Evaluation of Efficiency of Associated Petroleum Gas Utilization under Conditions of Low Atmospheric Humidity

The study is devoted to the analysis of changes in the composition and amount of emissions during the utilization of associated petroleum gas (APG) under conditions of low humidity of the atmospheric air. An analysis of modern methods for assessing pollutant emissions and thermal effects during flaring of APG is presented. For a more complete assessment of the APG flaring process, determining the composition of emissions, flare stability when changing the flow rate and composition of gas due to the introduction of water vapor, a calculation was performed in ANSYS Fluent, which allows simulating the dynamics of liquids and gases (CFD). Numerical studies were performed based on the solution of equations of conservation of mass, momentum, energy and mass transfer of particles. Within the framework of the study, the composition, completeness of combustion (efficiency) were determined by adding water vapor to the combustion zone as one of the ways to reduce the formation of amorphous carbon. A one-step model was used to predict the formation of amorphous carbon. According to the modeling results, it was found that with a water vapor content of about 30%, a reduction in the formation of amorphous carbon, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide was observed. The greatest distance of the combustion zone from the torch was observed with the introduction of 10% water vapor. As a result of the study, it was established that the achievement of maximum effective utilization of APG in conditions of low atmospheric humidity occurs with the introduction of 30% water vapor into the combustion zone of the flare burner.