Flaresim Getting Started

COPYRIGHT
The copyright in this manual and its accompanying software are the property of Softbits
Consultants Ltd with all rights reserved. Both this manual and the software have been
provided pursuant to a License Agreement containing restrictions on use.
Softbits Consultants Ltd reserves the right to make changes to this manual or its
accompanying software without obligation to notify any person or organisation.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval

system or translated into any other language in any form or by any means, or disclosed to
third parties without the prior written consent of Softbits Consultants Ltd.
WARRANTY
Softbits Consultants Ltd or its agents will replace any defective manual, program disks
within 90 days of purchase of the product providing that proof of purchase is evident.
Neither Softbits Consultants Ltd nor its agents or dealers make any warranty, implied or
otherwise, with respect to the software or results generated by the software.
This program is intended for use by a qualified engineer to aid the design and analysis of
flare systems. The results calculated by this program may not be reliable if the input data
has not been appropriately specified or if the program is used without regard to its
documented limitations.
It is the responsibility of the user to interpret the results generated by this program. Softbits
Consultants Ltd shall bear no liability for special, indirect, incidental, consequential,
exemplary or punitive damages arising from use of this software.
The governing law of this warranty shall be that of England.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Softbits Consultants Ltd would like to thank Mr. John F. Straitz III and the National Airoil
Company and GBA Ltd of Slough for assistance with some algorithms within the software.
Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright Softbits Consultants Ltd, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010
Table of Contents
1 Introduction.................................................. 1-1
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
1.2 Program Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
2 Installation.................................................... 2-1
2.1 Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
2.4 Flaresim File Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
3 Getting Started............................................. 3-1

3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
3.2 Sonic Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
3.3 Two Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
3.4 Working With Isopleths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
3.5 Welltest Burner Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
3.6 Gas Dispersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
1
2
Introduction 1-1
1 Introduction
Page
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1.2.1 Flaresim Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2.2 Object Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2.3 Running a Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1-1
1-2
1-2
Introduction 1-3
Flaresim is a computer program designed to assist professional

engineers in the design and evaluation of flare systems. The program
calculates the thermal radiation and noise generated by flares and
estimates the temperatures of exposed surfaces. It also performs
dispersion analysis of the combustion gases or relieved fluid in
flame out conditions.
Flaresim provides a user friendly interface with program actions

accessed by menu and toolbar options. Data entry is through a series
of data views controlled from an overall Case Navigator view.
Context sensitive help is available at all points to assist the user in
the use of the program and selection of appropriate design
parameters.
Output from the Flaresim is highly customisable with the user

having the freedom to select summary or detailed output. The
reports also include graphical output where appropriate.
Experienced flare system engineers should read the remainder of

this chapter for an overview of the way that Flaresim performs
calculations. They may then find that they will be able to use the
program with assistance from the help system without further
reference to the manual. However we would advise study of the
manual to become familiar with the full range of options and
recommendations for using the program.
Engineers new to flare system design should work through the

examples in the Getting Started section of the manual after first
reading this chapter. The examples provide a step by step guide to
using Flaresim for flare system design and highlight some of the
critical parameters that must be determined.
1-3
1-4 Features
1.1 Features
The following features highlight the main capabilities of Flaresim.
• Equally applicable to the design of flare systems for offshore
platforms, gas plants, refineries and chemical plants.
• Data may be entered and reported in the users choice of units

and may be converted at any time.
• Correlations are available for modelling a range of flare tips

including sonic tips, pipeflare tips and steam or air assisted tips.
For assisted flares the quantity of steam or air required for
smokeless operation can be calculated.
• A number of correlations are provided to predict the fraction of

heat radiated from flames of a range of hydrocarbon fluids with
different types of flare tip.
• Liquid flaring systems can be handled.
• A wide range of algorithms for calculation of thermal radiation.

These include integrated multipoint methods and the Chamber-
lain (Shell) method in addition to the Hajek/Ludwig and
Brzustowski/Sommer methods which are described in the API
guidelines for flare system design.
• Full three dimensional flame shape analysis with complete flexi-

bility in specification of the location and orientation of multiple
stacks.
• Calculation of combustion gas composition.
• Calculation of purge gas flows required for tips.
• Jet dispersion model to analyse flammable gas concentrations

close to flare in flame out conditions.
1-4
Introduction 1-5
• Gaussian dispersion model to analyse longer distance dispersion

of the relieving fluid or combustion gases.
• A range of options for defining and analysing the noise spectrum

generated by flare systems including user defined spectra.
• Ability to define multiple environmental scenarios to allow rapid

evaluation of flare system performance under different wind
speeds and directions.
• Multiple stacks/booms each accomodating multiple flare tips.
• Calculation of radiation, noise spectrum and surface tempera-

tures at multiple receptor points.
• Calculation of radiation variation with wind direction and speed

at a point and display of results on a wind rose chart.
• Ability to define multiple receptor grids in multiple planes for

calculation of radiation, noise or surface temperatures.
• Plotting of grid results as isopleth contours for sterile area

definition.
• Receptor point characteristics for calculating surface tempera-

tures include mass, absorbtivity, emissivity, area, specific heat,
orientation and initial temperature.
• Modelling of water curtains or solid shields to reduce radiation

and noise transmission.
• Sizing of stack or boom length to meet radiation, noise or sur-

face temperature limits at defined receptor points.
• A setup wizard to allow new users to set up an initial model

rapidly with appropriate defaults.
1-5
1-6 Features
• Expert mode to control access to less commonly used options.
• Import of files from Flaresim 2.0 and later.
• Multiple reports can be created and compared as updates are

made to a model and the data corresponding to any report can be
saved.
• Quality Assurance options are included in the reports.
• Customisable HTML reports
• Customisable graphic reports
• Multiple Flaresim cases can be open at the same time.
The wide range of calculation options available within Flaresim may

lead to the possibility of selecting inappropriate correlations for a
particular combination of fluid type and flare system configuration.
While we have tried to prevent the use of the more obvious problems
we have also tried to allow flexibility for “one off” situations. As
with all engineering computer software, Flaresim is a tool which
cannot replace sound engineering judgement.
Softbits Consultants Ltd are always interested in continuing product

development to ensure that Flaresim meets the needs of our clients.
Should you wish to see any feature incorporated in Flaresim, please
feel free to contact us at [email protected]. If the request is
reasonable we will endeavour to include it in future releases of the
program.
1-6
Introduction 1-7
1.2 Program Overview

The Flaresim program has been developed to provide great
flexibility in modelling by breaking down the flare system into a
number of objects such as fluids, stacks, tips etc. These individual
objects are then linked together to define the complete system.
Flaresim provides a Case Navigator view, see Figure 1-1, that shows
a tree structure of all the objects that have been defined in a given
model and provides a rapid overview of which ones are currently
complete and in use.
Case Navigator Icons Figure 1-1, Case Summary view
Required object
present and ready
Required object
missing or not ready
Optional object
Permanent object
Object ready
Object not ready
Object ignored
1-7
1-8 Program Overview
1.2.1 Flaresim Objects

The objects that can be defined are:-
Case Summary
Each model contains a single Case Summary object which defines
descriptive information.
Fluids
A model can contain multiple fluid objects. Each object describes
the physical properties of a fluid to be flared such as density, lower
heating value, lower explosive limit etc. Fluids may be defined
either by entering bulk properties or by defining the composition of
the fluid to allow calculation of its properties from pure component
data. A single fluid can be flared through multiple tips.
Environments
A model can contain multiple environment objects each of which
describes a combination of wind speed, direction, humidity etc. The
variation of wind speed with direction can also be defined to support
wind rose calculations. Environment characteristics can also be
defined for use in dispersion calculations. Only one environment
object can be active for a set of calculations.
Stacks
Multiple stack objects can be defined which may be active or
ignored in any set of calculations. Stack data includes length,
location and orientation. Each stack may support multiple flare tips.
Tips
Multiple tip objects can be defined and set active or ignored in a set
of calculations. Tip data includes tip type and associated calculation
methods, dimensions and stack location data and the flow and
selection of the fluid being flared. Tip objects provide access to
flame shape and other tip specific results such as combustion gas
composition and purge gas requirements.
Receptor Points
Multiple receptor point objects can be defined and then set active or
ignored in a set of calculations. Receptor point data includes
1-8
Introduction 1-9
location, characteristics for surface temperature calculation and

constraints for sizing calculations. Receptor point objects provide
access to results calculated for the point. The effect of wind speed
and direction on the radiation can also be calculated and displayed
as a wind rose plot.
Receptor Grids
Multiple receptor grid objects can be defined and then activated or
ignored in a set of calculations. Receptor grid data includes
orientation, location and coarseness data as well as characteristics
for surface temperature calculations. Receptor grid objects provide
access to their calculated results including contour plots of radiation,
noise, surface temperature and gas dispersion.
Assist Fluids
Multiple assist fluid objects may be defined and selected for one or
more flare tips. Data includes assist fluid type and calculation
method to be used.
Shields
Multiple shield objects may be defined to model the reduction in
radiation and noise through the installation of water sprays and solid
shields. The transmissivity of water sprays can be specified by the
user or calculated using an internal correlation. Shields can also be
defined to model burn pits or protective locations.
Dispersions
Multiple dispersion objects may be defined to model the dispersion
of combustion gases and flare fluids over long distances using a
Gaussian dispersion model. Either concentration contour plots for a
single pollutant or a downwind plot for multiple pollutants can be
calculated.
Overlays
Overlay objects allow simple drawings to be created to act as
background pictures for contour plots produced by the Receptor
Grid and Dispersion objects.
1-9
Calculation Options
A single calculation options object defines the correlations to be
used in the calculations. It also provides for control of stack sizing
options, heat transfer options to be used for temperature calculations
and default emissions data. A data fitting option is also available.
Component Management
A component library manager object allows maintenance of the pure
component database.
1.2.2 Object Definition

Flaresim objects are created by selecting the branch in the Case
Navigator view and then clicking the Add button. Alternatively the
Add dropdown menu in the Case Navigator can be used.
Creation of an object automatically opens its view to allow its data

to be entered. When all the required data has been entered the status
text at the bottom of the view will indicate Ready as shown in Figure
1-2.
Some objects have more data items than will fit on a single form so
their views have been divided into multiple tabs.
For example the Tip view as shown in Figure 1-2 has tabs for
Details, Noise Input, Location & Dimensions, Fluids, Emissions,
Results, Noise Results, Flame Shape, Combustion Results and
Purge Gas. Individual tabs are selected by clicking on their name.
Existing objects can be updated by double clicking them in the Case

Navigator view or selecting them in the Case Navigator view and
clicking the View button. When the Case Navigator is closed
existing objects can be displayed by selecting them in the View
dropdown menu.
1-10
Introduction 1-11
Figure 1-2, Tip View
1.2.3 Running a Model

