
panels
extending upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom panel, the plurality of
sidewall panels
operatively coupled together around the perimeter to form a combustion
chamber; a
burner assembly disposed within the combustion chamber; a gas inlet pipe
operatively
coupled to the burner assembly, the gas inlet pipe configured to supply waste
gas to the
burner assembly; an air inlet disposed through at least one of the plurality
of sidewall
panels; and at least one flame arrestor operatively coupled to the air inlet
on an exterior
side of the plurality of sidewall panels, the at least one flame arrestor
configured to allow
atmospheric air to enter the combustion chamber for use as combustion air for
the burner
assembly.
[0013] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can comprise an
access
door disposed on one of the sidewall panels.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
[0014] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the access door can comprise one
of the
at least one flame arrestor disposed thereon.
[0015] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can comprise an air
intake
duct configured for providing communication from the air inlet to the burner
assembly.
[0016] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the bottom panel can be
substantially
square in configuration and each of the plurality of sidewall panels can be
substantially
rectangular in configuration.
[0017] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the bottom panel can be up to
nominally 60
inches by nominally 60 inches in dimension and each of the plurality of
sidewall panels
can be up to nominally 60 inches by nominally 120 inches in dimension.
[0018] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the burner assembly can further
comprise
at least one burner unit wherein each of the at least one burner unit
comprises: a pair of
substantially parallel concave sidewalls configured to form a venturi-like
throat structure,
each concave sidewall comprising a plurality of holes disposed therethrough; a
pair of
substantially parallel end plates, each end plate disposed at opposing ends of
the
concave sidewalls and operatively coupled thereto; and a burner pipe disposed
between
the concave sidewalls in the venturi-like throat structure.
[0019] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the at least one burner unit can
comprise a
plurality of top braces disposed between the concave sidewalls.
[0020] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, one or both of the concave side
walls can
comprise a plurality of perforations disposed therethrough.
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[0021] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the at least one burner unit can
further
comprise a flame containment plate disposed on top of one or both of the
substantially
parallel end plates.
[0022] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can further comprise
a
controller configured for controlling the operation of the burner assembly.
[0023] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the burner assembly can comprise
at least
one igniter configured for igniting waste gas exiting the burner pipe upon
receiving an
ignition signal from the controller.
[0024] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can comprise an
exhaust
gas temperature thermocouple operatively coupled to the controller.
[0025] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can comprise a
sidewall
panel skin temperature thermocouple operatively coupled to the controller.
[0026] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can comprise a
wireless
communications transceiver operatively coupled to the controller, the
transceiver
configured to exchange data with a central control center over a
telecommunications
network.
[0027] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the combustor can further comprise
a valve
train operatively coupled to the gas inlet pipe, the valve train configured to
control and
monitor the flow of the waste gas into the gas inlet pipe.
[0028] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, a method can be provided for
determining
the amount of waste gas supplied to a combustor, comprising: supplying the
waste gas
to the combustor, the combustor comprising: an enclosure, further comprising a
bottom
panel and a plurality of sidewall panels disposed around a perimeter of the
bottom panel,
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the plurality of sidewall panels extending upwardly from the perimeter of the
bottom panel,
the plurality of sidewall panels operatively coupled together around the
perimeter to form
a combustion chamber, a burner assembly disposed within the combustion
chamber, a
gas inlet pipe operatively coupled to the burner assembly, the gas inlet pipe
configured
to supply waste gas to the burner assembly, an air inlet disposed through at
least one of
the plurality of sidewall panels, and at least one flame arrestor operatively
coupled to the
air inlet on an exterior side of the plurality of sidewall panels, the at
least one flame
arrestor configured to allow atmospheric air to enter the combustion chamber
for use as
combustion air for the burner assembly; monitoring the amount of the waste gas
supplied
to the combustor with a flow meter, the flow meter configured to provide a gas
flow signal
to a controller, the controller further configured to derive gas flow data
from the gas flow
signal; transmitting the gas flow data to a central control center; and
determining the
amount of the waste gas supplied to and burned by the combustor from the gas
flow data.
[0029] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the method can further comprise
transmitting the gas flow data over a telecommunications network.
[0030] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the method can further comprise
determining the amount of carbon credits associated with the amount of the
supplied to
and burned by the combustor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
[0031] Figure 1 is a front elevation view depicting a first embodiment of a
combustor.
[0032] Figure 2 is a side elevation view depicting the combustor of Figure 1.
[0033] Figure 3 is a rear elevation view depicting the combustor of Figure 1.
[0034] Figure 4 is a top plan view depicting the combustor of Figure 1.
