QUICK ANSWER
An air-assist flare uses a motor-driven blower to push ambient air into the waste gas stream at the flare tip, providing the oxygen and turbulence needed for smokeless combustion — no steam or assist gas required. Blower VFD control maintains 98%+ destruction efficiency (DRE) across changing flow rates, meeting EPA 40 CFR 60.18 and NSPS OOOOb/c requirements. Hero’s A+ Series tank battery flares ship in-stock for fast deployment.
What Is an Air-Assisted Flare?
An air-assisted flare is a smokeless flare that uses a motor-driven blower to push ambient air into the waste gas stream at the flare tip. The added air supplies the oxygen and mixing energy needed to burn heavy hydrocarbons without smoke. Operators choose air assist when steam or assist gas is not available or not economical, which is common at production sites, tank batteries, and remote facilities.
Unlike a steam-assisted flare that needs a steam supply, an air-assisted flare only needs power for the blower, so it fits locations where utilities are limited. The result is clean combustion that meets emissions rules while keeping the operating cost and the equipment footprint manageable. If you are weighing whether air assist fits your site, our engineers can confirm it against your gas and utility data in a short call.
How an Air-Assisted Flare Works
An air-assisted flare stack carries two separated paths: one riser for the waste gas and a path for the blower air, kept apart so the two streams never mix before the tip. The blower sits at the base and supplies low-pressure combustion air sized to the flow. At the flare tip exit, the air and gas combine and the turbulence pulls oxygen into the hydrocarbons for complete, smokeless burning.
The Hero air-assisted flare tip distributes the waste gas evenly across the tip to maximize the surface area meeting the air, which is what holds smokeless performance as flow changes. Keeping the streams isolated until the exit also limits heat transfer back into the system and supports reliable ignition. This is proven flare tip technology, not a one-off design, and it is the core of why our air-assist flares stay clean through real operating swings. Ask us to walk through the tip and blower sizing for your conditions.
Air-Assist vs Steam-Assist vs Gas-Assist: When to Choose Air
Smokeless flares rely on steam, gas-assist, or air-assist to add the mixing energy that burns waste gas at the tip. Each has a place. Steam assist suits large refinery flares with a steam supply on hand. Gas-assist works where high-pressure waste gas is already available. Air-assist is the practical choice when neither steam nor spare assist gas is available, because it needs only electrical power for the blower.
That makes it a strong fit for tank batteries, production pads, and midstream sites without utility steam. Air assist also gives a wide turndown range, so one system can stay smokeless from low routine vent rates up to peak releases. If you want a side-by-side breakdown, see our guide on air-assisted vs steam-assisted flares, then send us your site details and we will recommend the assist type that fits.
| Assist Type | Energy Source | Best Fit | Hero Offering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air-assist (blower) | Electric blower — no steam or gas needed | Tank batteries, remote pads, no utility steam | A+ Series — standard offering, in-stock |
| Steam-assist | High-pressure steam supply on-site | Large refineries and petrochemical plants | Custom engineered on request |
| Gas-assist | High-pressure waste gas recirculated | Sites with surplus high-pressure assist gas | Gas-Assist Flares product line |
Need a Smokeless Flare Sized for Your Site?
Send your flow rates and gas composition and our engineers will size the blower, tip, and stack, then check whether an in-stock A+ Series unit fits your timeline.
Smokeless Performance: What Makes a Gas Burn Clean
Not every waste gas smokes, and knowing which streams do helps size the assist air correctly. As a general rule, a gas with a carbon-to-hydrogen ratio under about 0.25 tends to burn smokeless, while a ratio above about 0.28 tends to smoke. Streams with a lower heating value under roughly 1,000 Btu/ft³ and a molecular weight under about 20 also favor clean burning.
Heavier, richer streams need more mixing energy, which is exactly what the blower and tip provide on an air-assisted flare. See also our vapor combustor systems for enclosed combustion. We use your gas composition and flow range to set the blower air so the flare stays smokeless across the operating window, not just at the design point.
