QUICK ANSWER
A gas-assist flare uses a pressurized fuel gas stream to atomize and mix waste gas at the tip, achieving smokeless combustion without a blower motor or steam supply. Fuel gas jets entrain and combust the waste stream at 98%+ DRE, meeting EPA 40 CFR 60.18 and NSPS OOOOb/c compliance. Hero Process Solutions designs, fabricates, and tests every gas-assist tip at its Kellyville, Oklahoma facility, with rental units available for deployment in 24 to 72 hours.
Gas-Assisted Flares and Smokeless Flare Tip Retrofits
What Is a Gas-Assisted Flare and How Does It Work?
A gas-assisted flare uses high-pressure fuel gas, injected through nozzles at the flare tip, to create the turbulence and air mixing that burns waste gas without smoke. It is the smokeless option to reach for when steam or electric power for a blower is not available on site, common at remote and unmanned locations.
Unlike simply diluting the waste stream with fuel gas, a high-pressure injection tip pulls air into the flame far more efficiently, so it holds smokeless performance with less assist gas. The result is clean combustion and EPA compliance without the cost of a steam system or an air-assist blower. Tell us your available fuel gas pressure and we will confirm whether gas-assist is the right fit.
When to Choose Gas-Assist vs Air-Assist or Steam
The right assist medium depends on what you have on site. Gas-assist is the practical choice when you have high-pressure fuel gas available but no steam and no electric power for a blower, often the case at remote sites. Air-assist suits sites with electric power but low gas pressure, using a blower to supply mixing air. Sonic flares offer another high-pressure gas option with no blower required.
Gas-assist is also a low-cost way to bring an existing non-assisted flare into smokeless compliance for flow rates under 200,000 SCFD. Send us your utilities and flow rates and we will recommend gas-assist, air-assist, or another option.
Retrofit a Smoking Flare with a Gas-Assisted Tip
If your existing flare has started to smoke or has drifted out of compliance, you usually do not need a whole new stack, just a better tip. Hero retrofits existing flare stacks with a new high-pressure gas-assisted flare tip custom designed to fit your current connections.
Our installation goal is lift-and-bolt: the new tip is engineered to your existing flange so the swap is fast and field welds are minimized. This is exactly what we did for a gas plant whose flare began smoking after it started handling heavier feed gas; the retrofit tip restored 100% smokeless performance. In many retrofit cases a new permit application is not required. Send us photos or drawings of your current tip and we will scope a lift-and-bolt retrofit.
Signs You Need a Retrofit Tip
A few clear signals tell you a flare tip retrofit is worth a call:
Visible Smoke
Visible smoke from the flare, especially after a change in feed gas composition or flow rate.
Compliance Failure
A Method 22 reading that puts you out of smokeless compliance with 40 CFR 60.18 or state rules.
Poor Flame Stability
Poor flame stability or frequent pilot outages that reduce combustion reliability.
Heavier Gas Stream
A heavier or richer gas stream than the flare was originally designed for, a common cause of smoking after process changes.
Aging Tip
Corrosion, sagging, or a tip near the end of its service life that affects performance and safety.
What Makes a High-Quality Gas-Assist Flare System
Gas-assist flares use a pressurized fuel gas stream to atomize and mix waste gas at the tip, achieving smokeless combustion without a blower motor. Quality of execution on five engineering details separates compliant performance from recurring opacity violations.
Fuel Gas Pressure Consistency
Gas-assist tip performance is directly tied to fuel gas header pressure. Systems designed for 60 psig fuel gas that receives 30 psig in the field will exhibit incomplete atomization and visible smoke. High-quality designs include field-adjustable metering valves so operators can compensate for header pressure variance.
Tip Orifice Geometry & Metallurgy
The fuel gas jets must be sized precisely for the waste gas flow range. Oversized orifices cause premature tip burnback; undersized orifices cause breakthrough and opacity. Stainless steel or Inconel jet assemblies resist elevated temperatures; carbon steel jets erode and alter orifice geometry over time.
Stability Across BTU Variation
Gas-assist tips must maintain stable combustion when waste gas composition shifts between low-BTU and high-BTU conditions without manual adjustment. Request burner test data showing stable combustion across a BTU range of at least 500 to 1,800 BTU/scf.
Fail-Safe Fuel Gas Shutoff
A gas-assist system that loses its fuel gas supply reverts to a simple open flare tip with no smokeless performance. High-quality systems include a low-pressure switch on the fuel gas header that triggers an alarm before combustion quality degrades, giving operators time to respond.