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[0035] Figure 5 is a side elevation view depicting a lifting lug of the
cornbustor of Figure
1.
[0036] Figure 6 is a side elevation view depicting a tie down lug of the
combustor of Figure
1.
[0037] Figure 7 is a front elevation view depicting a second embodiment of a
cornbustor.
[0038] Figure 8 is a side elevation view depicting the combustor of Figure 7.
[0039] Figure 9 is a rear elevation view depicting the combustor of Figure 7.
[0040] Figure 10 is a top plan view depicting the combustor of Figure 7.
[0041] Figure 11 is a top plan view depicting a burner assembly of the
combustor of Figure
7.
[0042] Figure 12 is an end elevation view depicting a burner of the burner
assembly of
Figure 11.
[0043] Figure 13 is a side elevation view depicting the burner of Figure 12.
[0044] Figure 14 is a side elevation view depicting the burner assembly of
Figure 11.
[0045] Figure 15 is a front elevation view depicting the burner assembly of
Figure 11.
[0046] Figure 16 is a top plan view depicting an air inlet air duct of
combustor base box
of Figure 1.
[0047] Figure 17 is a side elevation view depicting the air inlet air duct of
Figure 16.
[0048] Figure 18 is a top plan view depicting a burner assembly of the
combustor of Figure
7.
[0049] Figure 19 is an end elevation view depicting a burner of the burner
assembly of
Figure 18.
[0050] Figure 20 is a side elevation view depicting the burner of Figure 19.
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[0051] Figure 21 is a side elevation view depicting the burner assembly of
Figure 18.
[0052] Figure 22 is an end elevation view depicting the burner assembly of
Figure 18.
[0053] Figure 23 is a block diagram depicting a combustor with a communication
link from
a SCADA unit to a central control center.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS:
[0054] In this description, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment",
or
"embodiments" mean that the feature or features being referred to are included
in at least
one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to "one embodiment", "an
embodiment", or "embodiments" in this description do not necessarily refer to
the same
embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except
as will
be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For
example, a feature,
structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment can also be included in other
embodiments but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can
include
a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described
herein.
[0055] Referring to the Figures, an embodiment of an improved combustor 10 is
shown.
Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a first embodiment of combustor 10 is shown,
which can
further comprise of base box 20 that can comprise of base plate 36 and
sidewall panels
21 extending upwardly therefrom to form a rectangular prism-like structure
wherein the
uppermost portion is open to the atmosphere via opening 11. In some
embodiments,
base plate 36 can be disposed on top of a support structure or skid 37. In
some
embodiments, skid 37 can comprise slots 39, as shown in Figure 8, to
accommodate
forklift forks to inserted therein so that combustor 10 can be lifted and
transported with a
forklift. In some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise a plurality of
lifting lugs 44
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
disposed thereon near opening 11 to provide means for lifting combustor onto
and off of
a trailer or transport truck with a crane, as well known to those skilled in
the art. In some
embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise a plurality of tie down lugs 45
disposed
therearound for securing combustor 10 to a trailer or transport truck with
straps, ropes,
chains, etc. as well known to those skilled in the art.
[0056] In some embodiments, base plate 36 can be square in configuration. In a
representative embodiment, base plate 36 can measure approximately 60" on each
side
thereof. In some embodiments, sidewall panels 21 can be rectangular in
configuration.
In a representative embodiment, each sidewall panel 21 can measure
approximately 60"
wide and 120" tall. In some embodiments, this configuration of combustor 10
can permit
7 units thereof to fit onto, and be transported by, a 53-foot long flat deck
trailer, as well
known by those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, 8 units combustor 10
can be
placed on a B-train trailer, as well known by those skilled in the art. In
some
embodiments, this configuration of combustor 10 can result in it having a
weight of 2875
pounds. In this configuration, combustor 10 has been engineered to be placed
at a site
without guy wires and withstand winds up to 133 kilometres per hour without
toppling. In
actual installations, it was observed that the combustor to withstand wind
gusts up to 160
kilometres per hour without toppling.
[0057] In some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise burner assembly 30
disposed
therein. In some embodiments, burner assembly 30 can be supplied with waste
gas
flowing through gas inlet pipe 26 to be combusted. In some embodiments, the
waste gas
can flow through valve train 76 prior to passing into inlet pipe 26. In some
embodiments,
valve train 76 can comprise one or more of valves, water separators, pressure
gauges,
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pipe tees and fittings and any other device as well known to those skilled in
the art for
safe handling of hydrocarbon gases. In some embodiments, valve train 76 can
comprise
pilot regulator 78 configured for providing a stream of pressure-regulated
hydrogen gas
to igniter 66 (as shown in Figure 14) to enable safe ignition and combustion
of the waste
hydrogen gas. Any moisture or liquids that can accumulate in the waste gas can
drain
from gas inlet pipe 26 via drainpipe 27 coupled thereto.
