scope:

This Standard is applicable to flares used in pressure relieving and vapor-depressuring systems used in general refinery and petrochemical services. The information provided is intended to aid in the design and selection of a flare system that is most appropriate for the risks and circumstances. Although this Standard is primarily intended for new flares and facilities, it may be used as a guideline in the evaluation of existing facilities together with appropriate cost and risk assessment considerations.

This Standard is intended to supplement the practices set forth in API Recommended Practice 521, Guide for Pressure Relieving and Depressuring Systems.

This Standard describes the mechanical design, operation and maintenance of three types of flares:

a. Elevated Flares

b. Multi-burner Staged Flares

c. Enclosed Flares

It is important for all parties involved in the design and use of a flare system to have an effective means of communicating and preserving design information about the flare system. To this end, API has developed a set of flare data sheets, which can be found in Appendix A. The use of these data sheets is both recommended and encouraged as a concise, uniform means of recording and communicating design information.