Oil/Gas Burners and Method

Abstract

Methods and systems of burning waste effluent include a burner apparatus having a manifold assembly with an inlet, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a first control valve movable between a first and second position. The burner apparatus also includes a first burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the first outlet and a second burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the second outlet. The first control valve is selectively controllable to direct a combustible mixture to the first burner head assembly when in the first position and to the first and second burner head assembly when in the second position.

1 . A burner apparatus, comprising:
 a manifold assembly, comprising:
 an inlet; 
 a first outlet; 
 a second outlet; and 
 a first control valve movable between a first position and a second position; 
   a first burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the first outlet; and   a second burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the second outlet, wherein the first control valve is selectively controllable to direct a combustible mixture to the first burner head assembly when in the first position and to the first and second burner head assemblies when in the second position.   
     
     
         2 . The burner apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the burner apparatus has a turndown ratio greater than 10. 
     
     
         3 . The burner apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second burner head assemblies are positioned concentric with each other. 
     
     
         4 . The burner apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second head assemblies are positioned non-coaxially with each other. 
     
     
         5 . The burner apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third burner head assembly fluidly communicating with a third outlet of the manifold assembly, wherein the first, second, and third burner head assemblies are positioned in a triangular pattern proximate the manifold assembly; and   wherein the first control valve directs the combustible mixture to the first, second, and third burner head assemblies when in a third position.   
     
     
         6 . The burner apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first burner head assembly is a central burner having a first burning capacity. 
     
     
         7 . The burner apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second burner head assembly is a large annular burner having a second burning capacity greater than the first burning capacity. 
     
     
         8 . The burner apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a piston control system;   wherein the first control valve comprises a piston housed within the manifold assembly, the piston forming a first chamber and a second chamber together with the manifold assembly; and   wherein the manifold assembly forms an annular path around the central burner that fluidly communicates with the second outlet.   
     
     
         9 . The burner apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the piston is selectively controllable and movable between the first and second position, such that when the piston is in the first position, the combustible mixture flows solely to the first burner head assembly, and when the piston is in the second position, the combustible mixture flows to the first burner head assembly and through the annular path to the second burner head assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The burner apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the burner apparatus further comprises:
 a second control valve movable between an open position and a closed position such that when the first control valve is in the second position and the second control valve is in the closed position, the second control valve blocks the combustible mixture from flowing to the first burner head assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The burner apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the piston control system comprises:
 a pressurized fluid supply line;   a pressurized fluid in the first chamber and the second chamber;   a first inlet line for supplying pressurized fluid to the first chamber, the first inlet line fluidly communicating with the pressurized fluid supply line and the first chamber;   a second inlet line for supplying pressurized fluid to the second chamber, the second inlet line fluidly communicating with the pressurized fluid supply line and the second chamber, wherein a pressure regulator and a check valve are positioned along the second inlet line such that constant pressure is provided to the second chamber causing the piston to, by default, be in the second position.   
     
     
         12 . The burner apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the piston control system is remotely controlled. 
     
     
         13 . A system for burning waste effluent containing hydrocarbons, the system comprising:
 a waste effluent conduit fluidly communicating with a source of waste effluent;   a manifold assembly fluidly communicating with the waste effluent conduit, the manifold assembly comprising:
 an inlet; 
 a first outlet; 
 a second outlet; and 
 a first control valve movable between a first position and a second position; 
   a pilot configured to generate a pilot flame;   a first burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the first outlet; and   a second burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the second outlet, wherein the first control valve is selectively controllable to direct the waste effluent to the first burner head assembly when in the first position and to the first and second burner head assemblies when in the second position.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a piston control system;   wherein the first control valve comprises a piston within the manifold assembly, the piston forming a first chamber and a second chamber within the manifold assembly; and   wherein the manifold assembly forms an annular path around a portion of the second burner assembly that fluidly communicates with the second outlet.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the burner apparatus further comprises:
 a second control valve movable between an open position and a closed position such that when the first control valve is in the second position and the second control valve is in the closed position, the second control valve blocks the waste effluent from flowing to the first burner head assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The burner apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the piston control system comprises:
 a pressurized fluid supply line;   a pressurized fluid in the first and second chamber;   a first inlet line for supplying pressurized fluid to the first chamber, the first inlet line fluidly communicating with the pressurized fluid supply line and the first chamber;   a second inlet line for supplying pressurized fluid to the second chamber, the second inlet line fluidly communicating with the pressurized fluid supply line and the second chamber, wherein a pressure regulator and a check valve are positioned along the second inlet line such that constant pressure is provided to the second chamber causing the piston to, by default, be in the second position.   
     
     
         17 . A method of burning a waste effluent containing hydrocarbons produced from a well during a well test, the method comprising:
 initiating a well test;   producing a waste effluent containing hydrocarbons from the well at an initial flow rate;   directing the waste effluent to a burner apparatus, the burner apparatus comprising:
 a manifold assembly housing a first control valve movable between a first position and a second position; and 
 a first burner head assembly and a second burner head assembly fluidly communicating with the manifold assembly, wherein the first control valve is selectively controllable to direct the waste effluent to the first burner head assembly when the first control valve is in the first position and to the first and second burner head assembly when the first control valve is in the second position; 
   burning the waste effluent with the first burner head assembly when the first control valve is in the first position;   monitoring the flow rate of the waste effluent produced from the well to determine if the waste effluent flow rate will surpass a burning capacity of the first burner head assembly;   burning the waste effluent with both the first and second burner head assemblies when the flow rate surpasses the burning capacity of the first burner head assembly and without stopping production of the waste effluent from the well.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein burning the waste effluent with both the first and second burner head assemblies is accomplished by moving the first control valve to the second position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 monitoring the flow rate of the waste effluent to determine if the flow rate will be greater than the burning capacity of the first burner head assembly but smaller than a burning capacity of the second burner head assembly; and   burning the waste effluent solely with the second burner head assembly when the flow rate surpasses the burning capacity of the first burner head assembly but not the second burner head assembly and without stopping production of the waste effluent from the well.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein burning the waste effluent solely with the second burner head assembly is accomplished by moving a second control valve housed in the burner apparatus to a closed position, such that when the first control valve is in the second position and the second control valve is in the closed position, the second control valve blocks the waste effluent from flowing to the first burner head assembly.