In order to run calculations a Flaresim model must contain at least
one of each of the following objects in an active and ready state.
• Fluid object
• Environment object
• Stack object
• Tip object
While this is sufficient to perform calculations this will not calculate

any radiation, noise or surface temperature results without addition
of at least one active Receptor Point or Receptor Grid.
Calculations are started by clicking the button at the top of the Case
Navigator. This button is also used to display the progress of
1-11
calculations and the status of the model. When the Case Navigator
is closed the icon can be clicked to run the model. Progress of
calculations and any problems encountered are reported in the right
hand Message window at the bottom of the Flaresim screen.
Results from the calculations may be viewed through the

appropriate tabs in the Tip view, Receptor Point view or Receptor
Grid view. Results may be viewed in tabular or graphical format
where appropriate. Alternatively results can be viewed and printed
through the Print or Print Graphic Report buttons in the
Case Navigator tool bar.
Once complete a case can be saved using the Save and Save As
buttons in the Case Navigator tool bar.
1-12
Introduction 1-13
1.3 Documentation Overview

The printed Flaresim manual contains the following chapters:-
Chapter 2 - Software Installation and License Activation.
Chapter 3 - Tutorial with detailed worked examples.
The electronic documentation in the file Flaresim.pdf contains this

material and the following additional chapters which provide a full
detailed description of the program features.
Chapter 4 - Concepts, Flaresim Interface, Menu structure, Log

Panels and File Dialogs.
Chapter 5 - General Setup including Case Navigator, Case

Summary, Preferences and Component Management.
Chapter 6 - Fluid and Assist Fluid views.
Chapter 7 - Environment view.
Chapter 8 - Stack view.
Chapter 9 - Tip view.
Chapter 10 - Receptor Point and Receptor Grid views.
Chapter 11 - Shield view.
Chapter 12 - Dispersion view.
Chapter 13 - Overlay editor view.
Chapter 14 - Calculation Options view.
Chapter 15 - Report options including Print Reports and Graphic

Reports.
Chapter 16 - Calculation methods.
Appendix A - Graphic Report Layout File Definition
1-13
1-14 Documentation Overview
1-14
Installation 2-1
2 Installation
Page
2.1 Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
2.1.1 Package Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1.2 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User. . . . . . . . . . 4

2.2.1 Starting Flaresim Software Installation . . . 4
2.2.2 Installing .Net Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.3 Running Flaresim Installation. . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.4 Installation of Sentinel Drivers . . . . . . . . . 13
2.2.5 Standalone License File Installation . . . . 17
2.2.6 Obtaining A License File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.2.7 Troubleshooting Standalone Installation. 22
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network . . . . . . . . . . 25

2.3.1 Installing Server Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.3.2 Installing Server License File . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.3.3 Troubleshooting License File Installation 36
2.3.4 Installing Flaresim Clients. . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.3.5 Trouble Shooting Flaresim Client. . . . . . . 38
2.4 Flaresim File Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

2.4.1 Install Locations on Windows XP . . . . . . . 40
2.4.2 Install Locations on Windows Vista . . . . . 41
2.4.3 Install Locations on Windows 7 . . . . . . . . 41
2-1
2-2
2-2
Installation 2-3
2.1 Installation Requirements
2.1.1 Package Requirements

Before installation, check that you have the following elements of
the Flaresim package.
• Program CD Rom or Flaresim Download Package
• USB Computer ID Key, (or legacy 25 pin parallel port key)
• License File
• Getting Started Guide
The License File will be sent to you separately by e-mail as an

attachment. You should save the file to a temporary location so that
it is ready when required by the installation process.
2.1.2 System Requirements

The following system requirements must be met to allow installation
of Flaresim.
Item Requirement
Operating system Windows XP, Windows Vista

or Windows 7
Disk space - Flaresim program ~45 MB
Disk space - .Net framework ~290 MB
Disk space - Sample files (opt) ~2MB
Computer ID key device port USB port

(opt 25pin parallel port)
Flaresim install files Supplied on CD Rom

or download package
Internet Access For 280 Mb download of .Net frame-

work if not already installed and you
are using the Flaresim download
package.
2-3
2-4 Installing Flaresim-Single User
2.2 Installing Flaresim-Single User

The single user version is where usage of the program is controlled
by a license file installed on the PC on which Flaresim is running.
The installation of Flaresim is a two step process. First the software

must be installed. Then the license file must be installed to activate
the software.
2.2.1 Starting Flaresim Software Installation

The installation of Flaresim is similar to the installation of other
Windows programs. The steps are:-
1. Shut down other windows programs. The Windows

Explorer program may be left open to start the Flaresim
Setup program.
2. Either: Insert the Flaresim CD Rom into your CD or DVD

drive.
If the AutoRun feature is enabled then step 3 will be per-

formed automatically and should be skipped.
Or: Extract install files from download package to a tempo-

rary location on your hard disk.
3. Either: Start the setup program Setup.exe on the CD Rom.
This may be done through Windows Explorer by navigating

to your CD or DVD drive, locating the Setup.exe file in the
root directory of the CD and then double-clicking it.
Alternatively you can click the Windows Start button, select

the Run option, type d:\setup.exe in the pop-up dialog and
then click the Ok button. Note that your CD or DVD drive
letter should be substituted if it is not d:.
Or: Start the setup program Setup.exe in the temporary

location to which you have extracted the installation files.
2-4
Installation 2-5
This may be done through Windows Explorer by navigating

to the temporaryfile location, locating the Setup.exe file
and then double-clicking it.
Alternatively you can click the Windows Start button, select

the Run option, type [location}\setup.exe in the pop-up dia-
log and then click the Ok button. Note [location] is the tem-
porary file location to which you extracted the installation
files.
The installation program will begin.
2.2.2 Installing .Net Framework

Starting with Flaresim version 3.0 the Microsoft .Net Framework
3.5. is required to support Flaresim. The installation program first
checks whether this set of support files is available. If it is then the
installation process will automatically skip to step 7.
If you do not have the .Net Framework already installed on your

computer the following screen will be displayed and you will be
invited to install it. If you do not install it then the Flaresim
installation program will close.
The details of the following screen will differ depending on whether

you are installing from a CD or a download package. In the former
case the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 files are included on the CD and
the screen will appear as shown. In the case of a download package
the screen will indicate that the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 will be
installed through download from the web.
2-5
Figure 2-1, .Net Framework Required
4. Click the Install button to start the .Net Framework

installation. If you are using a Flaresim download package
and the Web Download installation of the .Net Framework
be aware that this is a 280Mb download and can take an
appreciable time to download and install.
5. Once the .Net Framework installation process has finished

the following screen will be displayed. Click the Yes button
to restart your computer and complete the installation of the
.Net Framework.
Figure 2-2, .Net Framework Installation Finished
6. Once your system has completed rebooting please restart

the Flaresim Installer as described in section 2.2.1
2-6
Installation 2-7
2.2.3 Running Flaresim Installation

7. After verifying the availability of the .Net Framework
version 3.5 the Flaresim Installation wizard will start and
after a configuration screen for the Windows Installer the
follows screen will appear.
Click the Next button.
Figure 2-3, Flaresim Installation Wizard Start
Note that the setup program provides a Cancel button that

may be clicked to exit the installation procedure at any
point.
8. The following License Agreement screen, Figure 2-4,

should then appear..
2-7
Figure 2-4, License Agreement
9. At this point you should read the License Agreement and

confirm your acceptance of its terms by clicking the accept
option.
Once the accept option has been selected the Next button
will be activated and should be clicked to continue the
installation. The following screen, Figure 2-5, will appear.
If you do not wish to accept the license terms then click the
Cancel button to exit the setup program without installing
Flaresim. The license terms must be accepted before the
program will install.
2-8
Installation 2-9
Figure 2-5, Destination Folder
10. If you are content with the proposed installation folder in

your Program Files directory then click Next to continue.
Otherwise click the Browse button and use the standard

windows file browser to select the destination folder for the
Flaresim program. Once you are happy with your selection
click Next to continue.
The installation type screen, Figure 2-6, will appear.
2-9
Figure 2-6, Installation Type
11. On this screen for a full installation select the Typical option
and click Next.
The Custom option should be selected if you do not wish to

install the Flaresim sample files.
The final install screen will appear..
Figure 2-7, Ready to Install Screen
2-10
Installation 2-11
12. At this point Flaresim is ready to install. Click the Install

button to start the installation process.
If you wish to change any data entered in an earlier screen

the Back button may be used to return to earlier screens.
After clicking the Install button the installation will start.
13. The setup program will show the progress of the installation
as files are copied from the CD Rom to your install folder as
shown below.
Figure 2-8, Installation Progress
Should you need to halt the installation, the Cancel button

may be used to stop the installation. A confirmation dialog
will ask you to confirm that you wish to exit without com-
pleting the installation of the program.
14. Once the installation of the program files has been

completed the Flaresim License Installer will be started to
allow you to install a local license file.
2-11
Figure 2-9, Flaresim License Installer
If you do not have your license file or you expect to be

using a network license click the Cancel button.
Otherwise click the Browse button to open a standard Win-

dows file browser and select the Flaresim license file from
the temporary location to which you have saved the license
file sent you by email. Alternatively you can type the
license file name into the field provided.
15. When you have entered the license file name, click the
Install button. If the license file has been correctly installed
the following message will be displayed. Click the Ok
button to finish the license installation process and close the
license installer.
Figure 2-10, Successfull License Installation
If there is any error in installing the license file a pop-up

message will describe the problem and you will be returned
2-12
Installation 2-13
to the main window of the Flaresim License Installer. If you

have persistent problems then you can use the Cancel button
to bypass license installation at this time and complete this
later.
16. Following the closure of the Flaresim License Installer, the

following screen will be shown. Click the Finish button to
complete the installation process.
Figure 2-11, Completion Screen
2.2.4 Installation of Sentinel Drivers

Following completion of the Flaresim installation process an
installer for the Sentinel Drivers for use of the Computer ID key will
appear as shown below,
The Sentinel Drivers are not required for using Flaresim through a
network license or for a short term standalone license when the
license will be locked to a specific PC hard disk. If this is the case
click the Cancel button and skip to section 2.2.5..
2-13
Figure 2-12, Sentinel Drivers Installation
17. Click the Next button to start the Sentinel software

installation.
It is also possible that the Sentinel Protection software is

already installed on your PC to support other applications
for example, the Aspentech suite. If this is the case you may
be offered an Upgrade button in place of the Next button.
The Flaresim USB keys are compatible with any version of
the Sentinel Protection Installer greater than 7.2.2 so if your
current version is more recent you can use the Cancel button
to exit without upgrading the Sentinel software.
18. A screen displaying the Sentinel Protection software license

will then be displayed. This license must be accepted to
allow the installation to procede. Click the Next button.
19. The next screen, Figure 2-13, allows you to select the
installation type.
2-14
Installation 2-15
Figure 2-13, Sentinel Software Installation Type
For the Flaresim Computer ID keys you need only the

driver software so you can select Custom option as shown
and click Next to display the Installation Options selection
screen shown below, Figure 2-14.
Figure 2-14, Sentinel Software Installation Options
2-15
If you are doing an Upgrade installation you might wish to

select the Complete option to ensure that all other Sentinel
protected applications will have the required software
installed. In this case clicking the Next button will skip to
step 23.
20. In the Sentinel Software Installation Options screen, ensure

that the Sentinel System Drivers are selected for installation
as shown in Figure 2-14. The other features such as the
Sentinel Protection Server can be set to “Do not install”.
Click Next to continue.
21. The next screen will indicate that the Sentinel Protection
Installer is ready to begin. Click the Install button to start it.
22. Once complete the following view, Figure 2-15, will be

displayed. Click the Finish button to complete.
Figure 2-15, Sentinel Protection Installer Complete
23. At this point you are ready to install your Computer ID key.
If you have USB computer ID key then plug it into a free

USB port on your computer. The first time this is done, you
2-16
Installation 2-17
should expect to see confirmation that a Sentinel Ultrapro

device has been detected and the driver installed.
If the key is a parallel port device with 25 pin connectors,

plug it into the parallel port of your computer. The parallel
port is the 25 pin female connector on the back of your com-
puter. The arrows on the Computer ID key show which end
connects to the computer. If you have a printer already con-
nected to the parallel port, disconnect it, connect the key
and then reconnect the printer to the female connector on
the key. You will not see any messages from the driver soft-
ware for this type of device.
24. Congratulations, Flaresim has been successfully installed.

