§ 63.987 - Flare requirements.

§ 63.987 Flare requirements.

(a) Flare equipment and operating requirements. Flares subject to this subpart shall meet the performance requirements in 40 CFR 63.11(b) (General Provisions).

(b) Flare compliance assessment.

(1) The owner or operator shall conduct an initial flare compliance assessment of any flare used to comply with the provisions of this subpart. Flare compliance assessment records shall be kept as specified in § 63.998(a)(1) and a flare compliance assessment report shall be submitted as specified in § 63.999(a)(2). An owner or operator is not required to conduct a performance test to determine percent emission reduction or outlet regulated material or total organic compound concentration when a flare is used.

(2) [Reserved]

(3) Flare compliance assessments shall meet the requirements specified in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(i) Method 22 of appendix A of part 60 shall be used to determine the compliance of flares with the visible emission provisions of this subpart. The observation period is 2 hours, except for transfer racks as provided in (b)(3)(i)(A) or (B) of this section.

(A) For transfer racks, if the loading cycle is less than 2 hours, then the observation period for that run shall be for the entire loading cycle.

(B) For transfer racks, if additional loading cycles are initiated within the 2-hour period, then visible emissions observations shall be conducted for the additional cycles.

(ii) The net heating value of the gas being combusted in a flare shall be calculated using Equation 1:

Where:

H_T = Net heating value of the sample, megajoules per standard cubic meter; where the net enthalpy per mole of offgas is based on combustion at 25 °C and 760 millimeters of mercury (30 inches of mercury), but the standard temperature for determining the volume corresponding to one mole is 20 °C;

K₁ = 1.740 × 10⁻⁷ (parts per million by volume)⁻¹ (gram-mole per standard cubic meter) (megajoules per kilocalories), where the standard temperature for gram mole per standard cubic meter is 20 °C;

n = number of sample components;

D_j = Concentration of sample component j, in parts per million by volume on a wet basis, as measured for organics by Method 18 of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, or by American Society for Testing and Materials ( ASTM ) D6420-99 (available for purchase from at least one of the following addresses: 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959; or University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 4810618 (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14) under the conditions specified in § 63.997(e)(2)(iii)(D)(1) through (3). Hydrogen and carbon monoxide are measured by ASTM D1946-90 (Reapproved 1994) (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14); and

H_j = Net heat of combustion of sample component j, kilocalories per gram mole at 25 °C and 760 millimeters of mercury (30 inches of mercury).

(iii) The actual exit velocity of a flare shall be determined by dividing the volumetric flow rate (in unit of standard temperature and pressure), as determined by Method 2, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2F, or 2G of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A, as appropriate, by the unobstructed (free) cross sectional area of the flare tip.

(iv) Flare flame or pilot monitors, as applicable, shall be operated during any flare compliance assessment.

(c) Flare monitoring requirements. Where a flare is used, the following monitoring equipment is required: a device (including but not limited to a thermocouple, ultra-violet beam sensor, or infrared sensor) capable of continuously detecting that at least one pilot flame or the flare flame is present. Flare flame monitoring and compliance records shall be kept as specified in § 63.998(a)(1) and reported as specified in § 63.999(a).

[64 FR 34866, June 29, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 63705, Nov. 22, 1999; 67 FR 46277, July 12, 2002; 85 FR 40417, July 6, 2020]