Summary
This blog explains how to deploy and operate Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring at industrial facilities, covering sensor placement, line-of-sight requirements, and phased pilot rollouts. It also details practical applications including pilot flame verification, automated steam/air/fuel modulation for real-time combustion control, and the regulatory pathway toward replacing EPA Method 22 visual observation.
Industrial operators have long been early adopters of technologies that improve safety, efficiency, and environmental performance. The current generation of facility leaders is investing in tools that lower emissions, keep people away from hazardous areas, and help offset the growing shortage of skilled technical staff across the sector.
Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring is one of those tools. By combining thermal imaging and visual cameras into a single integrated platform, the system delivers around-the-clock coverage of every component of the flare. That level of visibility allows operators to identify abnormal conditions early, fine-tune inputs in real time, and intervene quickly enough to prevent a small irregularity from escalating into a catastrophic event.
What sets continuous monitoring apart is its ongoing contribution to performance once it has been commissioned. In contrast to legacy tools such as thermocouples and pyrometers, which tend to be limited to a single narrow function, the cameras at the core of a continuous monitoring platform can be applied across a wide variety of operational use cases throughout the life of the asset.
This article is part of a series exploring Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring. For a more detailed view of the technology, download our latest white paper on the Viper Imaging site: How Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring Enhances Safety and Ensures Compliance for Industrial Facilities.
Deploying Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring at Your Facility
The technology behind continuous flare monitoring has been engineered for dependability, ease of installation, and minimal interference with day-to-day operations. The system arrives pre-configured and ready for service, which means crews can mount the sensors to existing infrastructure and begin collecting actionable performance data almost immediately after commissioning.
Because the cameras operate optically from a safe standoff distance, they never need to come into direct contact with the flame itself. That design significantly reduces the downtime traditionally associated with installing or servicing monitoring equipment, and it spares technicians from having to enter high-temperature zones where exposure to heat, toxic gases, and other process hazards is a constant concern.
Line of sight is the most important consideration when planning a mounting position. Wherever possible, sensors should be located on the southern side of the flare stack so that direct sunlight and reflection do not interfere with the imagery. In many installations, existing poles, platforms, or structural elements offer a perfectly suitable mounting point, which removes the need for any new construction work.
Many operators choose to validate the technology through a focused pilot project before rolling it out more broadly. A practical starting point is to scan the network for facilities with aging equipment or recurring performance issues, since these are the sites where improved visibility tends to deliver the most immediate return. Once teams have built confidence and developed familiarity with the system, the deployment can then be extended into additional locations at a measured pace.
Practical Applications for Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring
Because continuous monitoring captures the entire flare system within a single coordinated view, the same platform can support a surprisingly wide range of operational use cases.
One of the most fundamental applications is pilot flame verification, which the combined thermal and visual sensors handle remotely without any physical contact. The thermal camera continuously watches the pilot temperature and will flag the moment it disappears or falls below an established threshold, while the visual camera provides corroborating confirmation that the flame is actually present and burning normally.
The same system also keeps watch on the main flare for any sign of incomplete combustion or other abnormal behaviour. By tracking attributes such as flame size, temperature, color, smoke production, and opacity in real time, the platform can automatically modulate steam, air, or fuel gas injection rates to restore stable burning conditions, all without requiring manual operator intervention. The end result is a much faster and more consistent response when conditions start to drift out of spec.
Looking further ahead, continuous flare monitoring is positioned to replace the on-site visual observation requirements that have historically defined compliance reporting. Early testing conducted by the EPA suggests that remote monitoring matches and even exceeds the accuracy and precision of the traditional observation methods specified under Method 22. Once the regulatory pathway is finalized, facility owners will be able to use these systems to satisfy compliance obligations while also gaining a much richer understanding of flare performance over time.
Realizing the Full Benefits of Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring
When measured against the legacy tools that have long served the industry, Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring delivers meaningful and measurable gains across safety, regulatory compliance, and broader process optimization.
The most effective path forward is a collaborative one. Working alongside an experienced vendor, operators can pinpoint the facilities where improved visibility and richer data will deliver the largest early benefits, and they can then build outward from that initial set of sites. As additional facilities are brought online, the control room becomes a true command centre, with flame characteristics, real-time performance, and ongoing regulatory compliance all visible from a single integrated display.
To learn more about how your facility can install and operate Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring solutions, download our latest white paper on the Viper Imaging site: How Continuous Flare Stack Monitoring Enhances Safety and Ensures Compliance for Industrial Facilities.