You are now ready to run the program for the first time by
selecting it through the windows Start menu.
2.2.5 Standalone License File Installation

Flaresim requires installation of a license file before it will run. If a
license file is not found when Flaresim starts, then an error message
similar to that shown below in Figure 2-16 will be displayed. .
Figure 2-16, Flaresim License Error
If you are installing a demonstration version of Flaresim or do not

have a license file available at installation because this has been
emailed separately then you will need to install the Flaresim license
using this procedure.
If you do not have a license file see the instructions in the following
section, 2.2.6, to obtain one.
2-17
1. Firstly ensure that you have permission to write files in the

Flaresim program folder - normally
C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0. This may require Admin-
strator or other privileges.
2. Start the Flaresim License Installer from the Flaresim 3.0

folder in the Start Programs menu. The Flaresim License
Installer program will open and display the following view.
Figure 2-17, Flaresim License Installer
3. Click the Browse button to open a standard Windows file

browser and select the Flaresim license file from either your
Flaresim CD or any other location to which you have saved
a license file. Alternatively you can type the license file
name into the field provided.
4. When you have entered the license file name, click the
Install button. If the license file has been correctly installed
the following message will be displayed. Click the Ok
2-18
Installation 2-19
button to finish the license installation process and close the

license installer.
Figure 2-18, Successfull License Installation
If there is any error in installing the license file a pop-up

message will describe the problem and you will be returned
to the main window of the Flaresim license installer. The
most likely cause is that the installer does not have permis-
sion to write the license file to the Flaresim program folder.
If required you can use the Cancel button to close the
Flaresim license installer without installing the license.
If you have problems during the license installation or Flaresim

continues to generate error messages when you attempt to run it then
make a note of any error message messages. You should then follow
the troubleshooting guide in section 2.2.7 and/or contact
[email protected] for assistance.
2.2.6 Obtaining A License File

If you have a fully licensed copy of Flaresim your license file will
normally be emailed to you when you confirm receipt of your
Flaresim package. If a license file was not emailed to you, you will
need to supply some information about your installation to Softbits
Consultants to allow a license file to be generated and emailed to
you. The information required will depend on whether you have a
full license for the program or a demo license.
Full License
If you have a full license for Flaresim you will have been supplied
with a security key. The security key and its associated license file
2-19
will allow Flaresim to be used by any PC as long as the security key

is installed.
The procedure to obtain the license file is as follows:

1. Open the Windows Explorer program and browse to the
Support sub-folder in the Flaresim program folder (usually
C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0\Support).
2. Locate the program echoid.exe and double click it to run it.

The program will check the security key and report the
information required through a message window as shown
below.
Figure 2-19, Security Key Information
3. Report this information by e-mail to [email protected]

together with your name and contact details. Your license
file will be generated and returned to you by e-mail.
Short Term Lease or Demo License
If you have a short term lease or demo license for Flaresim you will
not have a security key. A license file will be supplied to activate
Flaresim for the single PC on which it is installed and for a limited
period.
The procedure to obtain the license file is as follows:

1. Open the Windows Explorer program and browse to the
Support sub-folder in the Flaresim program folder (usually
C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0).
2-20
Installation 2-21
2. Locate the program wechoid.exe and double click it to start

it. The program will start and display the screen shown
below.
Figure 2-20, Wechoid Program
3. Clear all the Locking Criteria check boxes except that for
Disk ID as shown above. Note the Locking Data displayed
at the bottom of the screen. If the Locking Criteria check
boxes have been set correctly, the Locking Data selector
will be 0x4. Unless otherwise instructed ensure that the
radio button at the bottom of the view is set to “New Style”
to generate a long 16 character code.
4. Report the Locking Data by e-mail to

[email protected] together with your name and contact
details. Your license file will be generated and sent to you
by e-mail. When you receive the license file use the
procedure described in section 2.2.5 to install it.
2-21
2.2.7 Troubleshooting Standalone Installation

If an error message similar to Figure 2-16, is seen when starting
Flaresim for the first time or an error message is seen when trying to
add the Flaresim license then there are two possible causes.
• The Computer ID Key is not correctly installed
• There is a Sentinel LM server in your network that is responding
to license requests and interfering with the operation of the local
license for Flaresim. The Sentinel LM system is used by other
products apart from Flaresim for example the Aspentech suite of
software.
Checking Computer ID Key Installation.
The first of these problems can be tested for by running the program
wechoid.exe which can be found in the support sub-folder of the
Flaresim program folder (normally C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0).
Running this program should give an output similar to that shown in

Figure 2-21. If the Computer ID entry is visible and holds a value
then the security device is correctly installed
If the Computer ID section of the wechoid.exe output is greyed out

or no data is shown then the security device is not correctly installed.
A possible solution to this problem is to reinstall the Computer ID
Key device drivers from the Drivers folder on the Flaresim CD. If
the Computer ID key still cannot be seen by wechoid.exe even after
reboot then the security device may be faulty and you should contact
[email protected].
2-22
Installation 2-23
Figure 2-21, Wechoid.exe Output
Manual Installation of License File
If the license file cannot be installed by the FSWLicense Installer, it

is possible to install the Flaresim license file manually as follows.
1. Open Windows Explorer, locate your license file (it will
have a .LIC extension) and copy this to the Flaresim pro-
gram folder (normally C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0.
2. In Windows Explorer, right click the license file in the

Flaresim program folder and select the Rename option.
Rename the file to “lservrc” note the quotes should be
omitted and the file should have no file extension.
Forcing Flaresim to Use a Local License
If a Sentinel LM server is present in your network to support the use

of other products e.g. the Aspentech suite of software then it is
possible that it may be detected by Flaresim when starting and
respond to license requests which then fail, preventing Flaresim
2-23
from starting. In these circumstances Flaresim must be configured to

force it to use a local license.
There are two methods of doing this:-

• Create a lshost file to help the Flaresim client locate the server.
This is a simple text file called “lshost” containing the word
“NO-NET”. A copy of this file can be found in the support sub-
folder of your Flaresim program folder. To use it simply copy it
to the Flareism program folder. Alternatively you can create the
file lshost using a text editor. The file must not have a .txt exten-
sion and must contain a single line with the word NO-NET.
• Set up an environment variable called either LSHOST or
LSFORCEHOST and set this to the value NO-NET.
Note that environment variables LSHOST and LSFORCEHOST

take precedence over the contents of an lshost file (if any). If an
LSHOST or LSFORCEHOST environment variable has already
been set up to support a different product then it will be necessary to
start Flaresim from either a batch file or a script file that resets these
variables to values appropriate to for the Flaresim server before
starting Flaresim. Examples of both approaches can be found in the
files Start Flaresim NoNet.bat and Flaresim NoNet.vbs in the
Support sub-folder of the Flaresim program folder. These examples
will require update to reflect the precise details of your installation
if you have not used the standard installation folders..
2-24
Installation 2-25
2.3 Installing Flaresim - Network

The network version of Flaresim allows the use of Flaresim from
multiple client systems with the total number of copies in use being
controlled by a central Flaresim license server.
Installing the Flaresim network version is a 3 step process. Firstly

the server software must be installed. Then the license file must be
added to the server. Finally the Flaresim client software must be
installed on each machine that will run Flaresim.
Note the Flaresim license server is any PC on which the server

software is installed. It does not have to be an existing network file
server
IMPORTANT NOTE
If you already have a Sentinel LM server version 7.2 installed for a

version of Flaresim prior to 2.1 it must be uninstalled and replaced
with the new Sentinel RMS version 8 server that ships with Flaresim
3.0.
2.3.1 Installing Server Software

The Flaresim server software is the Sentinel RMS product from
Safenet Inc. Full details of this product are given in the online
manuals which can be found in the SysAdminHelp sub-folder of the
Server folder of the Flaresim CD.
The following instructions are provided as a quick guide to installing

your server software with a basic configuration. For more detailed
information on the management of Sentinel RMS servers consult the
online manuals.
The installation of the server software is similar to the installation of

other Windows programs. The steps are:-
1. Shut down other windows programs. The Windows
Explorer program may be left open to start the server setup
program if required.
2-25
2-26 Installing Flaresim - Network
2. Insert the Flaresim CD Rom into your CD or DVD drive.
If the AutoRun feature is enabled then the screen shown

below will appear inviting you to start a client installation.
If this happens click the Cancel button to exit the client
installation.
Figure 2-22, Flaresim Client Screen
3. Open Windows Explorer, select the Flaresim install CD and

browse to the folder \Server\Setup. Double click on the
program Setup.exe to run it.
Alternatively you can click the Start button select Run and
then type [Drive]:\Server\Setup\Setup.exe where [Drive] is
the drive letter of your CD. Hit Enter to start the setup
program.
On starting the server setup program the following screen

will appear
2-26
Installation 2-27
Figure 2-23, Server Setup Opening Screen
4. Click the Next button to continue. The following license

agreement screen will be displayed
Figure 2-24, Server Setup License Agreement
5. Click the appropriate radio button to accept the server

software license agreement and click Next to continue. You
must accept the license agreement in order to be able to run
the Flaresim server software.
2-27
The following screen will then appear.
Figure 2-25, User Selection
6. This screen defines whether the software will be installed

for all users of this computer or only the current user.
Generally you will want to install it for all users. Once you
have made your selection click Next to continue. The
following screen will be shown.
Figure 2-26, Server Software location
2-28
Installation 2-29
7. This screen defines the location to which the server

software will be installed, click Next to continue. The
following screen will be displayed.
Figure 2-27, Select Installation Options
8. This screen allows selection of the Installation Options.

