PRESSURE SAFETY VALVES

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 WHAT IS PRESSURE RELIEF
VALVE
The pressure relief valve (PRV) is a type of valve used to control or
limit the pressure in a system or vessel which can build up by a
process upset, instrument or equipment failure, or fire.
 WHY PRESSURE RELIEF
VALVE
Pressure relief devices are used to provide a means of venting
excess pressure which could rupture a pressure vessel. A pressure
relief device is the last line of defense for safety.

If all other safety devices or operating controls fail, the pressure

relief device must be capable of venting excess pressure.
PRESSURE TERMINOLOGY

• MAWP
• Design pressure
• Operating pressure
• Set pressure
• Overpressure
• Accumulation
• Blowdown
Definitions
The maximum allowable
working pressure
(MAWP) is the maximum
gauge pressure permissible
in a vessel at its designated
temperature. (highest pressure
the vessel can withstand
before bursting)

The design pressure refers to

at least the
most severe conditions of
coincident temperature and
pressure expected during
operation. The design pressure
is equal to
or less than the MAWP.
Definitions
Accumulation is the
pressure increase over the
MAWP of the vessel allowed
during discharge through
PSV, expressed in pressure
unit or percentage of MAWP.

Overpressure is the
pressure increase over the
set pressure of the relieving
device allowed to achieve
rated flow. It is same as
accumulation when relieving
device is set to open at
MAWP.
Blowdown pressure : The difference between the set pressure and
this reseating pressure is known as the 'blowdown', and it is usually
specified as a percentage of the set pressure. For compressible
fluids, the blowdown is usually less than 10%, and for liquids, it can
be up to 20%

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 Back Pressure – Pressure that exists at outlet of a PVR as result of
pressure in the relieving system, B P= SBP+BBP
 Superimposed Back Pressure – Static pressure that exists at outlet
of a PVR at time the valve is required to operate.
 Built-up Back pressure - Pressure that exists at outlet of a PVR
caused by fluid through valve into discharge system.

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BASIC
DEFINITIONS
BASIC
DEFINITIONS
BASIC
DEFINITIONS
 BACK PRESSURE
EFFECT
Superimposed back pressure has impact to opening of conventional
relief valve type. This back pressure will give additional spring force
onto valve disk in closed position. Therefore, the actual spring setting
can be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of superimposed
back pressure.
Built up back pressure has impact reducing the valve capacity. High
back pressure reduces the lifting of disc result in reduction of flow
capacity. For conventional type, built up back pressure shall not
exceed 10% of set pressure at 10% allowable overpressure. For
application that allowable overpressure is higher than 10%, say 16%
of multiple valve application, then the built up back pressure up to
16% of set pressure is allowed for conventional type.

Excessive of built up back pressure has impact the conventional valve

operates in unstable condition. Its may be
chatter or flutter. Chatter is rapid motion of closing and opening valve
where the disc contacts with the relief valve
seat during cycling, whereas flutter is not contact with the seat. Chatter
cause damage to the valve.
 CODE REQUIREMENTS

Relieving pressure shall not exceed MAWP

(accumulation) by more than:
– 3% for fired and unfired steam boilers
– 10% for vessels equipped with a single pressure
relief device
– 16% for vessels equipped with multiple
pressure relief devices
– 21% for fire contingency
SET PRESSURE & ACCUMULATION LIMITS
FOR PRV
 4.Pressure Relief Types
i) Spring-Loaded Pressure Relief Valve ii) Rupture Disc

iii) Buckling Pin iv) Simple Mechanical

Closed Full Open

Pressure Pressure at or
Below Above
Set Pressure Set Pressure

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PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE TYPE
SELECTION CRITERIA

IF ( %BP < 10 ), then Conventional Type PRV is

used

IF ( 10 < %BP < 50 ), then Balanced Bellow Type

PRV is used

IF ( %BP > 50 ), then Pilot Operated Type PRV is

used
 SPRING-OPERATED VALVES

 Conventional relief valve –

spring loaded pressure relief
valve whose operational
characteristics are directly
affected by change in back
pressure in the discharge
system.
 SPRING-OPERATED VALVES

