given area interval, it is possible to predict Ah and N for any area value.

When F = 200
mm 2, for example, Ah = i034/200 ~
= 117 ~m and N = 1499/200 ~
= 162. The determined
predicted number of tolerance units N is found in the 160-250 number interval; this corresponds to the 12th and 13th quality grades [3]. Under the given metering conditions and with
dimensions given for the part, a precision corresponding to the 13th quality grade may be
achieved.
Similarly, it is possible to demonstrate that the height of the parts may be maintained with a precision in conformance with the llth quality grade when F > 650 n~m2 in conformance with 12th quality grade when F = 230-650 mm 2, and in conformance with the 13th quality grade when F = 100-230 mm 2.
Curves of the predictable-precision parameters Ah and N versus the height h of the part
when metering is carried out through a square opening and the maximum charge of composition
is 32,000 mm 3 are shown in Fig. 2b. Lines i and 2 correspond to the empirical equations &h =
12.16 h a n d N = 26.9/h~
the experimental data were obtained in accordance with the method
described by Bronshtein and Semendyaev [2]. It is demonstrated that the precision relative
to this parameter decreases from the llth to the 15th quality grades as the height of the
part increases from 4 to 60 mm. Using these data, it is possible to predict the precision
of parts of any height within the limits of the interval investigated.
The results of the investigations that we conducted indicate that bulk metering as a
function of the ratio of geometric parameters of flubon parts weighing from 0.5 to i0 g ensures their production with height tolerances based on the llth-15th precision qualifiers
(GOST 25346-82).
LITERATURE CITED
i.
2.
3.

G . A . Sirenko, Antifriction Carbon Plastics [in Russian]~ Tekhnika, Kiev (1985).

I . N . Bronshtein and K. A. Semendyaev, Mathematics Handbook for Engineers and University
Students [in Russian], Nauka, Moscow (1967).
R . I . Gzhirov, Concise Handbook for Designers [in Russian], Mashinostroenie~ Leningrad
(1984).

DETERMINING THE SAFE PURGE RATE OF FLARE TUBES

UDC 621o643.2:665.194

V. I. Panchenko

Some of the gas flowing through a flare tube must be removed to prevent air from getting
into the system through the upper openings of the tubes and forming an explosive gas-air mixture in the system.
The velocity, and hence the flow rate of the purge gas should be minimized
within the bounds of safety to decrease the cost of operating the flare system.
Results of
experiments to determine the safe purge velocity have been correlated empirically as a function of the volume fraction of oxygen, the relative molecular weight of the pure gas, and the
diameter of the flare tube [i].
This empirical function has the following drawbacks:
it does not consider such an important parameter of gas viscosity; it cannot be reduced to a dimensionless form; it does not
reflect the physics of the process; and it is valid only in a narrow region of oxygen volume
fractions [3-6%]~
Our goal is to use the method of similitude and published experimental results
obtain a generalized function for the purge velocity of a flare tube.

[i] to

In order to obtain the criterion equation, we examine a flow diagram in a flare tube
with no combustion (Fig. i), where purge gas of density Pl flows from bottom to top with a
velocity w I. Slugs of air with a greater density P2 get into the tube from the atmosphere~
(It is also possible for counterstreams of air to form, which then break up into separate
slugs, as observations have shown.) Each air slug is affected by the force of gravity PG N
P2g Z~ (where g is the acceleration due to gravity and s is the characteristic dimension of
the air slug); the buoyant force PB ~ P l g s
and resistance force R ~ s
Mixing with the
counterflow gas shrinks the dimensions of the air slug, and thereby decreases the resulting
Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftyanoe Mashinostroenie,

0009-2355/93/0506-0205512.50

No. 5, pp. 5-7, May, 1993.