Since Flaresim licenses are locked to Computer ID keys you
must select the Complete option to install the device drivers
for the keys as well as the server software. Click Next
button to continue. The following view will be displayed.
2-29
Figure 2-28, Firewall Settings
9. A port must be opened through any server firewall to allow

communication between the Flaresim server and client PCs.
This screen allows you to tell the installer to do this
automatically. Note that if you are using 3rd Party firewall
software you may need to do this separately. The system
administrators help system has the information you need to
do this (Server\SysAdminHelp folder on CD).
Select the check box and click Next. The following screen
will be displayed.
2-30
Installation 2-31
Figure 2-29, Ready to Install
10. This confirms that you are ready to begin installation of the
Sentinel RMS server software. Click the Install button.
The server software install process will then start. On

completion the following screen will be displayed.
Figure 2-30, Server Installation Complete
2-31
11. At this point the server software is installed and the server
service will have been started. Click the Finish button to
close the window.
12. You may wish to confirm that the server service has
installed correctly by checking the list of running processes
through the Task Manager. The server service is called
lservnt.exe.
By default, this service will be set to start automatically

each time the computer is started.
13. Optionally copy the server utility programs to your server as

follows.
Open Windows Explorer and browse to the directory

[Drive]:\Server\Admin.net\W32 where [Drive] is the drive
letter of your CD drive.
Select and copy all the files from this directory to an

appropriate place on your server. It is up to your local
policies whether to make these file available to Flaresim
users as well as server administrators.
2.3.2 Installing Server License File

The Flaresim server software requires installation of a license file
before it will be able to authorise Flaresim client software to run.
This license file will normally be locked to the Computer ID key
supplied with Flaresim.
The procedure to install the Computer ID key and license file is as

follows. The license file will normally be found on the Flaresim CD.
1. Locate and install your Computer ID key on your server
system.
If you have USB computer ID key then plug it into a free

USB port on your computer.
2-32
Installation 2-33
If the key is a parallel port device with 25 pin connectors,

plug it into the parallel port of your server. The parallel port
is the 25 pin female connector on the back of your compu-
ter. The arrows on the Computer ID key show which end
connects to the computer. If already have a printer on the
parallel port, disconnect it, connect the key and then recon-
nect the printer to the female connector on the key.
2. Open Windows Explorer and use it to browse to and start

the program WlmAdmin.exe from either the Flaresim CD or
the location to which you copied the server utility software.
When open, the program will display the following screen.
Figure 2-31, WlmAdmin Program
2-33
3. Expand the tree of SubNet servers by clicking the

symbol next to the SubNet servers entry. If your system is
the only Sentinel server on the network then you will see
only its name in the list. If other servers are present locate
the server to which you have connected the Flaresim
security device.
4. Right click the name of your server in the SubNet server

list. From the pop-up menus select Add Feature, From a
File, To Server and its File as the options appear as shown
below.
Figure 2-32, WlmAdmin - Adding license
2-34
Installation 2-35
5. Left click on the To Server and its File option. Select your
license file (.lic extension) in the browser and click Open.
Your license should be added to the server and displayed in
the tree below the server name.
6. You will now be able to click the Flaresim license to display

its details as shown below. Note that the WlmAdmin
program can be used to show usage details of licenses at any
time.
Figure 2-33, WlmAdmin License details
2-35
2.3.3 Troubleshooting License File Installation

Should you get an error message when installing the license file
perhaps of the form shown below then the first thing to check is that
the Computer ID key is plugged in and accessible.
Figure 2-34, License Installation Error
This can be done by running the program wechoid.exe which can be

found in the folder Server\Admin.net\W32 on your Flaresim CD.
Running this program should give an output similar to that shown

below. If the Computer ID entry is visible and holds a value then the
security device is correctly installed.
Figure 2-35, Wechid.exe Output
2-36
Installation 2-37
If the Computer ID section of the wechoid.exe output is greyed out

or no data is shown then the security device is not correctly installed.
A possible solution to this problem is to reinstall the security device
drivers from the Drivers folder on the Flaresim CD. If the security
device still cannot be seen by wechoid.exe even after reboot then the
security device may be faulty and you should contact
[email protected]
If the license file will not install when the wechoid.exe output shows
that the security device is visible then there may be a problem with
the license file and you should contact [email protected].
2.3.4 Installing Flaresim Clients

The installation of the Flaresim client software for use with a
Flaresim license server is the same as for a standalone installation as
described in sections 2.1.1 to 2.2.3 above.
Since there is no requirement for local license in a Flaresim network

installation, when the FSWLicense installer is shown, step 14. ,
Figure 2-9, you should click the Cancel button.
Likewise since there is no need for a security key on a Flaresim

client in a network installation you should click Cancel when the
Sentinel Protection Installer view is displayed, step17., Figure 2-12.
You are now ready to run the Flaresim by selecting it through the
windows Start menu.
2-37
2.3.5 Trouble Shooting Flaresim Client

If the Flaresim client program fails to find a server license when it
starts up the following message will be displayed.
Figure 2-36, License Error
If you see this message you should click the Ok button to close the
window.
The following check list offers possible reasons why Flaresim might
not be able to locate the license server to obtain a license.
• All available licenses are in use.
• Client system does not have network access to the server.
• Server may not be active.
Checking Available Licenses
The first step in resolving these problems is to run the WlmAdmin

program from the client system and open the list of subnet servers.
If the Flaresim server can be seen, open the Flaresim license to check
whether there is a license available. If all are in use the client must
wait until a license becomes free. It can take up to 5 minutes for a
license to become free after another user has shut down Flaresim.
Configuring Server Location
If an available license can be seen on the server but the Flaresim

client still will not load then it may be caused by Flaresim being
either unable to locate the Flaresim server or by Flaresim locating
another Sentinel server for another product e.g. Aspentech products.
2-38
Installation 2-39
In this case it is necessary to specify the name of the host to

Flaresim. There are two options for this:-
• Create a lshost file to help the Flaresim client locate the server.
To do this create a simple text file called lshost (note no .txt
extension) in the Flaresim client program directory. Edit the con-
tents of this file so that it contains the name of the Flaresim
server. For example in the case of the server installation shown
in section 2.3.2 of this file would have the text
“orac.flaresim.co.uk”.
• Set up an environment variable called either LSHOST or
LSFORCEHOST to specify the name of the server. For example
in our example the environment variable would be
set LSHOST=orac.flaresim.co.uk
• If multiple servers must be included in a lshost file or LSHOST
variable use a “~” character to separate the e.g.
“server1.flaresim.co.uk~server2.flaresim.co.uk
Note that environment variables LSHOST and LSFORCEHOST

take precedence over the contents of an lshost file (if any). If an
LSHOST or LSFORCEHOST environment variable has already
been set up to support a different product then it will be necessary to
start Flaresim from either a batch file or a script file that resets these
variables to values appropriate to for the Flaresim server before
starting Flaresim. Examples of both approaches can be found in the
files Start Flaresim.bat and Flaresim.vbs in the Support sub-folder of
the Flaresim program folder. These examples will require update to
reflect the precise details of your installation.
Checking Access To The Server
If the WlmAdmin program does not list a Flaresim server when run
on the client then the problem likely lies in the client system not
having network access to the server. You will need to check all
elements of the network routing (e.g. firewalls, routers) to ensure
that the server can be seen by the client system.
Further help on license server setup and possible problems can be

found in the online manual in the SysAdminHelp folder on the
Flaresim CD.
2-39
2-40 Flaresim File Locations
2.4 Flaresim File Locations

A Flaresim client installation comprises a number of files split into
the following groups.
Program Files Program - Flaresim.exe
Support libraries - various .dll files
License installer - FSWLicense.exe
Installed license file - lservrc
Help files - FSWHelp.chm, *.HLP
Documentation folder - Flaresim.pdf
Support Files Layout files - *.lay

Default case file - Default.fsw
Default report definition - Flaresim.xsl
Units definitions - Units.xml
Component database - LibraryComponents.xml
Default preference file - Preferences.xml
Default preferences file - PrintPreference.xml
Report logo file - Logo.gif
Sample Files Examples - *.fsw

Report sub-folders
2.4.1 Install Locations on Windows XP

The default install locations for the different groups of files when
Flaresim is installed on Windows XP are as follows.
Program Files C:\Program Files\Flaresim 3.0
Support Files C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0
Sample Files [My Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0\Samples
2-40
Installation 2-41
2.4.2 Install Locations on Windows Vista

Flaresim is installed on Windows Vista are as follows.
Support Files C:\ProgramData\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0
2.4.3 Install Locations on Windows 7

Flaresim is installed on Windows 7 are as follows.
Support Files C:\ProgramData\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0
2-41
2-42 Flaresim File Locations
2-42
Getting Started 3-1
3 Getting Started
Page
3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
3.1.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1.2 Initial Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1.3 Initial Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.1.4 Print Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2 Sonic Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3.2.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.2 Open Starting File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.3 Create Sonic Tip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.4 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.5 Compare Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.3 Two Tip Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.3.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.3.3 Update Tip Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.4 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3.5 Update Pipe Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.4 Working With Isopleths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3.4.2 Adding a Flaresim Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.4.3 External Overlay File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.5 Welltest Burner Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3-1
3-2
3.5.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

3.5.2 Open Starting File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
3.5.3 Add New Fluid Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
3.5.4 Add New Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
3.5.5 Add Welltest Burner Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
3.5.6 Add New Receptor Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
3.5.7 Run & Review Calculations. . . . . . . . . . . . .40
3.5.8 Add Water Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
3.5.9 Evaluate Rate of Temperature Rise . . . . . .44
3.5.10 Check Safety Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
3.6 Gas Dispersion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

3.6.1 Objective and Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
3.6.2 Load or Create Base Case . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
3.6.3 Jet Dispersion Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
3.6.4 Gaussian Dispersion, Contour Plot . . . . . .51
3.6.5 Gaussian Dispersion, Downwind Plot . . . .53
3.6.6 Dispersion Analysis Comments . . . . . . . . .56
3-2
Getting Started 3-3
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the use

of Flaresim. The examples show how Flaresim may be used to
calculate thermal radiation, noise and exposed surfaces temperatures
arising from flaring at one or more flare stacks. Examples of
dispersion calculations are also given. The examples begin with a
simple flare stack design which is then refined and expanded. The
examples attempt to highlight some of the critical parameters to be
considered when designing a safe flare system.
The examples build up in stages. If you wish to skip a particular

stage, the Samples sub-folder of the Flaresim program folder has
model files saved at each stage.
3-3
3-4 Simple Flare Stack Design
3.1 Simple Flare Stack Design
3.1.1 Objective and Data

The objective is to design a flare stack for an offshore platform. It is
assumed that an inclined flare boom will be used mounted on the
side of the platform which faces the prevailing wind. The design is
to be based on thermal radiation limits as follows:-
• 1,500 btu/hr/ft2 at the base of the flare stack.
• 600 btu/hr/ft2 at the helideck located 150 ft from the side of the
platform and 30 ft above the base of the flare stack.
The following design data is available

Fluid
Material Hydrocarbon Vapour
Flow 100,000 lb/hr
Mol Wt. 46.1
Vapour Temp. 300 F
Heat of combustion 21,500 btu/lb
Heat Capacity ratio 1.1
Tip Diameter 18 in
Wind Velocity 20 mph
3.1.2 Initial Setup

