Monitoring flare stack pilot burners

摘要

A flare stack comprises an upwardly extending gas discharge duct 10 and a pilot burner 16 operative at an burner location near the open top end of the duct 10 to ignite gas discharged by way of the duct. Atmospheric samples from the burner location are delivered to a monitoring station 20 remote from the duct 10 and at ground level 12. A sensor at the monitoring station 20 is responsive to a parameter of the sample indicative of combustion at the burner location such as increased CO 2 or NO x or decreased O 2 . An igniter is operatively associated with the sensor and arranged to light the pilot burner 16 automatically if the sensor does not detect said parameter in the sample.