 Conventional relief valve -

spring loaded pressure
relief valve whose
operational characteristics
are directly affected by
change in back pressure
Excessive built-up backpressure can cause the valve to operate in
an unstable manner. This instability may occur as flutter or
chatter.
Chatter :
refers to the abnormally rapid motion of the PRV disc where the
disc contacts the PRV seat during cycling. This type of operation
may cause damage to the valve and interconnecting piping.
Flutter: is similar to chatter except that the disc does not come
into contact with the seat during cycling.
 DISCHARGE SYSTEM PRESSURES

Superimposed pressure
- It is the pressure in the
discharge header before
the valve opening.
Built up back pressure
- It is the pressure in the
discharge header due to
frictional losses after valve
the opening.
Discharge System pressures = ( built up + superimposed).
 SPRING-OPERATED VALVES

 Balanced Bellows relief

valve - spring loaded
pressure relief valve whose
operational characteristics
are NOT affected by
change in back pressure.
characteristics of the valve.
SPRING-OPERATED VALVES

• Balanced Bellows Type

 SPRING-OPERATED VALVES

 Pilot Operated pressure relief

valve – it is one spring loaded
pressure relief valves +
hydraulic/pneumatic valve,
where the spring valve is the
Pilot and the second one is the
main valve on the process line.

 There is two types:

- Piston
- Diaphragm (low-pressure)
PILOT VALVE’ STAGES OF OPERATION
 PILOT OPERATED VALVE
ACCESSORIES
Filter

Back Flow Preventer

Field Test Connector

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
SIZING CASES
 GAS BLOWBY CASE
Gas Blowby is the discharge of gas from a process component through
a liquid outlet.

It can be caused by

Failure of a liquid level control system.

Or inadvertent opening of the control valve by pass.

One of the effects of gas blow by can be overpressure in a downstream

component. The low level is the detectable condition that indicates gas
blowby may be occurred.

Gas blowby case is applicable if only the design pressure of

downstream equipment lower than the upstream pressure.
GAS BLOWBY CASE
 TUBE RUPTURE CASE

In shell and tube heat exchangers , the tubes are subjected to failure
from a number of causes, including

Thermal shock
Vibration
Corrosion.

Whatever the cause, the result is the possibility that the high
pressure stream overpressures on the low pressure side of the
exchanger .
 TUBE RUPTURE CASE

The possible pressure rise shall be ascertained to determine

whether additional pressure relief is required if flow from the tube
rupture discharge into the lower pressure stream.

Tube rupture occurred in shell and tube heat exchanger.

2/3 rule

10/13 rule for the criteria of requirement PSV for tube

rupture.

Tube rupture is possible cause overpressure in shell and tube heat

exchanger type if Test Pressure of Low Pressure Side LESS than
design pressure of High Pressure Side.
WHY two-third (2/3) rule ?

Earlier revision of ASME required that equipment and piping

be tested at 150% of stated design pressure. If the equipment
design pressure is 15
barg, then the test pressure must be 22.5 barg, thus 15/22.5
= 2/3. API RP 521 (1997 edition) stated that if the design
pressure of the low-pressure side
(LPS) is at least 2/3 of the design pressure of the high
pressure side (HPS), tube rupture is not considered a
credible relieving scenario.

WHY ten-thirteen (10/13) rule?

In latest ASME, it stated that the test pressure of equipment

to be 130% of the design pressure. If the equipment design
pressure is 15 barg, then the test pressure shall be 19.5 barg,
thus 15/19.5 = 10/13. Similarly follow API RP 521 (1997
edition) statement, if the design pressure of the low-pressure
side (LPS) is at least 10/13 of the design pressure of the high
pressure side (HPS), tube rupture is not considered a
credible relieving scenario.
03/30/16
 TUBE RUPTURE
CASE

For equipment with test pressure = 1. 5 x design pressure, the 2/3

(=10/15) rule is applied,

Test pressure = 1. 3 x design pressure, the 10/13 rule is applied

TUBE RUPTURE CASE
 TUBE RUPTURE CASE
When tube ruptures, fluid will flow from high pressure side to low
pressure side. Check whether increasing pressure at low pressure
side due to tube rupture possible exceeds the corrected test
pressure or not. If YES, the tube rupture case to be considered.

Why API STD 521 use term corrected test pressure to evaluate
the possibility of overpressure due to tube rupture?

Hydrotest pressure is conducted at ambient temperature, therefore

the correction is required because tube rupture is not occurred at
ambient temperature

Allowance stress at ambient temperature > allowance stress at

elevated temperature.
 BLOCK OUTLET CASE

Review whether this case applicable or not

Check there any valve that possible closed?