9 1993 Plenum Publishing Corporation

205

Fig. i. Flow diagram of

gases in a flare tube.
TABLE 1
Curve
number
in ,
Fig. 2,
and point
I Gas
number in Fig. 3 !
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
IO
II
I2
13
14
15
16
17

I O.lo~, m [~.-lo'.m/sec
I ~e/Q, I
,

~e

Methane
Helium

590,5
590,5
590,5
590,5
590fl
254
254
254
101,6
101,6
I01,6
101,6
101,6
101,6
590,5
254
100

Methane
Methane
Helium
Helium

Helium
Helium
Methane

Methane
Helium
Helium
Oxygen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen

0,91
1,49
0,49
0,49
1,13
1,26
1,84
2,28
0,29
0,21
0,36
0,52
0,74
0,6I
0,37--0,85
0,23--0,41
0,12--0,15

[ WL'I04
,

0,804
6,32
0,804
0,804
6,32
6,32
6,32
6,32
0;804
0,804
6,32
6,32
13,49
13,49
0,035
0,035
0,035

353
-26,1
190,2
190,2 :
60,3
28;9
42,3
52,5
19,1
13,8
3,3
4,7
7,4
6,1
166--353
41 --73
8,4-- 10,6

0,96
0,77
0,52
0,52
0,59
1,5
2,2
2,8
1,8
1,3
I,I
1,6
1,3
1,1
3,1--7,1
4,5--8
5,9--7,3

force PG - PB - R, which acts upward on the slug, until it reaches zero. At this moment the
air slug velocity will decrease to zero and then move upward with the purge gas due to a
further decrease in the characteristic dimension and the change of the sign of the resulting
force. An air (and hence oxygen) distribution X = X(x) will establish itself in the flare
tube, where X is the oxygen volume fraction and x is the distance from the upper opening of
the flare tube. The maximum air penetration depth in the tube is related to the equation
(1)

Pa--PB--R=O.

For laminar flow in the flare tube, the resistance force is

R L " P'Vl %
-i~ 12'

(2)

where v I is the kinematic viscosity; 6 is the thickness of the boundary layer on the surface
of the air slug around which the gas flows:
~.

_~_,l.

(3)

and Re is the Reynolds number.

If the characteristic dimension of the air slug is assumed to be proportional to the
flare tube diameter (s ~ D), then the following similitude criterion (for the velocity)

w, v, p_~),/3

WL=5(

AP=

(4)

can be obtained from Eqs. (1)-(3), where Ap = P= - Pl is the difference between the densities
of air and the purge gas.

206

-z/

8'

12

20~ 2 f , &

1G X,~

12

"

F i g . 2.
The r a t i o x/D as a f u n c t i o n o f
t h e o x y g e n volume f r a c t i o n X ( n o t a t i o n
same as in T a b l e 1 ) .
For t u r b u l e n t

flow,

the resistance

force

is

Rf~ ~

l 2.

(5)

" Ap

(6)

If it is assumed that s ~ D, the criterion

~

can be obtained from Eqs.

i) and (5).

Flow in the flare tube is also characterized by the geometric criterion x/D and the oxygen volume fraction X. As a result, we obtain the following critical equation (neglecting
heat transfer)

x/D=f(~, x),
where ~ = ~L f o r

l a m i n a r f l o w and w = WT f o r t u r b u l e n t

(7)
flow.

An explicit form of (7) was obtained from experimentally [I] determined values of Re,
bP/Pl, and WL (Table i), which were plotted in Fig. 2. Because Re S 353 in all cases, the
flow was laminar in the experiments.
From the graphs it is clear that the ordinates of the
curve differ by the same factor for all abscissas.
This means that Eq. (7) can be represented
in the form

x/D=f, (X)f2(@j.

(8)

We assume that for X = 0, fl(X) = i.

From Eq. (8) and the experimental results
mate formula can be obtained for laminar flow:

in Fig. 2 and Table i, the following approxi-

where the dimensionless coefficients

0.737; and f = 1.14"10 -4 .

are a = 0.067, b = 0.053, c = 0.264, d = 0.01703, h =

Consequently,
f,(X)-f.(~'L)

In Fig. 3, the experimental

results

a
O,OIX+b
--C;
--

~'L+ f

h.

[i] are presented

in the coordinates x and X; here

x=x/D(~ d

" h ) -I. As can be seen, most of the experimental points are discribed well by
=L+f
Eq. (9). Figure 3 does not present results [I] for the case where refinery gas was used as
207

/f

5
e

7d

7(,~

Ir

Fig. 3. Results of reducing experimental data:

--)
according to Eq. (9); other data as in
Table i.
the purge gas, because its physical characteristics are unknown.
If it is assumed that Pl =
0.76 kg/m 3 and the kinematic viscosity v I = 13.9"10 -6 m2/sec, then the results agree well
with Eq. (9).
The scatter of points [i] for nitrogen can be explained as follows.
First, the density
of nitrogen hardly differs from that of air, and the value of Ap chosen in reducing the data
can differ significantly from the true value, which is not given in [i]. Second, nitrogen
can contain some amount of oxygen (there are no data on the purity of the gases in [I]).
Experimental points obtained under identical conditions but in different test series are
spread almost over the whole shaded region in Fig. 3.
Thus, based on the results obtained, Eq. (9) can be considered valid for flare tubes of
various diameters when methane or lighter gases are used as the purge gas in laminar flow.
Additional experiments are required for nitrogen.
The coefficients in Eq. (9) can be refined
as experimental data are accumulated.
The safe velocity for purging flare tubes in laminar flow (Re < 2320) can be determined
from the formula

W' ~---104D(v~2 __
&9~] '/~ [i(
912 /

which follows directly from Eqs.

_,

0,067170,3

O 0,01X+0,053 --0,264)

--1,14]
+0,264

(lo)
'

(4) and (9).

In calculating the safe purge velocity from this formula, the oxygen volume fraction
should be taken as X = 6% at a distance x = 7.5 m [i, 2].
Equation (9) can also be used for turbulent flow, by replacing WL with WT and using
other coefficients (6).
In order to obtain the coefficients, an experiment was conducted
on a glass model of a flare tube in which the light purge gas was modeled by benzine and the
heavier air by water.
The Reynolds number was Re = wlD/v I = 3400-7000; x is the penetration
depth of a water drop (in a real tube at depth x the oxygen fraction is X = 0). The results
are shown in Fig. 4.
Based on this graph, the following dimensionless coefficients were found for approximating Eq. (9): d = 11.5, f = 0.07, and h = 19.
By considering that f 1 ( X )

= 1 for X = 0, one can write

x _ f2(~)----D

_a

~+f

-- h --

l 1,5

19.

~,+0,o7

The function fl(X) [see Eqs. (8) and (9)] which represents a normalized distribution of
the volume fraction of oxygen with distance from the upper opening of the flare tube, can be
taken to be the same for turbulent flow in the first approximation as for laminar:

208

o,z o,:~ o,,, a , 5 ~,T

o

8
12
15
..D

Fig. 4. Dependence of x/D on the relative

velocity w T for turbulent flow: o) experiment; - - )
calculated from Eq. (ii).
a
h (X) = O,OlX+~ - - c =

0,067
--0,264.
o,01X-{-o,053

As a result, for turbulent flow

5

0,067

(11)

From Eqs. (Ii) and (6) we obtain the required purge velocity as a function of a given
safe volume concentration of oxygen X at a distance x:

w,=~

_Vfph (

1t,5

0,067 --0,263'-')

~o,olx + o, 05~

(12)

+ 19

The coefficients in Eqs. (ii) and (12) can be refined as experimental data are accumulated.
It must be noted that these functions (9)-(12), as in [i], were obtained for straight
flare tubes witlhout burners and do not consider wind loads. Considering these factors requires introducing corrections into the coefficients in these equations.
LITERATURE CITED
i.
2.

H . W . Husa, "How to compute safe purge rates," J. Hydrocarbon Processing Petroleum.

Refining, 43, No. 5, 179-182 (1964).
I . I . Strizhevskii and A. I. El'natanov, Flare Equipment [in Russian], Khimiya, Moscow
(1979).

209