Integrated Pilot & Ignition System
Gas-assist flares require a reliable pilot igniter positioned to light the waste gas and fuel gas mixture simultaneously. Systems with a pilot designed only for the waste gas stream may fail to ignite the gas-assist fuel jets reliably during cold starts or after a pilot outage.
Why Engineers Choose Hero Process Solutions
| What You Need | How Hero Process Solutions Delivers It |
|---|---|
| 98% DRE documentation for permit compliance | In-house combustion engineers provide site-specific performance certifications backed by tip-specific test data |
| Equipment on-site before the compliance deadline | Rental fleet deployable in 24 to 72 hours across the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent, Appalachia, and Rockies |
| Manufacturer that designs its own tips | All combustion tips designed, fabricated, and tested at Hero Process Solutions’ Kellyville, Oklahoma facility |
| Field service when equipment needs attention | Direct HPS field technicians, not third-party contractors, cover major producing regions |
| Equipment for multiple applications | Air-assist, sonic, gas-assist, low-flow, emergency, and portable flares plus vapor combustors and VRUs from one manufacturer |
Hero Process Solutions is a US-based manufacturer and rental provider serving upstream, midstream, pipeline, and industrial clients since the company’s founding under the Hero Flare brand. Contact (918) 941-2166 or email sales@hero-ps.com to discuss your application. Engineering specifications and rental availability are provided within one business day of inquiry.
Compliance and Destruction Efficiency
A gas-assisted flare keeps you compliant without the cost of steam or a blower. Hero high-pressure gas-assist flares meet EPA and state regulations and are designed to 40 CFR 60.18 Method 22, the federal smokeless standard, with a guaranteed 98% or better hydrocarbon destruction efficiency.
Because most retrofits reuse the existing stack and connections, many projects do not require a new permit application, saving time and cost. We provide compliance documentation, structural calculations, API datasheets, and thermal radiation profiles for your records. For more on the current rules, see our OOOOb/c overview, then contact us for the documents you need.
Is Your Flare Smoking or Out of Compliance?
Send us photos or drawings of your current flare tip and our engineers will scope a lift-and-bolt gas-assisted retrofit to get you back to 100% smokeless.
Gas Assist Flare FAQs
Gas assist flares inject a portion of a high-energy assist gas, such as natural gas, propane, or fuel gas, directly into the waste gas stream or at the flare tip. The assist gas increases the heating value and flame temperature, promoting more complete combustion of lower-BTU or difficult-to-burn waste streams without visible smoke.
Common assist gases include natural gas, propane, refinery fuel gas, and process gas with sufficient heating value. The selection depends on availability at the site, cost, and compatibility with the waste gas composition. Hero Process Solutions engineers the assist gas injection ratio and tip configuration to your specific fuel and waste gas properties.
Assist gas pressure requirements vary depending on the injection method and tip design, but typically range from 15 to 60 PSIG at the flare skid. Hero Process Solutions designs the assist gas control system, including regulators, meters, and control valves, to operate within your available supply pressure range.
Yes. Gas assist flares are designed to meet applicable EPA regulations including 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart A and subparts covering specific source categories, as well as state and local permit requirements. The assist gas system is engineered to ensure sufficient combustion to achieve required DRE values across the operating range.
Gas assist flares are preferred when steam or compressed air infrastructure is unavailable or impractical. They are simpler mechanically than air assist systems, avoiding blower maintenance, but do require an ongoing fuel gas supply. Gas assist is particularly well-suited for low-BTU waste streams or intermittent operations where steam generation is not cost-effective.
Yes. Gas assist flares can be designed with modulating assist gas control to maintain a stable, smokeless flame during low waste gas flow periods. Turndown ratios of 10:1 or greater are achievable with proper control system design. Hero Process Solutions includes automated assist gas management to optimize fuel consumption across the full operating range.
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Related Flare Systems & Resources
Explore other Hero flare configurations or browse the full product line to find the right match for your application.
Sonic Flares
High-pressure sonic tips for efficient smokeless flaring at refineries and gas plants.
Air Assist Flares
Motor-driven blower assist for smokeless combustion without steam or high-pressure gas.
Emergency & Utility Flares
Reliable destruction for relief and upset events. Designed for peak emergency flow rates.
Portable Flares
Trailer-mounted units for temporary operations, well completions, and rental jobs.
Low-Flow Flares
Clean combustion for small and intermittent vent streams with minimal assist requirements.
Datasheets Library
Download model spec sheets and capacity tables for all Hero flare configurations.