[0058] In some embodiments, base box 20 can comprise access door 24 disposed
on
one sidewall panel 21 of base box 20 to permit ingress in base box 20 by
service
personnel. Access door 24 can be attached to door frame 34, which can be
comprised
of square steel tubing, with hinges and/or fasteners as well known to those
skilled in the
art. In some embodiments, base box 20 can comprise sight glass 56 disposed on
a
sidewall panel 21 thereof to provide means for service personnel to visually
inspect the
interior of combustor 10 without physically entering it.
[0059] In some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise flame arrestors 22
disposed
on opposing sidewall panels 21 thereof to allow outside atmospheric air to
enter through
openings 19 into base box 20 as combustion air for burner assembly 30 wherein
flame
arrestors 22 prevent or inhibit flames from passing from within base box 20 to
the
atmosphere outside of base box 20. In some embodiments, combustor 10 can
comprise
of one or more air intake ducts 68 configured to channel outside atmospheric
air drawn
in through flame arrestors 22 and openings 19, and then direct the atmospheric
air
underneath burner assembly 30 to provide combustion air thereto. Referring to
Figures
16 and 17, one embodiment of intake duct 68 is shown in more detail. In some
embodiments, two intake ducts 68 can be disposed on base plate, operatively
coupled to
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on opposing sidewall panels 21 to flame arrestors 22 providing communication
from an
outer end adjacent to flame arrestor 22 to an inner end configured to be
disposed beneath
burner assembly 30. In some embodiments, the inner end of intake ducts 68 can
comprise a notched opening 72. In some embodiments, the inner ends of intake
ducts
68 can abutted to each other but separated by gap 74, as shown in Figures 16
and 17.
In this configuration, the notched openings 72 of the two intake ducts 68 can
provide an
opening for combustion air to exit therefrom and flow towards burner assembly
30. In
some embodiments, one or both intake ducts 68 can each comprise a plurality of
openings 70 configured to allow air to pass therethrough to provide a flow of
air to rise
along with combustion gases produced by burner assembly 30 and exit combustor
10 as
exhaust gas from opening 11.
[0060] In some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise of controller 54
configured to
control the operation of combustor 10 including, but not limited to, burner
assembly 30.
In some embodiments, controller 54 can comprise one or more of a programmable
logic
controller, a microcontroller, a personal computer and any other device that
can be used
for system or supervisory control and data acquisition as well known to those
skilled in
the art. In a representative embodiment, controller 54 can comprise a CSC 400
Combustion Safety Control controller as manufactured by Clear Rush Corporation
of
Sundre, Alberta, Canada. In some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise of one
or
more thermocouple configured to measure temperature at different physical
locations on
combustor 10 to provide temperature control information or signals to
controller 54 that
can be, in turn, used in the operation of burner assembly 30. In some
embodiments,
combustor 10 can comprise of exhaust gas temperature thermocouple 32 disposed
near
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opening 11, which can be operatively coupled to controller 54 and further
configured to
measure the temperature of exhaust gases exiting combustor 10 through opening
11. In
some embodiments, combustor 10 can comprise of skin temperature thermocouple
33
disposed on one sidewall panel 21, which can be operatively coupled to
controller 54 and
further configured to measure the skin temperature of a sidewall panel 21. In
some
embodiments, one or both of thermocouples 32 and 33 can comprise a Type-K
thermocouple as well known to those skilled in the art.
[0061] In some embodiments, controller 54 can measure temperatures and gas
pressure
and flow to control safe ignition and monitoring of the pilot flame and can
further control
main/waste gas flow into the combustor. Thermocouples 32 and 33 connected to
controller 54 can be used to measure the temperature of the lower outer skin
of combustor
and the stack air exit temperature. In some embodiments, controller 54 can
utilize a
pressure transmitter connected to a first 4-20mA input of controller 54 to
control the
opening and closing of the main gas solenoid valves. In some embodiments,
controller
54 can use a second 4-20mA input of controller 54 to measure the gas flow via
direct flow
meter 77 or by calculating flow using a second pressure transmitter and the
number of
orifices in the burner. In some embodiments, controller 54 can record the
total gas flow
to combustor 10 in standard cubic fee per day ("SCFD"), calculated every
second if the
main valve(s) are open. In some embodiments, controller 54 can send this data
through
a secured, encrypted internet connection to an offsite server via a cellular
modem.
