Pilotless flare ignitor

Abstract

A pilotless flare ignitor which is capable of igniting waste gas issuing continually or sporatically from a flare stack and may include an ignitor housing having an open end which extends into the flare stack. At least two pairs of electrodes are mounted in the ignitor housing, and the electrodes of each electrode pair are positioned to define a spark gap for producing a spark in the ignitor housing. A timer controls the duration of the spark and repeatedly and continually alternates the spark among the multiple electrode pairs. As the gas continually or intermittently and sporadically flows upwardly through the flare stack and into the ignitor housing, the spark, alternating between the electrodes of the multiple electrode pairs, is continually present in the ignitor housing to ignite the waste gas in the ignitor housing and flare stack.

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above, what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A pilotless flare ignitor for igniting waste gas issuing from a flare stack, said pilotless flare ignitor comprising: 
 an ignitor housing having an open end for extending into the flare stack;    at least two pairs of electrodes provided in said ignitor housing for producing respective sparks each having a selected duration in said ignitor housing and igniting the waste gas in said ignitor housing and the flare stack; and    a timer connected to said at least two pairs of electrodes, respectively, for controlling the selected duration of the respective sparks and repeatedly alternating the sparks between one of said at least two pairs of electrodes and the other of said at least two pairs of electrodes.    
     
     
         2 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 1  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         3 . The pilotless flare ignitor of clam  1  comprising at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         4 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 3  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         5 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 1  comprising at least one air opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning outside the flare stack and facilitating flow of air into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         6 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 5  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         7 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 5  comprising at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         8 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 7  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         9 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 5  wherein said at least one air opening comprises a plurality of air openings.  
     
     
         10 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 9  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         11 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 9  comprising at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         12 . The pilotless fare ignitor of  claim 11  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         13 . A pilotless flare ignitor for igniting waste gas issuing from a flare stack, said pilotless flare ignitor comprising: 
 an ignitor housing having an open end for extending into the flare stack;    at least two pairs of electrodes provided in said ignitor housing for producing respective sparks each having a selected duration in said ignitor housing and igniting the waste gas in said ignitor housing and the flare stack;    a timer connected to said at least two pairs of electrodes, respectively, for controlling the selected duration of the respective sparks and repeatedly alternating the sparks between one of said at least two pairs of electrodes and the other of said at least two pairs of electrodes; and    wherein each of said at least two pairs of electrodes is disposed in a plane oriented in angular relationship with respect to a horizontal plane.    
     
     
         14 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 13  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         15 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 13  comprising at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         16 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 15  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         17 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 13  comprising at least one air opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning outside the flare stack and facilitating flow of air into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         18 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 17  comprising an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes.  
     
     
         19 . The pilotless flare ignitor of  claim 17  comprising at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing.  
     
     
         20 . A pilotless flare ignitor for igniting waste gas issuing from a flare stack, said pilotless flare ignitor comprising: 
 an ignitor housing having an open end for extending into the flare stack;    at least two pairs of electrodes provided in said ignitor housing for producing respective sparks each having a selected duration in said ignitor housing and igniting the waste gas in said ignitor housing and the flare stack;    a timer connected to said at least two pairs of electrodes, respectively, for controlling the selected duration of the respective sparks and repeatedly alternating the sparks between one of said at least two pairs of electrodes and the other of said at least two pairs of electrodes;    wherein each of said at least two pairs of electrodes is disposed in a plane oriented in angular relationship with respect to a horizontal plane;    an access cover carried by said ignitor housing for providing access to said at least two pairs of electrodes;    at least one gas opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning inside the flare stack and facilitating flow of waste gas into said ignitor housing; and    at least one air opening provided in said ignitor housing for positioning outside the flare stack and facilitating flow of air into said ignitor housing.