Pressure-Relief System Design

Causes of overpressure
Blocked outlet Failure of control valve Cooling water failure Power failure Instrument air failure Heat-exchanger tube failure External fire

Safety relief valves

Conventional:
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Conventional pressure relief valves are susceptible to back pressure. Such valves are not recommended when total back pressure exceeds 10% of set pressure. For systems operating at pressure close to atm Or at low pressure, the limit of 10% is rarely achieved. Hence find application in systems that relieves to atm

Balanced Bellows:
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Such types of valves are not susceptible to back pressures as high as 50% of set pressure. Valve opening is independent of back pressure. At higher back pressures, these valves will still relieve at set point, but with reduced capacity.

Pilot operated: Such valves are used in following circumstances

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Pressure relief valve set pressure is lower than 110% of operating pressure When high back pressure is applicable.

Definition of Terms Set pressure The inlet gauge pressure at which pressure relief valve set to open under service condition. Overpressure The pressure increased over set pressure of relieving device expressed as percentage. Relieving Pressure valve set pressure + overpressure Superimposed back pressure The static pressure that exists at outlet of relief valve at the time the device is required to operate. It is the result of pressure in discharge system coming from other sources may be constant or variable. Built-up back pressure Increase in pressure in discharge header that develops as result of flow after pressure relief valve opens.

Back pressure The pressure that develops at outlet of pressure relief valve after relief device opens. Built-up back pressure + Superimposed back pressure = Back pressure Pressure Relief Systems Open and closed systems In case where non-hazardous fluids are used such as steam, water, air a typical pressure relief system consists of PSV that discharges through short tail pipes to atm this is open disposal systems. When hazardous fluids such as hydrocarbons are in use, tail pipe connected to common flare header, which is ultimately routed to flare stack where hydrocarbons are burned. This is closed disposal systems. Relief system Piping Inlet Piping:
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Inlet piping from protected equipment to the pressure relief valve should be sized to prevent excessive pressure loss that can cause chattering with reduction in flow and damage to seating surfaces.

General practice Limit the total pressure drop in inlet piping to 3% of safety valve set pressure. Discharge Piping: As long as built-up back pressure is less than overpressure, valve will open and perform satisfactorily. If built back pressure develops at rate greater than overpressure, it will tend to close the valve. Hence proper sizing of discharge pipes is very important in such systems. Discharge piping and manifolds are sized for contingency that produces largest relief load. Pipe sizing is carried out by working backward from battery limit of unit flare header up to outlet of individual PSV. Two parameters are checked 1) Mach number at each pipe section should not exceed 0.5 2) Back pressure at each safety valve should not exceed 30-50% of set pressure.
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Mach number at outlet of each pipe section is given as follows: M2 = 3.293 X 10-7 X (W/P2D2) (ZT/ k Mw)^0.5 Where, W = Gas flow rate T = Temp. Of vapor k = Cp/Cv

P2 = Pressure at battery limit of flare header. D = Pipe dia. Z = Compressibility factor MW = Molecular weight of vapor