Well Test Burner System and Method

Abstract

Methods and systems of burning waste effluent include controlling flow of waste effluent to burner nozzles using flow control elements. The flow control elements are biased toward closed positions using biasing forces, wherein reduced biasing forces are applied to selected flow control elements so that waste effluent flow first reaches the burner nozzles associated with the flow control elements receiving reduced biasing forces. The selected burner nozzles may be located nearer a pilot to more reliably induce combustion and reduce fallout.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling combustion of a waste effluent containing hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
 providing a pilot configured to generate a pilot flame;   controlling waste effluent flow to a first burner nozzle through a first flow control element, the first flow control element configured to automatically move from a closed position to an open position at a first pressure threshold;   controlling waste effluent flow to a second burner nozzle through a second flow control element, the second flow control element configured to automatically move from a closed position to an open position at a second pressure threshold greater than the first pressure threshold, wherein the first burner nozzle is positioned nearer the pilot than the second burner nozzle outlet; and   opening the first flow control element and closing the second flow control element when the waste effluent flow has a waste effluent pressure above the first pressure threshold and below the second pressure threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 biasing the first flow control element with a first biasing force toward the closed position to block waste effluent flow to the first burner nozzle; and   biasing the second flow control element with a second biasing force toward the closed position to block waste effluent flow to the second burner nozzle, wherein the second biasing force is greater than the first biasing force.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 communicating control fluid at a first control fluid pressure to the first flow control element to provide the first biasing force; and   communicating control fluid at a second control fluid pressure to the second flow control element to provide the second biasing force.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , in which a first control fluid regulator provides the first control fluid pressure and a second control fluid regulator provides the second control fluid pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling waste effluent flow to a third burner nozzle through a third flow control element, the third flow control element configured to automatically move from a closed position to an open position at a third pressure threshold greater than the first and second pressure thresholds, the third burner nozzle having a third burner nozzle outlet, wherein the first and second burner nozzle outlets are positioned nearer the first pilot than the third burner nozzle outlet; and   opening the first and second flow control elements and closing the third flow control element when the waste effluent flow has a waste effluent pressure above the second pressure threshold and below the third pressure threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating the pilot flame to ignite waste effluent flowing from the first burner nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . A method of controlling combustion of a waste effluent containing hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
 providing a pilot configured to generate a pilot flame;   communicating the waste effluent to a plurality of flow control elements, the plurality of flow control elements including at least a first flow control element communicating with a first burner nozzle located nearest the pilot, a second flow control element communicating with a second burner nozzle located adjacent the first burner nozzle, and a third flow control element communicating with a third burner nozzle located farther from the first burner nozzle than the second burner nozzle;   automatically opening the first burner nozzle when the waste effluent has a waste effluent pressure at a first waste effluent pressure threshold, thereby to permit waste effluent flow to the first burner nozzle; and   automatically opening the second burner nozzle when the waste effluent has a waste effluent pressure at a second waste effluent pressure threshold higher than the first waste effluent pressure threshold, thereby to permit waste effluent flow to the first and second burner nozzles.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 biasing the first flow control element with a first biasing force toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the first burner nozzle;   biasing the second flow control element with a second biasing force toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the second burner nozzle, wherein the first biasing force is greater than the second biasing force; and   biasing the third flow control element with a third biasing force toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the third burner nozzle, wherein the second biasing force is greater than the third biasing force;   wherein the first waste effluent pressure threshold is substantially equal to the first biasing force and the second waste effluent pressure threshold is substantially equal to the second biasing force.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 communicating control fluid at a first control fluid pressure to the first flow control element to provide the first biasing force;   communicating control fluid at a second control fluid pressure to the second flow control element to provide the second biasing force; and   communicating control fluid at a third control fluid pressure to the third flow control element to provide the third biasing force.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , in which a first control fluid regulator provides the first control fluid pressure, a second control fluid regulator provides the second control fluid pressure, and a third control fluid regulator provides the third control fluid pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising initiating the pilot flame to ignite combustion of the waste effluent flowing from the first burner nozzle when the waste effluent has a waste effluent pressure at the first waste effluent pressure threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , in which combustion of the waste effluent flowing from the first burner nozzle ignites combustion of the waste effluent flowing from the second burner nozzle when the waste effluent has a waste effluent pressure at the second waste effluent pressure threshold. 
     
     
         13 . A system for combusting waste effluent containing hydrocarbons, the system comprising:
 a waste effluent conduit fluidly communicating with a source of waste effluent;   a pilot configured to generate a pilot flame;   a first burner nozzle fluidly communicating with the waste effluent conduit;   a second burner nozzle fluidly communicating with the waste effluent conduit, wherein the first burner nozzle outlet is positioned nearer the pilot than the second burner nozzle outlet;   a first flow control element disposed between the waste effluent conduit and the first burner nozzle and biased toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the first burner nozzle by a first biasing force, the first flow control element configured to receive the waste effluent pressure and generate a first resulting force on the first flow control element, wherein the first resulting force counteracts the first biasing force to move the first flow control element automatically to an open position to permit waste effluent flow to the first burner nozzle when the waste effluent pressure exceeds a first waste effluent pressure threshold; and   a second flow control element disposed between the waste effluent conduit and the second burner nozzle and biased toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the second burner nozzle by a second biasing force, the second flow control element configured to receive the waste effluent pressure and generate a second resulting force on the second flow control element, wherein the second resulting force counteracts the second biasing force to automatically move the second flow control element to an open position to permit waste effluent to flow to the second burner nozzle when the waste effluent pressure exceeds a second waste effluent pressure threshold, and wherein the second waste effluent pressure threshold is greater than the first waste effluent pressure threshold.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a third burner nozzle fluidly communicating with the waste effluent conduit and located farther from the pilot than the second burner nozzle; and   a third flow control element disposed between the waste effluent conduit and the third burner nozzle and biased toward a closed position to block waste effluent flow to the third burner nozzle by a third biasing force, the third flow control element configured to receive the waste effluent pressure and generate a third resulting force on the third flow control element, wherein the third resulting force counteracts the third biasing force to automatically move the third flow control element to an open position to permit waste effluent to flow to the third burner nozzle when the waste effluent pressure exceeds a third waste effluent pressure threshold, and wherein the third waste effluent pressure threshold is greater than the first waste effluent pressure threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , in which the third waste effluent pressure threshold is greater than the second waste effluent pressure threshold.