Extended Exergy Analysis Applied to an Offshore Platform Flare Stack

摘要

An original procedure based on the EEA method (Extended Exergy Accounting) is described and implemented in this paper. The goal is the quantification of the environmental externality linked to the chemicals released by an offshore platform flare stack (SO_X and NO_X). The extended exergy calculations provide a measure of both the exergy flux released into the environment by the offshore platform flare stack and its "cost" in primary resource equivalents. Idealized processes are assumed for the effluent treatment, and this bears a non-negligible influence on the final resource cost. As a further example of the application, it is shown that both the environmental damage and the product costs can be reduced if hot gas recycling is enforced.