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A burner assembly (100) for flaring low calorific gases, such as methane with high carbon dioxide content, may be configured to provide a gradual decrease in flow velocity. The burner assembly (100) may include a conical deflector (140) that creates a relatively large recirculation zone (154) downst

A burner assembly (100) for flaring low calorific gases, such as methane with high carbon dioxide content, may be configured to provide a gradual decrease in flow velocity. The burner assembly (100) may include a conical deflector (140) that creates a relatively large recirculation zone (154) downstream of the deflector (140), thereby to stabilize fluid flow. A swirl inducing structure positioned in a final stage of the burner assembly (100) further stabilizes the fluid flow and flame at different gas flow rates.

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1. A burner assembly (100) for flaring a low calorific gas flowing through an inlet pipe, the burner assembly (100) comprising: a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expa

1. A burner assembly (100) for flaring a low calorific gas flowing through an inlet pipe, the burner assembly (100) comprising: a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the inlet pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;a hub (120) disposed within a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112), the hub (120) having a hub upstream end (122) facing an upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and a hub downstream end (124);a plurality of guide vanes (130) interconnecting the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the guide vanes (130) includes a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112); anda deflector (140) coupled to the hub (120) and having a deflector exterior surface (146) with a substantially frustoconical shape extending radially outwardly from the burner pipe axis (104) and axially downstream of the hub downstream end (124), the deflector exterior surface (146) being oriented at a deflector surface angle (β) relative to the burner pipe axis (104). 2. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which the deflector surface angle (β) is approximately 20 to 45 degrees. 3. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which each of the guide vane upstream surfaces (132) is oriented at a guide vane angle (α) relative to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the guide vane angle (a) is approximately 20 to 45 degrees. 4. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which the hub (120) defines a maximum hub cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the maximum hub cross-sectional area is approximately 30 to 50 percent of the expander pipe cross-sectional area. 5. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which: the expander pipe (112) is cylindrical and defines an expander pipe diameter (D3);the deflector (140) includes a deflector downstream end (144) defining a deflector downstream end diameter (D6); andthe deflector downstream end diameter (D6) is approximately 60 to 80 percent of the expander pipe diameter (D3). 6. The burner assembly (100) of claim 5, in which the deflector (140) includes a deflector upstream end (142) defining a deflector upstream end diameter (D5), and in which the deflector downstream end diameter (D6) is larger than the deflector upstream end diameter (D5). 7. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the intermediate pipe (106) has a second pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than the first pipe cross-sectional area and less than the expander pipe cross-sectional area. 8. The burner assembly (100) of claim 7, in which the low calorific gas has a superficial gas velocity through the intermediate pipe (106), and the second pipe cross-sectional area is sized so that the superficial gas velocity is equal to a subsonic gas velocity. 9. The burner assembly (100) of claim 7, in which the low calorific gas has a superficial gas velocity through the intermediate pipe (106), and the second pipe cross-sectional area is sized so that the superficial gas velocity is substantially equal to a sonic gas velocity. 10. The burner assembly (100) of claim 7, in which the low calorific gas has a superficial gas velocity through the intermediate pipe (106), and the second pipe cross-sectional area is sized so that the superficial gas velocity is substantially equal to a supersonic gas velocity. 11. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which the hub upstream end (122) has a conical shape defining an apex (128) extending toward the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112). 12. The burner assembly (100) of claim 11, in which the apex (128) is disposed substantially along the burner pipe axis (104). 13. The burner assembly (100) of claim 1, in which the hub (120) is substantially symmetrical about the burner pipe axis (104). 14. A burner assembly (100) for flaring a low calorific gas flowing through a cylindrical inlet pipe, the burner assembly (100) comprising: a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the cylindrical inlet pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;a hub (120) disposed within a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112), the hub (120) having a hub upstream end (122) facing an upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and a hub downstream end (124), the hub (120) defining a maximum hub cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the maximum hub cross-sectional area is approximately 30 to 50 percent of the expander pipe cross-sectional area;a plurality of guide vanes (130) interconnecting the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the plurality of guide vanes (130) including a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and oriented at a guide vane angle (α) of approximately 20 to 45 degrees relative to the burner pipe axis (104); anda deflector (140) coupled to the hub (120) and having a deflector exterior surface (146) with a substantially frustoconical shape extending radially outwardly from the burner pipe axis (104) and axially downstream of the hub downstream end (124), the deflector exterior surface (146) being oriented at a deflector surface angle (β) of approximately 20 to 45 degrees relative to the burner pipe axis (104). 15. The burner assembly (100) of claim 14, in which the deflector (140) includes a deflector downstream end (144) defining a deflector downstream end diameter (D6), and the deflector downstream end diameter (D6) is approximately 60 to 80 percent of an expander pipe diameter (D3). 16. A method of flaring a low calorific gas flowing through a first pipe, comprising: flowing the low calorific gas through a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, wherein the low calorific gas flows successively through the first pipe and expander pipe (112), the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the first pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;obstructing a central portion of the expander pipe cross-sectional area with a hub (120) disposed in a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112) to create a perimeter gas flow (152) along the expander pipe (112) through a plurality of guide vanes (130) that interconnect the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the guide vanes includes a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112);rotating the perimeter gas flow (152) about the burner pipe axis (104) to create a swirling gas flow exiting the expander pipe (112); andgenerating a recirculation zone (154) downstream of the expander pipe (112) by directing the swirling gas flow radially outwardly along an exterior surface (146) of a deflector (140), the deflector exterior surface (146) having a substantially frustoconical shape. 17. The method of claim 16, in which the deflector exterior surface (146) is oriented at a deflector surface angle (β) relative to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the deflector surface angle (β) is approximately 20 to 45 degrees. 18. The method of claim 16, in which each of the guide vane upstream surfaces (132) is oriented at a guide vane angle (α) relative to the burner pipe axis (104), wherein the guide vane angle (α) is approximately 20 to 45 degrees. 19. The method of claim 16, in which the hub (120) defines a maximum hub cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the maximum hub cross-sectional area is approximately 30 to 50 percent of the expander pipe cross-sectional area. 20. The method of claim 16, in which: the expander pipe (112) is cylindrical and defines an expander pipe diameter (D3);the deflector (140) includes a deflector downstream end (144) defining a deflector downstream end diameter (D6); andthe deflector downstream end diameter (D6) is approximately 60 to 80 percent of the expander pipe diameter (D3).