[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 40, Volume 6]

[Revised as of July 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 40CFR60.18]



[Page 78-80]

 

                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

 

         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)

 

PART 60_STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES--Table of 

Contents

 

                      Subpart A_General Provisions

 

Sec. 60.18  General control device requirements.



    (a) Introduction. This section contains requirements for control 

devices used to comply with applicable subparts of parts 60 and 61. The 

requirements are placed here for administrative convenience and only 

apply to facilities covered by subparts referring to this section.

    (b) Flares. Paragraphs (c) through (f) apply to flares.

    (c)(1) Flares shall be designed for and operated with no visible 

emissions as determined by the methods specified in paragraph (f), 

except for periods not to exceed a total of 5 minutes during any 2 

consecutive hours.

    (2) Flares shall be operated with a flame present at all times, as 

determined by the methods specified in paragraph (f).

    (3) An owner/operator has the choice of adhering to either the heat 

content specifications in paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section and the 

maximum tip velocity specifications in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, 

or adhering to the requirements in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section.



[[Page 79]]



    (i)(A) Flares shall be used that have a diameter of 3 inches or 

greater, are nonassisted, have a hydrogen content of 8.0 percent (by 

volume), or greater, and are designed for and operated with an exit 

velocity less than 37.2 m/sec (122 ft/sec) and less than the velocity, 

Vmax, as determined by the following equation:



Vmax=(XH2-K1)* K2



Where:

Vmax=Maximum permitted velocity, m/sec.

K1=Constant, 6.0 volume-percent hydrogen.

K2=Constant, 3.9(m/sec)/volume-percent hydrogen.

XH2=The volume-percent of hydrogen, on a wet basis, as 

calculated by using the American Society for Testing and Materials 

(ASTM) Method D1946-77. (Incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 

60.17).



    (B) The actual exit velocity of a flare shall be determined by the 

method specified in paragraph (f)(4) of this section.

    (ii) Flares shall be used only with the net heating value of the gas 

being combusted being 11.2 MJ/scm (300 Btu/scf) or greater if the flare 

is steam-assisted or air-assisted; or with the net heating value of the 

gas being combusted being 7.45 MJ/scm (200 Btu/scf) or greater if the 

flare is nonassisted. The net heating value of the gas being combusted 

shall be determined by the methods specified in paragraph (f)(3) of this 

section.

    (4)(i) Steam-assisted and nonassisted flares shall be designed for 

and operated with an exit velocity, as determined by the methods 

specified in paragraph (f)(4) of this section, less than 18.3 m/sec (60 

ft/sec), except as provided in paragraphs (c)(4) (ii) and (iii) of this 

section.

    (ii) Steam-assisted and nonassisted flares designed for and operated 

with an exit velocity, as determined by the methods specified in 

paragraph (f)(4), equal to or greater than 18.3 m/sec (60 ft/sec) but 

less than 122 m/sec (400 ft/sec) are allowed if the net heating value of 

the gas being combusted is greater than 37.3 MJ/scm (1,000 Btu/scf).

    (iii) Steam-assisted and nonassisted flares designed for and 

operated with an exit velocity, as determined by the methods specified 

in paragraph (f)(4), less than the velocity, Vmax, as 

determined by the method specified in paragraph (f)(5), and less than 

122 m/sec (400 ft/sec) are allowed.

    (5) Air-assisted flares shall be designed and operated with an exit 

velocity less than the velocity, Vmax, as determined by the 

method specified in paragraph (f)(6).

    (6) Flares used to comply with this section shall be steam-assisted, 

air-assisted, or nonassisted.

    (d) Owners or operators of flares used to comply with the provisions 

of this subpart shall monitor these control devices to ensure that they 

are operated and maintained in conformance with their designs. 

Applicable subparts will provide provisions stating how owners or 

operators of flares shall monitor these control devices.

    (e) Flares used to comply with provisions of this subpart shall be 

operated at all times when emissions may be vented to them.

    (f)(1) Method 22 of appendix A to this part shall be used to 

determine the compliance of flares with the visible emission provisions 

of this subpart. The observation period is 2 hours and shall be used 

according to Method 22.

    (2) The presence of a flare pilot flame shall be monitored using a 

thermocouple or any other equivalent device to detect the presence of a 

flame.

    (3) The net heating value of the gas being combusted in a flare 

shall be calculated using the following equation:

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JN92.008



where:



HT=Net heating value of the sample, MJ/scm; where the net 

enthalpy per mole of offgas is based on combustion at 25 [deg]C and 760 

mm Hg, but the standard temperature for determining the volume 

corresponding to one mole is 20 [deg]C;



[[Page 80]]



[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JN92.009



Ci=Concentration of sample component i in ppm on a wet basis, 

as measured for organics by Reference Method 18 and measured for 

hydrogen and carbon monoxide by ASTM D1946-77 or 90 (Reapproved 1994) 

(Incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 60.17); and

Hi=Net heat of combustion of sample component i, kcal/g mole 

at 25 [deg]C and 760 mm Hg. The heats of combustion may be determined 

using ASTM D2382-76 or 88 or D4809-95 (incorporated by reference as 

specified in Sec. 60.17) if published values are not available or 

cannot be calculated.



    (4) The actual exit velocity of a flare shall be determined by 

dividing the volumetric flowrate (in units of standard temperature and 

pressure), as determined by Reference Methods 2, 2A, 2C, or 2D as 

appropriate; by the unobstructed (free) cross sectional area of the 

flare tip.

    (5) The maximum permitted velocity, Vmax, for flares 

complying with paragraph (c)(4)(iii) shall be determined by the 

following equation.

Log10 (Vmax)=(HT+28.8)/31.7



Vmax=Maximum permitted velocity, M/sec

28.8=Constant

31.7=Constant

HT=The net heating value as determined in paragraph (f)(3).



    (6) The maximum permitted velocity, Vmax, for air-

assisted flares shall be determined by the following equation.

Vmax=8.706+0.7084 (HT)



Vmax=Maximum permitted velocity, m/sec

8.706=Constant

0.7084=Constant

HT=The net heating value as determined in paragraph (f)(3).



[51 FR 2701, Jan. 21, 1986, as amended at 63 FR 24444, May 4, 1998; 65 

FR 61752, Oct. 17, 2000]