Or any control valves which is ‘fail to close’ position?
There any object that possible block the fluid flow ?

If YES, it may be blocked and lead to pressure increase.

For system which comprises of many vessel / separator with

same design pressure, block outlet case is only considered for
PSV in the most upstream location. When block outlet occurred
at downstream the system pressure increase lead to open PSV
at the upstream.
BLOCK OUTLET CASE
For system which comprises of many vessel / separator with same design
pressure, block outlet case is only considered for PSV in the most upstream
location. When block outlet occurred at downstream the system pressure
increase lead to open PSV at the upstream.
FIRE CASE (WETTED WALL)
 FIRE CASE
Fire can cause overpressure in the equipment. Either liquid
vaporization of wetted vessel or vapor expansion of unwetted vessel
due to heat input will increase the pressure.
 FIRE CASE

To determine vapour generation, it is necessary to recognize only that

portion of the vessel that is wetted by its internal liquid and is equal
to or less than 7.6 m (25 ft) above the source of flame.

Hydrocarbon fires can exceed 40 m (approx. 130 ft) in height;

however, experience has shown that it is necessary only to size relief
devices on the basis of the averaged heat input up to a height of 7.6
m (25ft) above the base of a pool fire.

The term 'base of a pool fire" usually refers to ground level but could
be at any level at which a substantial spill or pool fire could be
sustained. Various classes of vessels are operated only partially full.
Wetted surfaces higher than 7.6 m (25 ft) are normally excluded
because pool fire flames are not likely to impinge for long durations
above this height.
 FIRE CASE
API STD 521 provides formulas for calculating heat input rate to process
vessel containing liquid.

Q = 21.000 FA^0.82

Where adequate drainage and firefighting equipment do not exist,

equation below should be used,

Q = 34,500 FA^0.82

For small vessel, use 100% fraction area is exposed by fire, therefore Q
=21.000 FA.

Vessel with wetted area less than 200 ft2 can be considered small vessel
(NFPA 30)

For wetted vessel, overpressure caused by liquid evaporation, the

relieving load capacity can be calculated as heat input divided by latent
heat of vaporization.
(W = Q/LHV).
 FIRE CASE (UNWETTED
WALL)
Unwetted wall vessels are those in which the internal walls are
exposed to a gas, vapour or supercritical fluid, or are internally
insulated regardless of the contained fluids. These include vessels
that contain separate liquid and vapour phases under normal
conditions but become single-phase (above the critical) at relieving
conditions.

Vessels can be designed to have internal insulation (e.g. refractory)

and such areas may be considered unwetted. If, however, a vessel
can become insulated by the deposition of coke or other materials,
the vessel wall shall still be considered wetted for fire-relief sizing
(without credit for any insulating effects) but additional protection
shall be considered.
 FIRE CASE (UNWETTED
WALL)
Characteristic of a vessel with an unwetted internal wall is that
heat flow from the wall to the contained fluid is low as a result of
the resistance of the contained fluid or any internal insulating
material.

Heat input from an open fire to the bare outside surface of an

unwetted or internally insulated vessel can, in time, be sufficient to
heat the vessel wall to a temperature high enough to rupture the
vessel.

For example, an unwetted steel plate 25 mm (1 in) thick takes

about 12 min to reach 593 °C (1 100 ° F ) and 17 min to reach 704
°C (1 300 °F) when the plate is exposed to an open fire.

Recent calculations indicate that the heat flux of the fire is in the
range of approximately 80 kW/m2 to 100 kW/m2 (25 200 Btu/ft2h
to 31 500 Btu/ft2h).
THERMAL EXPANSION
CASE
 THERMAL EXPANSION
CASE
Thermal expansion is the increase in liquid volume caused by an
increase in temperature.

It can result from the following cases,

Piping or vessels are blocked in while they are filled with cold liquid
and are subsequently heated by heat tracing, coils, ambient heat gain
or fire.

An exchanger is blocked in on the cold side with flow in the hot side.

Piping or vessels are blocked in while they are filled with liquid at near
ambient temperatures and are heated by direct solar radiation.
THERMAL EXPANSION
CASE
 STANDARDS

API 520 – Sizing, selection and Installation of pressure relieving

devices in refineries

API 521 – Pressure relieving and de- pressurizing system

API 526 – Flanged steel pressure relief valves

API 527 – Seat tightness of pressure relief valves

THANK YOU