[0062] Temperature measured at either of thermocouples 32 or 33 can provide
temperature information to controller 54 in terms of whether the exhaust gas
temperature
or the sidewall skin temperature exceed a safe operating temperature. This
temperature
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
can be set to a temperature below the auto-ignition temperature of the waste
gases
present at the site. Should the temperature measured by the thermocouples
approach
the safe operating temperature, controller 54 can shut down operation of
combustor 10,
such as sending a valve control signal to a solenoid-controlled valve as well
known to
those skilled in the art (not shown) controlling the flow of waste gas into
gas inlet pipe 26
to close said valve and stop combustion of waste. When temperatures measured
by
thermocouples 32 and 33 drop to a safe operating temperature, controller 54
can send
another valve control signal to the solenoid-controlled valve to open the
valve and allow
waste gas to flow into burner assembly 30 and then controller 54 can send an
ignition
signal to igniter 66, as shown in Figure 14, to ignite the waste gas and begin
combustion
of the waste gas.
[0063] Referring to Figures 7 to 10, a second embodiment of combustor 10 is
shown. In
this embodiment, combustor 10 can be similar in configuration and structure to
that of the
first embodiment as described above. In this embodiment, burner assembly 30
can be
larger than the one used for the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 and,
thus, can
be used to combust a larger volume of waste gas than that of the first
embodiment. In
this embodiment, combustor 10 can comprise larger flame arrestors 22 to allow
a larger
volume of outside atmospheric air to be drawn into combustor 10 as combustion
air for
the larger burner assembly 30. In some embodiments, access door 24 can
comprise a
third flame arrestor 22 disposed thereon to allow even more outside
atmospheric air to
be drawn into base box 20 as combustion air for burner assembly 30.
[0064] Referring to Figures 11 to 15, an embodiment of burner assembly 30 for
use with
the combustor 10 of Figures 1 to 4 is shown. In this embodiment, burner
assembly 30
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
can comprise two burner units 31, wherein burner units 31 can be configured in
a side by
side configuration as shown in Figures 11 and 15. In some embodiments, each
burner
unit 31 can comprise of two substantially parallel sidewalls 58 wherein each
sidewall 58
can comprise a concave figuration on an outer side thereof. The parallel
sidewalls 58
can be bounded by end plates 60 on opposing ends thereof to provide a unitary
structure
for burner unit 31. In some embodiments, sidewalls 58 can be comprised of
1/16" thick
stainless steel whereas end plates 60 can be comprised of 1/8" thick stainless
steel.
Combustion air can be drawn into combustor 10 through flame arrestor 22 and
opening
19 and be guided by intake ducts 68 to burner assembly 30.
[0065] In some embodiments, each burner unit 31 can comprise burner pipe 62
disposed
between sidewalls 58 wherein burner pipe 62 can comprise of a Y4" schedule 40
pipe
therein with perforations disposed through on a top surface thereof to provide
means for
waste gas to pass through to be combusted. In some embodiments, the concave
configuration of sidewalls 58 can provide a venturi-like throat structure
having an opening
of approximately 1-1/2" wide on a lower portion thereof and an opening of
approximately
2-3/4" wide on an upper portion thereof wherein burner pipe 62 can be disposed
in the
narrowest portion of said throat. Waste gas can be provided to burner units 31
via gas
inlet pipe 26.
[0066] In some embodiments, one or both of sidewalls 58 can comprise a
plurality of
perforations 64 disposed therethrough to provide a means for combustion air to
enter
burner unit 31. In some embodiments, the perforations can comprise the same
approximate size whereas the size of the perforations can vary from smaller to
larger from
a middle portion of sidewall 58 to an upper portion of sidewall 58. In some
embodiments,
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burner assembly 30 can comprise one or more igniters 66 operatively connected
to
controller 54 wherein igniter 66 can be configured for igniting waste gas
exiting burner
pipe 62 upon receiving an ignition signal from controller 54 to operate and
create a spark
to ignite the waste gas to start combustion thereof. In some embodiments,
igniter 66 can
comprise a model 1500 igniter manufactured by Clear Rush Corporation of
Sundre,
Alberta, Canada.