1. Start the Flaresim program through the windows Start
button in the usual way.
New File Icon 2. We are going to build our first model through the Setup
Wizard. For a new installation of Flaresim this will open
automatically ready to build a new model. If this does not
appear then you should select the File - Preferences menu
option and select the “Use Setup Wizard for New Cases”
check box on the Files&Options tab. Then select File - New
3-4
Getting Started 3-5
or the New File icon on the tool bar to create a new case
with the Setup Wizard.
3. In the opening view of the Setup Wizard, set the unit set to
Default Field as shown. Then click the Next button to move
to the Fluid definition tab.
Figure 3-1, Setup Wizard Opening View
4. In the Fluid tab of the Setup Wizard enter the following data
items, using the tab key or the mouse to move from field to
field.
Temperature = 300 F
Mole Weight = 46.1
LHV = 21500 btu/lb
Cp/Cv = 1.1
Note that some of these values (e.g Temperature or Cp/Cv)

are originally displayed in purple colour denoting a default
3-5
LEL is used only by the value. When you entered a value the colour changes to blue
Brzustowski flare radiation
method. denoting a user specified value.
The full list of colours used by Flaresim to display values

is:-
Purple for a fixed default value
Red for calculated default values
Blue for a user specified value
Grey for a fixed, unchangeable input value
Black for a calculated result
The remaining values for Ref Pressure, LEL and Saturation

can be left at their default values. The finished view is
shown below
Figure 3-2, Setup Wizard Fluid Tab
Note that Flaresim requires the lower heating value for a

fluid for its calculations. We are assuming that the value we
3-6
Getting Started 3-7
have been given is the lower, net heating value rather than
the higher, gross heating value.
Advice on the usage of each input value and the allowable

input range is displayed in the advice panel as you move
through the input fields.
When the entries are complete click the Next button.
5. In the Tip tab select the radio button to set the tip type to a
Pipe Tip. In the table for selection of F Factor method select
the check box to select the Generic Pipe method.
The F Factor, i.e. the fraction of heat radiated by the flame,

is a critical design parameter for flare system design. The
Generic Pipe correlation has been developed to predict F
Factors across a range of exit velocities and fluid molecular
weights and is generally recommended for initial calcula-
tions. For final designs, we would always recommend con-
sulting a flare system vendor for advice on the appropriate F
Factor for a specific fluid and specific flare tip.
6. Still in the Tip tab, enter the Fluid Mass Flow Rate as
100,000 lb/hr. After this entry has been completed, the Tip
Diameter field is updated to show the tip diameter required
for the default Mach number of 0.45. In our case we know
the tip diameter is 18 in so we update the calculated value to
18 in. The Mach number will be updated to 0.199 to
indicate the velocity for the new diameter.
When complete the view should be as shown in Figure 3-3.
3-7
Figure 3-3, Setup Wizard Tip Tab
Click the Next button to move to the next tab.
7. In the next tab, the Environment tab, enter the wind speed.
Since the value we have been given is 20 mph we first click
the entry displaying ft/s and select mph in the drop down
menu before entering the value. If we wish to see the value
in ft/s then click again in the units entry and select ft/s to
display the converted value of 29.33 ft/s.
The humidity value is only The remaining items can be left at their default values
used when calculating the
transmissivity.
namely Wind Direction as 0 (i.e. North), Temperature 59 F,
Humidity 10% and the User Transmissivity 1.0 with the
Transmissivity Method set to “User specified”. Note this
default transmissivity method with a specified transmissiv-
ity value of 1.0 is the most conservative option.
3-8
Getting Started 3-9
The final input is to remove the tick from the check box
labelled “Include Solar Radiation” which means that the
specified solar radiation value will NOT be added to the cal-
culated value of flare radiation.
Including solar radiation leads to a more conservative

design and its inclusion is recommended by API 521. How-
ever some sources suggest it can be excluded. Solar radia-
tion can have a significant impact on the flare design when
low radiation values are considered. Since we considering a
low design radiation for the Helideck in this case we will
exclude solar radiation for this example.
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-4. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-4, Setup Wizard Environment Tab
3-9
8. In the Stack tab, select the radio button to set the Vertical
Orientation to 60 degrees from horizontal. Then set the
Stack Horizontal Orientation angle to 0 (i.e. North). The
Stack Length will be left unspecified to let Flaresim
calculate it.
The completed form is shown as Figure 3-5. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-5, Setup Wizard Stack Tab
9. In the Receptors tab, click on the default receptor point

“RP_1” and rename it to “Stack Base”. Set its Distance
Downwind from Stack to 0 ft and confirm that the
Allowable Radiation for the point is 1500 btu/hr/ft2.
Now click the Add button to create an additional receptor

point for the radiation at the Helideck. Change the default
name “RP_2” to “Helideck” and enter the location as North-
3-10
Getting Started 3-11
ing -150ft, Easting 0ft, Elevation 30ft. and the radiation

limit as 600 btu/hr/ft2.
The completed form is shown as Figure 3-6. Click the Next

button to continue.
Figure 3-6, Setup Wizard Receptors Tab
10. In the Calculations tab, select the check box to set the
Calculation Method to Mixed and set the Flame Elements to
25.
As discussed in the Methods chapter, the Mixed method is a

compromise designed to give the best accuracy for calculat-
ing radiation both close to and further away from the flame.
As such it is a good default method. 25 flame elements is
usually sufficient to calculate the flame shape with a reason-
able degree of accuracy.
3-11
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-7. At this points

we have completed the Setup Wizard so click the Finish
button.
Figure 3-7, Setup Wizard Calculations Tab
11. When the Finish button is clicked, the Setup Wizard takes
the data we have supplied and uses it to create the Flaresim
objects that we need for our initial model. The Case
Navigator view will be displayed to list all of these objects
as shown in Figure 3-8. Note that the icon is shown
against each object indicating it is ready to calculate and
that the icon is shown against the key object branches to
indicate that the model has the minimum information
needed to run calculations.
3-12
At this point you can open each objects view by double

clicking on them in the Case Navigator to see how the Setup
Wizard has initialised the values.
Figure 3-8, Case Summary
12. This is a suitable point to save the data we have entered so

far. Click the tool bar button in the tool bar at the top of
the Case Navigator or main tool bar. Since we have not yet
saved the file, a File Save Dialog window will appear to
allow us to specify the location and name of the file.
3.1.3 Initial Calculations

13. At this point we are ready to run the calculations by clicking
the large button labelled “Click to Calculate” at the top of
the Case Navigator. The button will change to show a
progress bar as the calculation runs. Messages will be
output to the Error/Warnings/Info log to show progress as
shown below.
3-13
Figure 3-9, Error/Warnings/Info log
Note that the scroll bars can be used to review earlier mes-
sages. Also the log window can be resized by dragging the
separator bar above it.
14. We can now review the results. Double click the Grid 1 item
in the Case Summary view and then click the Radiation tab.
Then select Plot in the Display drop down. The radiation
isopleths are displayed as shown below.
Figure 3-10, Receptor Grid Isopleth Plot
3-14
Click Stack 1 in the Case Navigator view and click the View
button. The view will show that the stack length has been
calculated as 247ft.
Finally open the Receptor summary view by double click-

ing the “Receptor Point” branch label in the Case Navigator.
As shown below, the Radiation Results line shows that our
design radiation limit of 600 btu/h/ft2 has been met for the
Helideck receptor while the radiation value at the Stack
Base receptor is lower than its allowed value limit at 767
btu/hr/ft2.
Figure 3-11, Receptor Point Summary
15. This completes our initial design. Save the case.
3-15
3.1.4 Print Results

16. Select the Print button in the Case Navigator tool bar.
The Report Preview view shown below opens. Note that
this will open in a new window, independent of the main
Flaresim view.
Figure 3-12, Report Preview
17. Select the report elements you wish to see printed. To see
what the report will look like with the current set of
elements you will need to click the Refresh button to update
it.
3-16
In order to allow us to compare these results with future

results you will need to ensure that the Stack Configuration,
Tip Results - General and Flame Shape elements and the
Receptor Point results are included. Once you have set your
preferred report options you can click the Save Options but-
ton to save your report options to a configuration file. Your
chosen options will also be saved with the case.
18. When you are happy with the options you have chosen click
the Print button to send the report to your default printer.
The standard Printer Dialog view shown below will appear

to allow the printer and other options to be selected.
Figure 3-13, Printer Dialog
3-17
3-18 Sonic Tip Design
3.2 Sonic Tip Design

The design that we produced in Example 1 meets our design
radiation limits but requires a long 247ft stack. Since we are
designing a flare stack for an offshore platform we wish to minimise
the length and hence the weight of the flare stack as much as
possible. Therefore we will attempt to reduce the required flare stack
length by redesigning the system using a sonic flare tip.
The fluid data, environmental data and radiation limits are the same
as for Example 1.
3.2.2 Open Starting File

1. If you are continuing from Example 1 you should save your
case before continuing using the button from the tool
bar at the top of the Case Navigator. Skip to step 3.
2. Otherwise use the File - Open menu option or the icon.

In the File Open dialog that appears, browse to the Samples
folder created by your Flaresim installation. This will
usually be in the Softbits\Flaresim 3.0 folder in your
configured “Documents” folder. Select the file “Example 1 -
Result.fsw” and click the Open button.
3.2.3 Create Sonic Tip

3. Create a new tip by selecting the Tip branch in the Case
Navigator view and then clicking the Add button or by
selecting the Add - Tip drop down menu option.
3-18
4. On the Details tab of the Tip view that opens enter the
following data:
Name = “Sonic Tip”

Tip Type = Sonic
Number of Burners = 1
Seal Type = None
Fraction Heat Radiated Method = High Efficiency
5. On the Noise Input tab of the Tip view enter the following
data:
Combustion Noise Method = Standard Reference.
6. Move to the Location & Dimensions tab and enter the

following data:
On Stack = Stack_1
Length = 3.0ft
Angle to Horizontal = 90
Angle to North = 0
Exit Diameter = 18in
Riser Diameter = 18in
Contraction Coefficient = 1.0 (default)
Exit Loss Coefficient = 1.0 (default)
Roughness = 9.843e-4in (default)
Calc Burner Opening = Selected
7. Click on the Fluids tab and enter the following:
Fluid Name = Fluid 1

Fluid Mass Flow = 100,000lb/hr
8. At this point the Status Text at the bottom of the Tip view
should indicate that the tip data is complete. Close the view.
9. In the Case Navigator, select the branch labelled Tip 1 and

then click the Ignore button. The icon beside the label
should turn to a icon to confirm that the tip will not be
included in the calculations.
3-19
3.2.4 Run & Review Calculations

10. We are now ready to run the calculations. Click the large
button at the top of the Case Navigator.
Once Flaresim has finished calculating, check the Errors/

Warnings/Info log panel to confirm that the expected calcu-
lations for the two Receptor Points have been completed.
Note that if earlier messages in the log panel are causing
confusion, you can click the right mouse button over the log
panel to access a pop-up menu which provides a Clear
option to remove the current log messages.
11. We are now ready to review the results. Open the Stack
view for the Main Stack. The new length calculated for the
stack is 68ft.
12. Open the Receptor Summary view. As shown below, this

indicates that the Stack Base receptor point is now the
controlling limit since the thermal radiation at this point is
calculated as 1500 btu/hr/ft2. The radiation at the Helideck
receptor point is 543 btu/hr/ft2.
Figure 3-14, Sonic Tip, Receptor Summary
3-20
13. Save the new design to a new case name.
14. Generate a report for this new case using the Print tool bar
button.
3.2.5 Compare Results

