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Sizing Pressure Relief Devices PDF
Sizing Pressure Relief Devices PDF
Sizing Pressure Relief Devices PDF
Sizing
Pressure-Relief Devices
Daniel A. Crowl Although relief devices may never be activated,
Michigan Technological Univ.
Scott A. Tipler they must be designed and sized to function correctly
The Dow Chemical Company every time they are necessary. This article provides
an introduction to sizing pressure-relief devices
for liquid and vapor service.
A
pressure-relief device protects process equipment maintained properly. Special considerations that impact the
from the hazards of high (or low) pressure in a operability, such as plugging, must be addressed.
process. It operates by opening at a designated pres- There are many different ways that high (or low) pres-
sure and ejecting mass from the process. The ejected mass sure can be created in a process. For instance, high pressure
contains energy — the removal of the energy reduces the may result from the failure of a control valve, a reaction that
process pressure. is out of control, thermal expansion of a liquid, or even an
A previous article in CEP (1) provided a basic overview external fire. Each possible cause of overpressure is referred
of pressure-relief systems. That article stressed the impor- to as a scenario. All potential overpressure scenarios must
tance of properly locating, selecting, designing, and main- be carefully identified, characterized as credible or non-
taining pressure-relief devices to ensure that they operate credible, and documented prior to sizing the relief system.
when their service is required. Two-phase relief discharge. The mass discharged
This article follows up with an introduction to sizing through the relief system is typically a gas, liquid, or a com-
pressure-relief devices to ensure that they function properly. bination of both. A combination of gas and liquid is called
More detailed information on relief sizing is provided in two-phase flow, and its release is a frothy discharge similar
Refs. 2–4. to the discharge from a soda can that has been shaken and
then opened.
Relief device basics Two-phase sizing is considered only for those devices
The purpose of relief sizing is to determine the proper that two-phase fluid enters. For example, if liquid propane
discharge area of the relief device and diameter of the asso- enters a relief device and partially vaporizes so that two-
ciated inlet and outlet piping. If the relief device is under- phase flow occurs in the tailpipe, only the tailpipe should be
sized, high pressure and equipment failure may result. If the designed for two-phase flow. Two-phase relief is common in
relief device is oversized, the relief may become unstable reactive relief systems and systems with foamy or viscous
during operation (1), which may damage the relief device materials. The required relief area for two-phase flow is typi-
and cause it to fail. In addition, the cost of an oversized relief cally two to ten times the area for single-phase flow. Two-
system will be higher than one of the correct size. phase relief-device design is more difficult than single-phase
It is important to note that the pressure-relief system design (2, 4); experts with specialized knowledge should
might never be used, but it must operate effectively every perform two-phase relief design. This article discusses only
time it is required. Process operators must have confidence the sizing of relief devices for single-phase flow — either all
that the pressure-relief system is designed, sized, and gas or all liquid entering the relief device.
68 www.aiche.org/cep October 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Design and sizing terms and definitions are required to reach full rated capacity at 10% or less over-
The primary parameter used to characterize a pres- pressure. Relief valves are code-certified by the National
sure vessel is the maximum allowable working pressure Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. Code
(MAWP). The MAWP is the maximum allowable pres- certification involves conducting flow tests under conditions
sure at the top of a vessel at a designated temperature. This specified in the ASME code.
designated temperature is known as the maximum allowable The pressure vessel accumulation is the pressure increase
working temperature (MAWT). The MAWT is important above the MAWP, usually expressed as a percentage of the
because as the temperature increases, the MAWP decreases, MAWP. When the relief device is at the MAWP, the over-
since the strength of the metal is reduced. In addition, at pressure and accumulation are equal.
very low operating temperatures (approximately –20°F), Backpressure is the pressure downstream of the relief
embrittlement may be an issue. The vessel nameplate typi- device. It includes the constant superimposed backpressure
cally includes the MAWP, MAWT, and the minimum design and the built-up backpressure due to the discharge of fluid
metal temperature (MDMT). The MAWP, MAWT, and from the relief device through the downstream piping and/or
MDMT must not be exceeded under non-emergency operat- treatment system.
ing conditions.
The set pressure of a relief device is the pressure at ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
which the device operates. For spring-operated relief valves, Section VIII requirements
small amounts of leakage start to occur at 92–95% of the set Figure 1 summarizes the ASME Boiler and Pressure Ves-
pressure. sel Code (BPVC) Section VIII (6) requirements for pressure
A relief device’s overpressure is the pressure increase vessels and relief systems. The left side of the figure shows
over its set pressure, usually expressed as a percentage of code requirements for pressure vessels, while the right side
the set pressure. Pop-acting relief valves do not immediately shows code requirements for typical relief devices. The
open completely (to 100% lift). Sufficient overpressure is entire figure is relative to the MAWP, which is assigned the
necessary to achieve full lift. ASME-certified relief valves arbitrary value of 100%.
