University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota will develop a non-thermal, low-temperature, plasma-assisted system for (1) in-situ flare gas reforming, (2) ignition, and (3) flame stabilization for small, unmanned pipe flares. Flares safely dispose of waste gases by burning them under controlled conditions. The new system will substantially enhance fuel reactivity by producing intermediate species such as ethylene, acetylene, and hydrogen. These hydrocarbons are highly reactive compared with methane and dramatically increase flare efficiency. This plasma system is ideal for infrequently maintained pipe flares operating in remote sites due to its low cost, easy implementation, minimal maintenance, and low operating energy resulting from the plasma running on a solar-powered battery. The plasma system can also be used as a source of on-demand ignition in flares, eliminating the need for a continuously burning pilot that creates additional emissions. The proposed technology would improve flare destruction and removal efficiency to ≥ 99.5% and could eliminate 3.8–15.1 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent methane emissions per year from flare operation, representing a 28–72% reduction of existing emissions.

REMEDY addresses methane emissions from domestic oil, gas, and coal value chains, accounting for 78% of U.S. primary energy.