§ 63.11 Control device and work practice requirements.
(a) Applicability. (1) The applicability of this section is set out in § 63.1(a)(4).
(2) This section contains requirements for control devices used to comply with applicable subparts of this part. The requirements are placed here for administrative convenience and apply only to facilities covered by subparts referring to this section.
(3) This section also contains requirements for an alternative work practice used to identify leaking equipment. This alternative work practice is placed here for administrative convenience and is available to all subparts in 40 CFR parts 60, 61, 63, and 65 that require monitoring of equipment with a 40 CFR part 60, appendix A–7, Method 21 monitor.
(b) Flares. (1) Owners or operators using flares to comply with the provisions of this part shall monitor these control devices to assure that they are operated and maintained in conformance with their designs. Applicable subparts will provide provisions stating how owners or operators using flares shall monitor these control devices.
(2) Flares shall be steam-assisted, air-assisted, or non-assisted.
(3) Flares shall be operated at all times when emissions may be vented to them.
(4) Flares shall be designed for and operated with no visible emissions, except for periods not to exceed a total of 5 minutes during any 2 consecutive hours. Test Method 22 in appendix A of part 60 of this chapter shall be used to determine the compliance of flares with the visible emission provisions of this part. The observation period is 2 hours and shall be used according to Method 22.
(5) Flares shall be operated with a flame present at all times. The presence of a flare pilot flame shall be monitored using a thermocouple or any other equivalent device to detect the presence of a flame.
(6) An owner/operator has the choice of adhering to the heat content specifications in paragraph (b)(6)(ii) of this section, and the maximum tip velocity specifications in paragraph (b)(7) or (b)(8) of this section, or adhering to the requirements in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section.
(i)
(A) Flares shall be used that have a diameter of 3 inches or greater, are nonassisted, have a hydrogen content of 8.0 percent (by volume) or greater, and are designed for and operated with an exit velocity less than 37.2 m/sec (122 ft/sec) and less than the velocity Vmax, as determined by the following equation:
Where:
(B) The actual exit velocity of a flare shall be determined by the method specified in paragraph (b)(7)(i) of this section.
(ii) Flares shall be used only with the net heating value of the gas being combusted at 11.2 MJ/scm (300 Btu/scf) or greater if the flare is steam-assisted or air-assisted; or with the net heating value of the gas being combusted at 7.45 M/scm (200 Btu/scf) or greater if the flares is non-assisted. The net heating value of the gas being combusted in a flare shall be calculated using the following equation:
Where: