Gas- and Particulate-Phase Emissions from Lab-Scale Flares Experiencing Liquid Carryover

At upstream oil and gas production sites, separators frequently allow saline produced water aerosols to be entrained into flares, a phenomenon known as liquid carryover. This study assesses the impacts on gas- and solid-phase emissions from adding saline solutions to a lab-scale flare. Atomized aqueous solutions containing NaCl, KCl, or NaOH were added to a vertical turbulent diffusion flame burning a hydrocarbon gas mixture representative of flares in Alberta, Canada. The combustion products were analyzed to quantify emission rates of major pollutants and optical properties of the particulate. Over the range of test conditions yields of gas-phase pollutants increased by as much as fortyfold with added NaCl, while black carbon emissions increased by up to three times. Emitted particulate had a greater absorption capacity contributing to an increase in expected radiative forcing effects in the climate. Empirical guidelines for liquid separation requirements to avoid severe increases in emissions were developed.