Simulative Analysis of Emitted Carbon during Gas Flaring Based on Quantified Magnitudes of Produced and Flared Gases

C. I. Nwoye^1, , I. E. Nwosu², N. I. Amalu³, S. O. Nwakpa¹, M. A. Allen⁴ and W. C. Onyia⁵

¹Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

²Department of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

³Project Development Institute Enugu, Nigeria

⁴Department of Mechanical Engineering, Micheal Okpara University, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

⁵Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Enugu State University of Science &Technology, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
C. I. Nwoye, I. E. Nwosu, N. I. Amalu, S. O. Nwakpa, M. A. Allen and W. C. Onyia. Simulative Analysis of Emitted Carbon during Gas Flaring Based on Quantified Magnitudes of Produced and Flared Gases. American Journal of Mining and Metallurgy. 2015; 3(1):9-14. doi: 10.12691/ajmm-3-1-2

Abstract

This paper presents a simulative analysis of emitted carbon during gas flaring based on quantified magnitudes of produced and flared gases. Results from both experiment and model prediction show that the quantity of emitted gas increases with increase in both total gas produced (TGP) and total gas flared (TGF). A two-factorial model was derived, validated and used for the empirical analysis. The derived model showed that emitted carbon is a linear function of TGP and TGF. The validity of the derived model expressed as: ξ = 0.0513 ₰ + 0.0776 ϑ + 30.7738 was rooted in the model core expression ξ - 30.7738 = 0.0513 ₰ + 0.0776 ϑ where both sides of the expression are correspondingly approximately equal. Results from evaluations indicated that the standard error incurred in predicting emitted carbon for each value of the TGP & TGF considered, as obtained from experiment, derived model and regression model were 14.2963, 7.4141 and 14.823 & 1.3657, 7.4084 and 0.0039 % respectively. Further evaluation indicates that emitted carbon per unit TGF as obtained from experiment; derived model and regression model were 0.155, 0.154 and 0.155 Tonnes/Mscfd^-1 respectively. Comparative analysis of the correlations between emitted carbon and TGP & TGF as obtained from experiment; derived model and regression model indicated that they were all > 0.99. The maximum deviation of the model-predicted emitted carbon (from experimental results) was less than 3%. This translated into over 97% operational confidence for the derived model as well as over 0.97 reliability response coefficients of emitted carbon to TGP and TGF.

Keywords:
emitted carbon prediction total gas produced total gas flared flaring process

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