Flare Products Limited has recently provided two 1000 cubic metres per hour waste gas burners for The Jardine Engineering Corporation in Hong Kong – the  two flare systems have been installed at Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works.

The contract is a case study in how a small independent UK based manufacturer with a highly qualified and experienced team can achieve success in overseas markets. The firm is now hoping to build on the successful supply of the two flare systems to Tai Po in the future.   

Flare Products Limited is a combustion engineering company which has been established for over thirty years.  Predominantly UK based, the firm has  worked across the whole geographical area -  clients are typically the major contractors for the UK water utilities, food and bio-gas industry.  Flare  has also worked for the onshore petrochemical industry and landfill sector. Although most of the company’s work is completed for the UK, over the years, it has also exported products to New Zealand, India and Hong Kong, where it previously supplied the Shatin Sewage Treatment Works with a flare system eight years ago.

The challenge - convincing the client

Jardine Engineering won the contract back in 2009 for the major upgrade to Tai Po STW after a rigorous tender process.

The challenge for Flare Products was to convince Jardine Engineering, and their client The Drainage Services Department of Hong Kong, that its products were suitable for them, of a proven design and competitively priced.

Flare Products put together a comprehensive technical specification manual specifically tailored to meet the end client specification. This, together with the pricing, enabled the firm to win the contract after several rounds of negotiations, thereby securing a major export contract for the company in July 2010.

Over the course of the following months, the manual was refined and final approval was sought to allow the contract to progress to the design and build stage.

All design and manufacturing in-house in UK

All design, both mechanically and electrically, was undertaken directly by Flare Products’ own specialist engineering design team based at its head office and manufacturing unit in Stewartby, Bedfordshire. The complete design process was over seen by the Contracts Director who signed off the design prior to submission.

Following several months of design revisions Flare were given approval status, enabling it to proceed to the procurement of all materials and components necessary to complete the manufacturing of both flare systems in the United Kingdom - all sourced from local suppliers whenever possible.

Careful planning was required to allow all materials and components to come in on time and on budget. Procurement was integrated with a detailed manufacturing plan which specified two independent completion and shipping dates for the flare systems.

The shipping and arrival dates were particularly significant to the client who could not jeopardise the on-site works in Hong Kong.

Once materials started arriving into Flare’s manufacturing unit, production commenced in in three major stages:

1.  The electrical control cabinets.

These were fully flameproof with the purpose of controlling all aspects of the flare system from within the master control panel.

2.  The fabrication of the two main combustion chambers.

These were 1.9 metres in diameter, 10 metres high and were fully fabricated from 316 grade stainless steel.  They were based on Flare’s standard design which was enhanced so that when standing in the vertical position the chambers would be able to withstand winds of up to 160 MPH which are possible in Hong Kong during the typhoon season.

The two combustion chambers, once fabricated, were lined with two layers of high heat resistant ceramic blanket to protect the outer surface from the internal combustion heat which can reach 1000 degrees centigrade.

3.  The fabrication and building of the gas train for the control and distribution of the gas into the combustion chamber.

The basic layout of the gas train consisted of:

• condensate trap at the start of the pipe work for removal of any liquid in the gas complete with automatic drain
• an insertion type thermal mass flow meter for monitoring the flow
• five independent gas lines, each of which contained: an ATEX certified master gas slam shut/failsafe valve to control gas into the combustion chamber; a manual butterfly valve for setting of flow on each of the five burner stages;
• an ATEX certified flame arrestor with flame detection thermocouple for protection of the system in the event of a flame travelling back down the gas line; 
• a high temperature bar burner located within the chamber for mixing the air and gas for efficient combustion.

As part of the gas train, pilot and ignition lines were provided to enable the pilot to be established prior to any of the five main line control valves opening.  This contained a solenoid valve and air injector in each of the two lines, and a spark plug in the ignition line to allow the ignited gas to travel to the pilot tip which is located within the combustion chamber.

Once the three major stages were complete, the whole system was pre built in Flare’s workshop with the exception of the combustion chamber.  This was rigorously pressure tested and electrically tested prior to sign off and handover to the despatch department ready for shipment.

Once certified, the whole system was split down into a number of smaller components to allow the system to be packed for export to Hong Kong.  During this phase of the project, a careful balance was struck between the need to fit the components into the packing containers and the requirement to make the piecing together of all items as easy as possible during the installation phase on site.

When fabrication and packing were complete, the items were all loaded into their respective containers for transport and onward shipping to the Port of Hong Kong, which was a five week sea journey.

Flare Products were two months ahead of schedule on the second shipment, allowing the client the option to amend their on-site plans to suit their current situation.  Both flare systems have now arrived at their destination and have been accepted by the client with the installation process now underway.

Commissioning followed in the next few months and servicing followed one year after first use.

About Flare Products

Flare Products offers a full design and support package tailored to clients’ individual needs.  The comprehensive product range features elevated and ground flare systems, high temperature burners, control panels, pipe work, gas trains and emission compliant (LFTGN 05) flares.  The company is also currently producing a portable flare which will be available for hire.

Contact details:

Tel: 01234 767755

www.flareproducts.co.uk

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