Our new design with the sonic flare tip is clearly better since it leads
to a much shorter stack that will save a great amount of weight and
hence cost over our initial design using the pipe flare tip. It is worth
doing a detailed comparison to understand the difference between
the designs.
15. Reopen the original case “Example 1 - Results.fsw” and

click the Print tool bar button. Since reports are generated in
separate windows then you will now have two report
windows that you can compare side by side. Note that both
cases are open simultaneously in Flaresim and you can
switch between them using the Windows menu option.
Alternatively you can use your Internet browser to view the

saved report files “Example 1 - Result.html” in the “Sam-
ples\Example 1 - Result” sub-folder and “Example 2 -
Result.html” in the “Samples\Example 2 - Result” sub-
folder. (usually in [Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0).
16. Find the Tip Data - Results section in the reports. The
fraction of heat radiated value for the Pipe flare design is
0.35 while that for the Sonic design is 0.1.
The fraction of heat radiated by a flare is a critical parame-

ter in the design. Pipe flares exhibit relatively poor mixing
of air with the flared fluid and as a result the flame contains
many partially combusted luminescent carbon particles that
give it an orange colour and a relatively high fraction of
heat radiated. Sonic flare tips are designed to maximise the
mixing of air and the flared fluid and so burn with a clearer
flame with lower heat radiation.
3-21
By selecting the appropriate F Factor method to calculate

the fraction of heat radiated in both our designs we have
allowed the program to calculate an appropriate value for
the different tips. However since this is such an important
factor in the design, the heat radiation factor to be used
should be confirmed with your flare system vendor prior to
the final design. Should you wish to use a heat radiation fac-
tor supplied by a vendor you should set the method to User
Specified and enter the value.
17. Still in the Tip Data - Results section of the reports find the
flame length. For the Pipe flare design this is 173 ft. while
for the Sonic flare design the flame length is 88ft. Note that
the flame length calculated by the API method is the same
in both cases.
Sonic flare tips by their design and by their greater gas exit
velocities lead to a flame shape that is shorter and stiffer
compared to that of a pipe flare. As a result the flame is less
affected by wind and stays closer to the tip and thus further
from the platform. This can be seen most clearly by compar-
ing the 3D plot of the Flame Shape in the reports.
Finally in the Tip Results section of the reports find the tip
back pressure i.e. tip inlet pressure. For the Pipe flare this is
14.7 psi while for the Sonic flare it is 26.0 psi.
The fact that the sonic tip is operating at choked conditions

means that the pressure drop over this type of tip is much
higher than for the pipe tip. Thus a sonic tip can only be
used if the resulting back pressure on the flare system is not
so high as to prevent safe relief of the gas.
3-22
3.3 Two Tip Design

Comparison of our two designs using the pipe tip and the sonic tip
shows that the sonic tip is much the better since it produces a
shorter, stiffer and above all a flame with a lower F Factor than the
pipe flare. This means that the flare stack can be much shorter while
still meeting radiation limits. Given the advantages of the sonic tip
it might appear that we should always specify this type of tip.
However we have also seen that the sonic flare tip results in higher
back pressures on the flare system. In many cases this additional
back pressure will be too high to allow safe relief from all the
possible relief sources in the process. Therefore it is common to see
designs with both high and low pressure flare systems relieving
through different tips.

The relieving sources in our process have been reviewed to check
that the new back pressure resulting from the sonic tip is acceptable.
The review has shown that 10,000 lb/h of the material being flared
cannot be relieved safely at the new higher back pressure. As a result
we have decided to split our design so this 10,000 lb/h is relieved
through a low pressure flare system leading to a pipe tip with the
remaining material flowing through a high pressure flare system to
a sonic tip.

case before continuing using the Save tool bar button in
the Case Navigator. Skip to step 3.

sub-folder of your Flaresim installation (usually [My
Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0) and click the Open
button.
3-23
3-24 Two Tip Design
3.3.3 Update Tip Data

3. In the Case Navigator view double-click the Sonic Tip
branch to open the view for this Tip. On the Fluids tab
change the flow rate to 90,000 lb/h. Close the view.
4. Open the view for the Tip 1 by double-clicking this in the

Case Navigator view or by selecting it and then clicking the
View button. Rename the tip to “Pipe Tip”. On the Fluids
tab change the flow rate to 10,000 lb/h. Then clear the tick
from the Ignore check box to activate this tip again. Close
the view.

5. We are now ready to run the calculations. Click the large
button at the top of the Case Navigator.
Check the Errors/Warnings/Info log panel to confirm that

the expected calculations for the two Receptor Points have
been completed.
6. We are now ready to review the results. Open the Stack

view for the Main Stack. The new length calculated for the
stack is 96ft.
Figure 3-15, Stack View
3-24
7. Open the Receptor Summary view. This indicates that the

Main Stack receptor point is still the controlling limit since
the thermal radiation at this point is still calculated as 1500
btu/hr/ft2.
3.3.5 Update Pipe Tip

In reducing the flow through the Pipe tip we have changed its
performance.
8. Open the Tip view for the Pipe tip. You will see on the
Details tab that the fraction of heat radiated from this tip has
been calculated as 0.38 whereas before it was 0.35. The
reason for this is the greatly reduced velocity, 0.02 mach,
through the tip which reduces the tips efficiency. For
efficient operation the velocity should be 0.2 mach or
higher.
9. On the Location & Dimensions tab, click the Size Me

button. Set the Mach number to 0.3 and set “Use Nominal
Diam” to “No” and the tip size will be calculated as 4.6 in.
Set “Use Nominal Diam” back to “Yes” and an nominal
diameter of 5 inch will be selected. If you wish to check the
actual Mach Number at the selected tip size, use the
Nominal Diameter drop down list and reselect 5 inch to
update the calculated Mach Number which will be 0.25
Mach. This is acceptable so click the Ok button. The tip size
and riser diameter will automatically be updated to the new
selected diameter.
10. Now recalculate the case. The new exit velocity is 0.25
mach and the fraction of heat radiated is now 0.34. The
improvement in efficiency of this flare reduces the
calculated size of the stack to 90ft.
11. Our two tip design is complete so save the case.
3-25
3-26 Working With Isopleths
3.4 Working With Isopleths

To see details of the thermal radiation around the flare Flaresim
provides the Receptor Grid objects that will calculate the radiation
for a grid of points that can be used to generate isopleth charts
showing lines of constant thermal radiation. Similar isopleth charts
can be displayed for noise and surface temperature results.
Our model already has one receptor grid called Grid 1. This was
automatically generated for us by the Setup Wizard. It shows a plan
view around our flare stack at the grade elevation i.e. 0ft. Since the
Helideck is the main area of interest we will update this grid to the
correct elevation.

case before continuing using the icon from the Case
Navigator tool bar. Skip to step 3.

folder in your Flaresim installation
([Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0), select the file
“Example 3 - Result.fsw” and click the Open button.
3. Since the Helideck is one of the main areas of interest, we

will update the receptor grid to plot the radiation at this
level. Open the Grid 1 object by double clicking on it in the
Case Navigator. Once open, change the name to “Helideck
Plan” and change the elevation offset to 30ft. Also update
the number of points for each axis to 41.
Note that the number of points in the grid is not critical - a

higher number will generate smoother, more accurate isop-
leths at a cost of increased calculation time.
4. In the Case Navigator view select the Receptor Grid branch

and click the Add button (alternatively select the Add -
3-26
Receptor Grid drop down menu option) to create and open

the view for a new Receptor Grid object.
5. Enter the following data to create a grid for the vertical

cross-section through the axis of the flare.
Name = Helideck Elevation,

Orientation = Elevation-Northing,
Easting = 0ft,
Elevation Min = -100ft,
Elevation Max = 300ft,
Elevation Points = 41,
Northing Min = -500ft,
Northing Max = 300ft,
Northing Points = 41.
The receptor point properties are left at the default values.
6. Re-run the case. When the run is complete you will be able
to inspect the isopleth plot by opening the grid view,
clicking on the Radiation tab and then selecting Plot as the
Display option. Similar plots for noise and surface
temperatures can be found on the Noise and Temperature
tabs.
7. You can customise the isopleth lines displayed on the plot

by clicking the Customise button to open a plot properties
view as shown below. Select the Contour Details tab and
select the check boxes to show only the isopleth values for
600, 1500, 3000, 5000 and 10000 btu/hr/ft2 as shown in
Figure 3-16 below. Note the colours of each isopleth can be
customised by clicking on the line colour panel and
selecting the colour from the pop-up colour picker dialog.
When your updates are complete you can click the button at
the bottom of the Customise window to copy your changes
to other isopleths of the same type.
3-27
Figure 3-16, Isopleth Customisation
8. Isopleth plots will be included automatically as part of

Flaresim standard reports. A plot may also be exported as a
standalone graphics file clicking the Export button on an
isopleth result tab when the display option is set to Plot.
This displays a standard file save dialog which allows the
type of graph to be exported to be selected from the Save as
type drop down. Allowed types are JPG, BMP and PNG
bitmap formats or WMF and EMF vector formats. Note
vector format files are more suitable for re-scaling and
inclusion in reports.
If the Export button is clicked while the isopleth results are

displayed as a Table the save dialog will provide options to
save the results table to a text file (of comma separated val-
ues) or to an Excel spreadsheet file.
9. A graphical report that displays an isopleth plot together

with a summary of the model data can be generated from
the Graphical Report tab on the Receptor Grid view. Simply
select the type of plot to be produced, the layout file and
click the View Graphic Report button. A sample of the
output produced is shown below. Note this is a modal
3-28
window that must be closed before you can use other parts
of Flaresim.
Figure 3-17, Graphic Report View
10. Graphic reports can be printed or exported as graphics files

using the Print Graphic Reports tool bar button . For
example to export a graphic report of the radiation isopleth
for the Helideck Plan view, select the Helideck Plan in the
list of available receptors grids, select the check box for the
radiation plot and JPEG Bitmap as the file type as shown
below. Then click the Save Graphic Reports button. A
browser window will open to allow the output folder to be
specified. The graphic reports will then be automatically
created and saved and the Log area of the Flaresim screen
3-29
will list the output location of the saved files. Note the
layout file used will be that specified on the Graphic Report
tab for each receptor grid.
Figure 3-18, Output Graphic Report
3.4.2 Adding a Flaresim Overlay

Flaresim allows drawings to be overlaid on isopleth plots. Drawings
can either be imported or generated using the internal overlay editor.
In this example we will create a simple plan view within Flaresim.
11. In the Case Navigator, select the Overlay branch and click
the Add button. A new overlay object called Overlay 1 will
be created and displayed. Change the name to “Helideck
Plan”.
12. In the “Update Details From Grid” section of the Details

tab, select the “Helideck Plan” grid and click Update. The
Overlay dimensions are updated with those from the
Helideck Plan Grid.
3-30
13. Select the Editor tab and click the zoom in and zoom
out buttons and/or resize the view until you can see the
full drawing. Check the Show Stacks check box to display
the location of the stack in the drawing to act as a guideline.
Not this will not form part of the drawing.
14. Now click the Add Rectangle button and draw a

rectangle to represent the platform outline from the top left
corner at -200,0 to the bottom right corner 50,-200. This is
done by moving to the first point using the displayed X,Y
coordinates at the left of the view as a guide, clicking and
holding the left mouse button then dragging to the second
point.
15. Add a second rectangle to represent the helideck from the

points -50,-100 to 30, -180.
16. Click the ellipse button and draw a circle within the
helideck rectangle by moving to the point -50, -100,
clicking and holding the left mouse button and dragging to
the point 30, -180.
17. Click the text button and then click the drawing in the
middle of the helideck circle. A vertical flashing bar will
appear to indicate the text insertion point. Type the letter H
and then hit the enter key to complete the text entry.
If the text is too small, click the select button and then
select the text you have just entered. A set of selection
points will appear around it to indicate that it has been
selected. Now click the properties drop down menu
and select the Text Font option to open a standard font dia-
log to allow the text size and style to be defined. A size of
around 24 pt is probably suitable.
3-31
If required the selected text can also be moved by clicking

and dragging with it the left mouse button - the yellow dot
will indicate the point to click for dragging the text.
The overlay picture is now complete and should look some-

thing like the view below.
Figure 3-19, Completed Overlay
18. Next open the “Helideck Plan” Receptor Grid and go to the
Plot Overlay tab. Select the Use Flaresim Overlay radio
button and then in the drop down menu that appears select
the overlay we have just created, “Helideck Plan”. Finally
tick the Show Overlay check box.
Now go to the radiation tab. The overlay is now displayed

as the background picture to the isopleth as shown below.
3-32
Figure 3-20, Isopleth with Overlay
19. Save the case. The overlay file we have created will be
automatically saved in the Flaresim case folder (i.e. the sub
folder created with the same name as the Flaresim case
which contains the report data) with the file extension
“.fso”.
3.4.3 External Overlay File