Compliance and Destruction Efficiency
Staying legal is the whole point of flaring, so our air-assisted flares are built to the rules. Hero air-assist flares meet 40 CFR 60.18 EPA requirements and are fully OOOOa/b/c compliant. The blower VFD adjusts to changing tank vapor flow to hold 98% or greater destruction efficiency, the level most operators design to under 40 CFR 60.18, while NSPS OOOO and OOOOa set a minimum 95% control efficiency baseline that OOOOb/c tighten for new and existing sources.
Under EPA NSPS OOOOb (effective December 6, 2024), new and modified combustion equipment at well sites, gathering and boosting facilities, and processing plants must meet updated control efficiency standards. Hero A+ Series air-assist flares are configured with blower VFD control that dynamically adjusts to tank vapor flow, maintaining 98% or greater DRE — meeting and exceeding the OOOOb 98% combustion efficiency threshold. Hero can supply compliance statements and third-party test documentation to support your permit application or regulatory audit.
We can provide compliance statements and documentation for permits and audits. For a deeper look at the rule, see our OOOOb/c compliance overview, then contact us for the records your site needs. Need a unit fast? Check our flare rental options. Need a unit fast? Check our flare rental options.
Ready to Get Started?
Spec Your Air Assist Flare System Today
Our engineers size and configure every system to your waste gas flow rate, BTU value, and site requirements. Get a detailed quote in 24 hours.
Applications and Industries Served
Air-assisted flares fit any site that needs smokeless combustion without a steam supply. Common uses include tank battery vapor control, emergency relief from safety valves and blow-down systems, routine process vents, and gas handling at production and midstream facilities.
Operators across upstream production — the Permian Basin, Oklahoma, Marcellus, and Haynesville plays — gas processing, and petrochemical sites use air assist to stay smokeless and compliant. If your application is not listed, it most likely still fits. Tell us the stream and the setting and our engineers will confirm the configuration. View all markets served.
Related Flare Systems & Resources
If air assist is not the right match, Hero builds the full range of flare systems. Explore a related product or browse all flares to compare options.
Sonic Flares
High-pressure sonic tips for efficient smokeless flaring at refineries and gas plants.
Gas-Assist Flares
Smokeless burning where high-pressure assist gas is available on-site.
Utility & Emergency 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.
What Makes a High-Quality Air-Assist Flare System
Air-assist flares achieve smokeless combustion by injecting forced air from a motor-driven blower into the base of the flare tip, mixing it with waste gas before ignition. Five engineering characteristics separate air-assist systems that maintain 98% DRE across the operating range from those that produce opacity violations under variable flow conditions.
Air-to-gas ratio control across the flow range. The blower must deliver a controlled air volume proportional to the waste gas flow rate. Fixed-speed blowers that deliver a constant air volume regardless of waste gas flow will over-aerate at low flow (causing flame instability) and under-aerate at high flow (causing smoke). High-quality systems use variable-frequency drives or damper controls to modulate air delivery as flow changes.
Blower and motor rated for continuous outdoor service. Air-assist blowers on production sites run continuously, often in environments with H2S, dust, and temperature extremes. Specify TEFC (totally enclosed fan-cooled) motors with corrosion-resistant housings, and blowers with impellers rated for the ambient temperature range at the installation site. Bearings and seals should carry a minimum L10 rating of 50,000 hours at the design operating point.
Flare tip designed for the specific BTU and flow range. Air-assist tips are not universal. A tip designed for 500 to 2,000 Mcf/day cannot achieve stable combustion at 20 Mcf/day without substantial over-aeration. Confirm the tip’s minimum stable flow rate matches the site’s expected minimum operating flow, particularly important on tank battery installations where gas flow follows liquid production cycles.
Pilot burner independent of the blower air supply. If the pilot draws combustion air from the same blower as the main flare tip, a blower failure extinguishes the pilot simultaneously with the loss of assist air — leaving no ignition source for when the system attempts to restart. High-quality air-assist designs use a separate natural-draft pilot burner with a dedicated ignition source that operates independently of the main blower.
Power backup or fail-safe combustion mode. Production sites with intermittent generator power need a defined plan for blower power loss events. High-quality air-assist systems include an automatic transfer to a limited-flow, no-assist combustion mode during power outages that maintains a lit flame while preventing large uncontrolled releases.
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.