This week social media once again provided us an eye-opening video… flaring off an MC331 Tanker of anhydrous ammonia (NH3). In my days, I have flared off both tanker trucks and railcars, and even worked with flaring systems on refrigerated atmospheric bulk storage tanks of NH3 at large NH3 terminals and NH3 manufacturing plants. The fact that these flaring systems and practices have been around since the early 1970’s tells us that NH3 will indeed burn, but there is a catch, as well as the wrong way and right way to do this task. This article will discuss the hazards associated with flaring off NH3 and discuss the potential for the scenario in the video below to be a PSM/RMP covered process…
I am betting that what we are seeing in that video is an MC331 trailer that was being used to haul NH3 during the spring and summer months and now the owner wants it converted over to an LPG trailer so it can haul LPG during the winter months. This is VERY common at this time of the year and in February/March of next year, they will probably use the same flare to burn off LPG heels to convert the trailer back to NH3 for the spring crop season.
NOTE: I have been corrected – the trailer was being emptied for its internal inspection.