The other method of displaying an overlay with your isopleth plots
is to link to an external graphics file. The best type of background
drawing to import is a scaled vector drawing i.e. a Windows metafile
(.wmf) or enhanced metafile (.emf) but bitmap files (.bmp, .png and
.jpg files) can also be used. Given that the locations of the stacks etc.
in your Flaresim model are matched to the drawing on import the
3-33
isopleths will be correctly positioned in relation to the drawing. The

following example shows how this is done.
20. Open the Plot Overlay tab in the Helideck Elevation

Receptor Grid.
We know that the drawing we are going to import represents

dimensions of 1050 ft wide by 750 ft high. The point corre-
sponding to the base of the main stack (0,0) in the model is
located at the point 500, 350 in the drawing.
21. Ensure the Details radio button is selected in the External

File Details section and enter the following values:-
Elevation - Min = 0ft,

Elevation - Max = 750ft
Northing - Min = 0ft
Northing - Max = 1050ft.
Location of Flaresim Origin - Elevation = 350ft
Location of Flaresim Origin - Northing = 500ft
22. Click the Browse button to import the background graphics

file. The file to import is called elevation.wmf and is located
in the Samples\example 4 - result folder. You will need to
select “Windows Metafiles (.wmf)” in the “Files of Type”
drop down in the File Open view to select this. Click Ok.
You can now click the Preview radio button to see the
imported graphic file together with a blue outline rectangle
which shows the extents of the current receptor grid on the
drawing.
23. Reselect the Details radio button and set the Show Overlay
check box. Move to the Radiation tab and you should see
your overlay displayed on the isopleth as shown below.
3-34
Figure 3-21, External Overlay File
24. Our work enhancing the isopleth plots is now complete.

Save the case.
3-35
3-36 Welltest Burner Design
3.5 Welltest Burner Design

Offshore platforms often include a facility for burning off liquids
produced during well tests. Flaresim is capable of modelling this
type of burner in addition to the conventional safety release flares.

A welltest burner capable of burning 30,000 lb/hr of liquid is to be
added to our design. The properties of the liquid to be burned are as
follows:
Fluid
Material Hydrocarbon Liquid
Flow 30,000 lb/hr
Mol Wt. 52.9
Vapour Temp. 100 F
Heat of combustion 19,550 btu/lb
Tip Diameter 12 in

case before continuing using the icon from the Case
Navigator tool bar. Skip to step 3.

sub-folder in the Flaresim installation folder (usually [My
Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0) select the file “Example
4 - Result.fsw” and click the Open button.
3.5.3 Add New Fluid Data

3. In the Case Navigator view select the Fluids branch and
then click the Add button to create a new Fluid and open its
view.
3-36
4. Complete the view with the following entries;
Name = Welltest Liquid,

Temperature = 100F,
Ref Pressure = 14.7psi
Mole Weight = 52.9,
LHV = 19,550 btu/lb,
Cp/Cv = 1.2,
LEL = 1.7%,
Saturation = 100%.
The Critical Temperature and Critical Pressure fields can be

left blank.
The completed view is shown below. Close the view when

the data has been entered.
Figure 3-22, Welltest Fluid View
3.5.4 Add New Stack

5. In the Case Navigator view select the Stacks branch and
then click the Add button to create a new Stack and open its
view.
3-37
6. Enter data for the new stack as follows, leaving other entries
at their default values;
Name - Welltest Boom,

Location
Northing = -200ft,
Easting = 0ft,
Elevation = 0ft,
Dimensions section
Length = 55ft,
Angle to Horizontal = 0 deg,
Angle to North = 180 deg.
These entries define our new stack as a horizontal boom on

the opposite side of the platform to our main flare stack.
The completed view is shown as Figure 3-23. Close the

view when complete.
Figure 3-23, Welltest Boom View
3-38
3.5.5 Add Welltest Burner Tip

7. In the Case Navigator, select the Tips branch and click the
Add button to create and view a new Tip object.
8. On the Details tab of the Tip view enter the following data;
Name = Welltest Burner,

Tip Type = Welltest,
Number of Burners = 3,
Fraction Heat Radiated Method = User Specified
Specified Fraction Heat Radiated = 0.3
All other values should be left at their defaults.
9. On the Location & Dimensions tab enter the following,

leaving other values at their defaults;
On Stack = Welltest Boom,

Length = 0ft,
Angle to Horizontal = 0 deg,
Angle from North = 180 deg.
Exit Diameter = 12 in (Default)
Note the burner length and orientation fields serve to locate

the precise location of the flame and the initial flame direc-
tion. Even when the burner length is 0ft as here, the orienta-
tion fields must still be entered.
10. On the Fluids tab select the Fluid as Welltest Liquid and
enter the flow rate as 30,000 lb/hr. Close the view.
3.5.6 Add New Receptor Point

11. Add a new Receptor Point in the usual way. Define the
following data to locate the receptor point at the base of the
welltest burner boom;
3-39
Name - Base Welltest Boom,

Northing = -200ft,
Easting = 0ft,
Elevation = 0ft.
All other fields may be left at their default values. Close the
view.

12. In the Case Navigator view, select the Stack 1 object. Clear
the Size This Stack check box. Now click the Ignore button.
This will exclude the two tips on the main flare stack from
the calculations.
13. Run the calculations by clicking the large button labelled

“Click to Calculate”. Check in the Errors/Warnings/Info log
panel that the case has run and calculated correctly.
14. Open the Receptor Summary view. The results, see Figure
3-24, show that the radiation limits for our original two
critical locations that we have defined are met. The
radiation at the base of the well test burner stack is 1406
btu/hr/ft2.
3-40
Figure 3-24, Receptor Summary
15. Save the case.
3.5.8 Add Water Screen

The radiation calculated at the base of the welltest burner stack is
acceptable for brief exposure only. Since more extended exposure
might be required it is necessary to reduce the radiation. While this
could be achieved by extending the length of the stack this would be
an expensive option due to the added weight. It is normal to reduce
radiation from welltest burners using water screens.
The effect of these can be modelled in Flaresim through the

installation of shield objects
16. Add a Shield object either by clicking the Shield branch in

the Case Navigator view and then the Add button or by
using the Add - Shield menu option according to your
preference.
3-41
17. Enter data in the Details tab of the new Shield view as
follows;
Name = Water Curtain,

Radiation - Type = Water Screen
Radiation - Layer Thickness Calculation = User
Radiation - Layer Thickness = 0.5 in
Noise - Transmissivity = 1.0 [default]
18. Select the Sections tab. The first section is already created
for you. In the lower half of this view click the Add Vertex
button 4 times to create a rectangular shield section with 4
corners or vertices.
19. Enter the following data;
Name - Water Curtain

Vertex 1 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, 50 ft, Elevation 40 ft
Vertex 2 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, 50 ft, Elevation -10 ft
Vertex 3 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, -50 ft, Elevation -10 ft
Vertex 4 = Northing -205 ft, Easting, -50 ft, Elevation 40 ft
Note it is a requirement when entering the locations of the

vertices that each point is directly connected to the next
point in the list as shown below. Flaresim will attempt to
sort the points to meet this criteria if necessary.
Figure 3-25, Shield Section Input
3-42
The completed form is shown below.
Figure 3-26, Complete Shield Section Editor
20. The Shield view should now show that the shield data setup
is complete. Run the updated case and inspect the results.
The radiation value at the base of the welltest burner stack

has been reduced to an acceptable value of 264 btu/hr/ft2.
The radiation isopleth for the plan view clearly shows the
effect of the shield, see Figure 3-27.
Save the case..
3-43
Figure 3-27, Isopleth plot for Helideck Plan View
3.5.9 Evaluate Rate of Temperature Rise

Since we are relying on the water screen to reduce thermal radiation
in normal use, we should check the situation when the water screen
fails. Given data on the receiving surface, Flaresim is able to
calculate the rate of temperature rise.
21. Open the view for the Base Welltest Stack receptor point
and select the Properties tab. Update the data as follows;
Emissivity = 0.7,
Absorbtivity = 0.7,
Area Ratio = 2.0,
Mass = 10.4 lb/ft2,
Mass Cp = 0.1075 btu/lb/ft,
Initial Temperature = 60F.
3-44
This data represents a steel plate, 0.25in thick. The Area

Ratio of 2.0 indicates that one side of the plate is exposed to
the flare radiation.
The On Plane value at its default value of None is a con-

servative assumption that means that no credit will be taken
for radiation striking the plate at an angle. Enabling this
option to select the angle of the plate requires selection of
the Export Mode option in the Calculation Options view.
22. Select the Water Curtain shield object in the Case Navigator
and click the Ignore button. Then run the calculations.
23. In the Thermal Results tab of the Base Welltest Stack

receptor point you can inspect the rate of temperature rise
results in tabular or graphical form. The results show that
the temperature will rise to 83F after 2 mins on its way to a
final temperature of 122F.
Save the case.
3.5.10 Check Safety Case

The results with only the welltest burner in use show that the original
design radiation limit for the helideck is met. However we still have
to consider the situation when a safety release occurs while the
welltest burner is in use.
24. Select the Main Stack, Stack 1 in the Case Navigator view
and click the Activate button to restore it to the calculations.
You will probably find that the stack is not ready to run
since its length was originally being calculated we have
been running the case with the stack set to ignored. Set the
stack length to 90ft, the value calculated in Example 3.
25. Click the Calculate button to run the model.
3-45
Open the Receptor Point summary. The results show that

the thermal radiation at the Helideck receptor is 1145 btu/hr/
ft2, significantly exceeding our limit of 600 btu/hr/ft2.
At this point we might consider increasing the length of either the

Main Stack or the Welltest Stack in order to ensure that the radiation
limits are met again. However it may also be possible to consider the
circumstances under which the welltest burners would be used at the
same time as the main flare. Perhaps procedures could be established
to prevent helicopter operations while the welltest burner was in use
meaning that this higher radiation value is acceptable.
It is appropriate to emphasise at this point that Flaresim is a tool for

analysing the performance of flare systems. It cannot replace the
engineers judgement in selecting the appropriate conditions to
model or determining whether a particular set of results represent an
acceptable or a dangerous situation.
3-46
3.6 Gas Dispersion

Flaresim includes two types of gas dispersion model intended for
two different types of analysis
A jet dispersion calculation models dispersion of flared

fluid close to the tip to identify the potential for dangerous
gas concentrations in flame out conditions.
A Gaussian dispersion calculation models dispersion of

flared fluid or combustion products over longer distances.
The aim of this section is to illustrate how to use each of these

models.