[0067] Referring to Figures 18 to 22, an embodiment of burner assembly 30 for
use with
the combustor 10 of Figures 7 to 10 is shown. In this embodiment, burner
assembly 30
can comprise two burner units 31, wherein burner units 31 can be configured in
a side by
side configuration as shown in Figures 18 and 22. In some embodiments, each
burner
unit 31 can comprise of two substantially parallel sidewalls 58 wherein each
sidewall 58
can comprise a concave figuration on an outer side thereof. The parallel
sidewalls 58
can be bounded by end plates 60 on opposing ends thereof to provide a unitary
structure
for burner unit 31. In some embodiments, burner unit 31 can comprise a
plurality of top
braces 61 to provide structural rigidity and strength to burner unit 31. In
some
embodiments, sidewalls 58 can be comprised of 1/16" thick stainless steel
whereas end
plates 60 and top braces 61 can be comprised of 1/8" thick stainless steel.
[0068] In some embodiments, each burner unit 31 can comprise burner pipe 62
disposed
between sidewalls 58 wherein burner pipe 62 can comprise of a 1" schedule 40
pipe
therein with perforations disposed through on a top surface thereof to provide
means for
waste gas to pass through to be combusted. In some embodiments, the concave
configuration of sidewalls 58 can provide a venturi-like throat structure
having an opening
of approximately 6" wide on a lower portion thereof and an opening of
approximately 8"
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
wide on an upper portion thereof wherein burner pipe 62 can be disposed in the
narrowest
portion of said throat. Waste gas can be provided to burner units 31 via gas
inlet pipe 26.
[0069] In some embodiments, one or both of sidewalls 58 can comprise a
plurality of
perforations 64 disposed therethrough to provide a means for combustion air to
enter
burner unit 31. In some embodiments, the perforations can comprise the same
approximate size whereas the size of perforations 64 can vary from smaller to
larger from
a middle portion of sidewall 58 to an upper portion of sidewall 58. In some
embodiments,
burner assembly 30 can comprise one or more igniters 66 operatively connected
to
controller 54 wherein igniter 66 can be configured for igniting waste gas
exiting burner
pipe 62 upon receiving an ignition signal from controller 54 to operate and
create a spark
to ignite the waste gas to start combustion thereof. In some embodiments,
burner units
31 can further comprise flame containment plates 80 disposed above end plates
60, as
shown in Figures 21 and 22, to contain or focus flames emitted from burner
units 31 within
combustor 10.
[0070] Referring to Figure 23, one embodiment of a system is shown where
combustor
in communication with server 92 located in central control center 90. In some
embodiments, controller 54 can be operatively connected to cellular modem 82
via
communication link 81. Communication link 81 can comprise of a multi-conductor
instrumentation cable as well known to those skilled in the art. In a
representative
embodiment, cellular modem 82 can comprise a Microhard IPn4Gii-NA2 cellular
modem
as manufactured by Microhard Systems Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In some
embodiments, communications link 81 can comprise of CAT-5 telecommunication
cable
configured to operate as MODBus link using RS-485 communication protocol
between
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
controller 54 and cellular modem 82. In some embodiments, cellular modem 82
can be
wirelessly coupled to telecommunications network 86 via wireless transmission
link 84.
[0071] In some embodiments, telecommunication network 86 can comprise one or
more
of a public switched telephone network ("PSTN") and a private
telecommunications
network. In some embodiments, telecommunications network 86 can operatively
coupled
to server 92 at central control center 90 via transmission link 88, which can
comprise of
one or both of wired and wireless telecommunications systems.
[0072] In some embodiments, controller 54 can control the operation of valve
train 76 and
igniter 66 for combustor 10 to burn waste gas. In some embodiments, controller
54 can
monitor the temperature measured by thermocouples 32 and 33 as well as the
amount of
gas flowing through valve train 76 via flow meter 77 disposed within valve
train 76 and
then relay temperature data and gas flow rate data to server 92 at central
control center
90 via communications network 86 where the temperature data and gas flow rate
data
can be received by server 92, which can comprise a personal computer as well
known to
those skilled in the art, operating a software application configured for
monitoring and
controlling controller 54. With data received from controller 54, the software
application
on server 92 can be configured to determine the total amount of waste gas
burned by any
particular combustor 10 operatively connected to server 92 and, thus, can
further
determine the value of the carbon credits associated with the amount of waste
gas burned
by that particular combustor 10.
[0073] In some embodiments, one or both of controller 54 and cellular modem 82
disposed on a combustor 10 can comprise global positioning system
functionality of which
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
the location data thereof and, thus, that of combustor 10 which can be relayed
to server
92.
[0074] Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications
can be
made to these embodiments without changing or departing from their scope,
intent or
functionality. The terms and expressions used in the preceding specification
have been
used herein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no
intention in the
use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features
shown and
described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the invention is
defined and limited
only by the claims that follow.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-09-29