A new case with the following data will be used.
Flared Fluid
Methane 0.9 mole frac

Ethane 0.08 mole frac
H2S 0.02 mole frac
Temperature 75 C
Ref Pressure 1.013 bar a
Flow 50000 kg/hr
Mechanical Data
Tip diameter 387.4mm (16in)

Tip length 1m
Stack location At origin, 0, 0, 0
Stack length 20m
Stack orientation Vertical
Environment Data
Temperature 15 C
Wind 10 m/s from North
3-47
3-48 Gas Dispersion
Our objective will be to analyse the gas dispersion around the flare
in normal operation and flame out conditions.
3.6.2 Load or Create Base Case

1. If you wish to build the case from scratch then either select
the File - New menu option or click the icon in the tool
bar. The Setup Wizard will appear.
Select the European units set on the opening page for easy
of entering the remaining data. Work through the Fluid, Tip,
Environment and Stack tabs entering the data defined
above. Once you have entered the Stack data you can click
the Finish button to accept the default data for Receptors
and Calculation options. Skip to step 3.

sub-folder in the Flaresim installation folder (usually [My
Documents]\Softbits\Flaresim 3.0) select the file “Example
6 - Starter.fsw” and click the Open button.
3.6.3 Jet Dispersion Calculation

In this exercise we run a jet dispersion study to study the flammable
gas concentrations around the flare in the event of a flame out.
3. Before enabling the jet dispersion calculations we will

create a new Receptor Grid to see the results more clearly.
Select the Receptor Grid branch in the Case Navigator and
click the Add button. In the new view enter the following
data.
Name = Elevation
Grid Plane = Elevation-Northing
Grid Offset = 0m
Elevation Minimum = -100m
Elevation Maximum = 300m
3-48
Northing Minimum = -300m

Northing Maximum = 100m
Leave remaining values at defaults.
4. Open the Calculation Options view by selecting it in the

Case Navigator and clicking the view button. Select the
check box labelled Jet Dispersion in the Include Options
section of the General Tab.
Click the Calculate button
5. Return to the view for your Elevation receptor grid and

select the Concentrations tab. You should see a result that
looks something like that shown below.
Figure 3-28, Jet Dispersion Initial Result
The jet dispersion calculation shows the concentrations of

the flare fluid in the event of a flame out and is useful for
3-49
3-50 Gas Dispersion
establishing the regions in which a flammable gas concen-

tration may be obtained.
At first sight the result above looks unrealistic since the

concentration isopleths do not appear connected to the flare
tip. This is a function of the limited number of points calcu-
lated in the default grid.
6. In your Elevation grid view, go back to the Extent tab and

increase the number of calculated points for both Elevation
and Northing dimensions to 51. Click the Calculate button
again.
Return to the Concentrations tab and you should see the fol-
lowing, more accurate result.
Figure 3-29, Final Jet Dispersion Result
Save the case.
3-50
3.6.4 Gaussian Dispersion, Contour Plot

In this exercise we will study the dispersion of H2S from the flare
tip in the event of a flame out.
7. Create a Dispersion Object by selecting the Dispersion

branch in the Case Navigator and clicking the Add button.
In the Dispersion view enter the following data on the Input
Data tab as shown below.
Name = H2S Contour

Pollutant Source = Flared Fluid
Calculation Type = Contour Plot
Contours Height = 0m
Northing Minimum = -1000m
Northing Maximum = 0m
Easting Minimum = -500m
Easting Maximum = 500m
Number of points, Northing and Easting = 41
Figure 3-30, Gaussian Dispersion Input Tab
3-51
3-52 Gas Dispersion
8. On the Pollutant Data tab select the H2S component only.

For a contour plot, only one component can be selected.
9. Open the Calculation Options view and select the Gaussian

Dispersion checkbox to enable these calculations.
Click the Calculate button
10. Select the Results tab and then the Plot option for the
display. The plot shows the ground level concentration
contours for H2S downwind of the stack as shown below
Figure 3-31, H2S Contour Plot
11. The results shown have been calculated at the default

environmental conditions with atmospheric stability
characterised as Class D with dispersion coefficients
applicable to Rural terrain around the flare. Open the
Environment view at the Dispersion Data tab and test the
effect on the dispersion results as you change the Atm.
3-52
Stability class from A (most turbulent) to F (most stable)

and the effect of changing the terrain from Rural to Urban.
You will see that the H2S concentrations are higher closer to
the flare when atmosphere is more turbulent and when
urban terrain classification is used. The sensitivity of the
results to these parameters shows the necessity of selecting
the appropriate environment settings for your particular
flare location.
3.6.5 Gaussian Dispersion, Downwind Plot

In this exercise we will consider the downwind concentrations of
pollutants in the combustion gases of the flare when it is operating.
12. In the Case Navigator select the Dispersion branch and click
Add to create a new dispersion object. In the Input Data tab
of its view enter the following data.
Name = Combustion Emissions

Pollutant Source = Combustion Gas
Calculation Type = Downwind Line Plot
Line through Point = Origin
Height for Calculation = 0m
Downwind Distance Minimum = 0m
Downwind Distance Maximum = 10000m
Number of points = 41
13. Select the Pollutant tab. Select the SO2, NO, CO and
Methane pollutants for calculation by checking the box
alongside these components.
Some of the components in this list, the CO2, H2O, SO2 are
calculated directly from combustion of the components in
the flared gas. The Fluid view, Combustion Results tab
shows the stoichiometric fraction of each of these compo-
nents generated by combustion of the flared gas.
The remaining components, NOx (assumed as NO), CO and

unburnt hydrocarbon (assumed as CH4) are calculated as
3-53
3-54 Gas Dispersion
typical emissions resulting from hydrocarbon combustion.

The quantities of each component generated is calculated by
default using the global basis defined on the Calculation
Option view Emissions tab. Alternatively in Expert Mode
the emissions basis for each Tip can be specified on the
Emissions tab of the Tip view.
The quantities of each component in the combustion gases

for each Tip are displayed on the Combustion Results tab of
the Tip view.
14. Since the dispersion of the combustion gases will be

dependent on the flame temperature we will now set this.
Open the Tip View and select the Fluids tab. At the bottom
of this view you may input a value for the flame
temperature or clear the specified value to allow it to be
calculated from the specified combustion air ratio.
Set the Combustion Air ratio to 3.0 and clear the specified
flame temperature.
15. Open the Environment view and set the Atm. Stability Class
to PasquillB.
Click the Calculate button.
16. Return to the Combustion Gas Results tab of the Tip view to
see the calculated flame temperature of 721 C and the
combustion gas compositions.
In the Combustion Gas dispersion view go to the results

page and select the plot result to view the results as shown
below. The peak concentration of SO2 is calculated at 68
µg/m3 at a distance of approximately 1500m downwind of
the flare tip.
3-54
Figure 3-32, Combustion Gas Dispersion Downwind Plot Results
17. As in the previous example, open the Environment view to

the Dispersion Data tab and test the effect of changing the
Atm. Stability Class and Terrain class settings. You will find
that for stable atmospheric conditions, stability classes E, F
that the emission concentrations are still rising at the
maximum downwind distance we have defined (10,000m).
If you wish you can increase the maximum downwind dis-

tance on the Input Data tab to calculate the results further
downwind.
3-55
3-56 Gas Dispersion
3.6.6 Dispersion Analysis Comments

It is worth making the following general comments on the dispersion
analysis capabilities of Flaresim.
The jet dispersion analysis for flammable gas concentrations is

based on the Cleaver & Edwards jet dispersion model which is
regarded as a reasonable model for concentrations close to the
source. However it does assume dispersion in “free air” and does not
consider the effect of structures which might modify dispersion
patterns and lead to higher concentrations of flammable gas than
predicted by Flaresim. A more detailed analysis with specialised
software would be required in these situations.
The Gaussian dispersion calculations for combustion gases and

flared fluid over longer distances is a simpler theoretical model that
does not include detailed terrain effects. As such it should be
considered as suitable for screening calculations to indicate a
possible need for more detailed analysis. Chapter 12 has additional
comments on the implementation of the Gaussian dispersion model
in Flaresim.
3-56

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3 Getting Started............................................. 3-1

1.2 Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

1.3 Documentation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Flaresim is a computer program designed to assist professional

Flaresim provides a user friendly interface with program actions

Output from the Flaresim is highly customisable with the user

Experienced flare system engineers should read the remainder of

Engineers new to flare system design should work through the

• Data may be entered and reported in the users choice of units

• Correlations are available for modelling a range of flare tips

• A number of correlations are provided to predict the fraction of

• Liquid flaring systems can be handled.

• A wide range of algorithms for calculation of thermal radiation.

• Full three dimensional flame shape analysis with complete flexi-

• Calculation of combustion gas composition.

• Calculation of purge gas flows required for tips.

• Jet dispersion model to analyse flammable gas concentrations

• Gaussian dispersion model to analyse longer distance dispersion

• A range of options for defining and analysing the noise spectrum

• Ability to define multiple environmental scenarios to allow rapid

• Multiple stacks/booms each accomodating multiple flare tips.

• Calculation of radiation, noise spectrum and surface tempera-

• Calculation of radiation variation with wind direction and speed

• Ability to define multiple receptor grids in multiple planes for

• Plotting of grid results as isopleth contours for sterile area

• Receptor point characteristics for calculating surface tempera-

• Modelling of water curtains or solid shields to reduce radiation

• Sizing of stack or boom length to meet radiation, noise or sur-

• A setup wizard to allow new users to set up an initial model

• Expert mode to control access to less commonly used options.

• Import of files from Flaresim 2.0 and later.

• Multiple reports can be created and compared as updates are

• Quality Assurance options are included in the reports.

• Customisable HTML reports

• Customisable graphic reports

• Multiple Flaresim cases can be open at the same time.

The wide range of calculation options available within Flaresim may

Softbits Consultants Ltd are always interested in continuing product

1.2 Program Overview

Object not ready

1.2.1 Flaresim Objects

location, characteristics for surface temperature calculation and

1.2.2 Object Definition

Creation of an object automatically opens its view to allow its data

Existing objects can be updated by double clicking them in the Case

Figure 1-2, Tip View

1.2.3 Running a Model

While this is sufficient to perform calculations this will not calculate

Results from the calculations may be viewed through the

1.3 Documentation Overview

Chapter 2 - Software Installation and License Activation.

Chapter 3 - Tutorial with detailed worked examples.

The electronic documentation in the file Flaresim.pdf contains this

Chapter 4 - Concepts, Flaresim Interface, Menu structure, Log

Chapter 5 - General Setup including Case Navigator, Case

Chapter 6 - Fluid and Assist Fluid views.