As shown in Figure 1, the relief device’s maximum
allowable set pressure is equal to the vessel’s MAWP. This
Pressure Vessel Typical Relief Valve applies to vessels protected by a single relief device. How-
ever, if the vessel is protected by multiple relief devices, then
Maximum allowable 121% Maximum relieving pressure, one relief device must be set no higher than the MAWP but
accumulation pressure, fire sizing
fire sizing the others can be set as high as 105% of the MAWP.
Typically, relief devices are set to open at the MAWP.
The expected maximum operating pressure should be low
Maximum allowable 116% Maximum relieving pressure,
accumulation pressure, multiple reliefs
enough to prevent relief device activation during routine
multiple reliefs operations. The difference between the set pressure and
the maximum operating pressure is known as the operating
Maximum allowable 110% Maximum relieving pressure, margin. The required operating margin depends on the type
accumulation pressure, single relief of relief device and the pressure control capability of the
non-fire sizing
process.
105% Maximum allowable set pressure,
The allowable accumulation for pressure vessels
multiple reliefs protected by a single relief device is 110%, as shown in
Figure 1. The exception to this is fire exposure scenarios, for
which the allowable accumulation is 121% of the MAWP.
Maximum allowable 100% Maximum allowable set pressure, When multiple relief devices are used for non-fire scenarios,
working pressure (MAWP) single relief
the allowable accumulation is 116%.
Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP October 2013 www.aiche.org/cep 69
Back to Basics
is provided on the top of a distillation column, it may protect Pumps can be an overpressure hazard to downstream
the column, reboiler, condenser, and accumulator. The equipment. All positive-displacement pumps should be
design procedure is more complex for processes involving reviewed as a potential source of overpressure. Normally,
connected equipment with different pressure ratings. The the relief device on a pump discharges to the inlet side of the
relief designer needs to have a good understanding of the pump — either to the pump suction pipe or to the suction
operation of the process in order to assess the overpressure vessel. Routing to the suction vessel is recommended to
protection needs. reduce the risk of dangerous heating of the fluid caused by
Locate the relief devices. Next, determine where over- liquid recirculating through a blocked pump.
pressure protection may be needed. The codes and standards Overpressure hazards of process lines are sometimes
set different requirements for different types of equipment. overlooked. Any blocked liquid-filled line poses a risk of
For example, all pressure vessels must be protected from overpressure if the fluid can be heated by ambient tempera-
overpressure per ASME code. Protection may also be ture or sun exposure. Heat-traced liquid-filled lines typically
needed for other equipment in the process where damage require a relief device or an open outlet to allow for liquid
or personnel injury can be caused by excessive pressure. expansion. Long lines (i.e., more than about 300 ft) that are
Table 1 contains general guidelines on where relief devices not in continuous service generally need protection from
are required, although there are likely to be other special liquid thermal expansion, as do loading and transfer lines
cases in any process where they may be necessary. and other lines that extend beyond the battery limit
Low-pressure storage tanks require both vacuum- (i.e., the property line). Finally, lines with a history of
and pressure-relief devices, since these vessels typically overpressure, for example as indicated by gasket blowout,
are not designed for full vacuum. Relief devices for these generally require a relief device.
tanks are designed only for vapor relief and not for liquid The coolant side of a heat exchanger may or may not
discharge due to overfilling — instrumentation and/or require a relief device, depending on the service. Mainte-
procedural safeguards are used to mitigate the overfilling nance isolation valves are typically present on the coolant
scenario. lines. Therefore, if the valves are closed and the coolant
side is exposed to heat from the hot side of the exchanger,
damage might occur. However, piping systems such as
Define Protected System cooling water lines are seldom isolated in an operating plant,
even when the plant is down. If the coolant side is drained
whenever the exchanger is isolated, then a relief may not be
Locate Relief Devices required.
70 www.aiche.org/cep October 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Batch chemical reactor example. Figure 3 depicts a batch credible scenario is typically one that involves a single
chemical reactor in a pilot plant. A positive-displacement failure. Scenarios that require multiple independent failures
pump is used to load the vessel contents. Cooling coils are typically not considered when sizing individual relief
inside the reactor control the reaction temperature, and a devices. Credibility is based on risk, which is a function of
reflux condenser provides additional temperature control. In probability and consequence. Formal hazard-identification
this example, relief devices may be required at four locations procedures, such as layers of protection analysis (LOPA),
to provide overpressure protection: hazard and operability (HAZOP) analysis, fault-tree analy-
• on the reactor itself to protect the reactor vessel and the sis (FTA), or failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA),
process side of the reflux condenser from overpressure can be used to assess risk.
• on the cooling water coils inside the reactor; if hot liq- Most relief-system designs involve compromises. A
uid is pumped into the reactor while the cooling water valves particular relief device might work fine for the primary
are closed, the liquid inside the tubes will expand and likely design (i.e., controlling) scenario, but pose a performance
damage the tubes risk for other scenarios. An example of this is a relief valve
• on the coolant side of the reflux condenser, because hot that is sized for a vapor scenario but must also work effec-
vapors from the reactor can cause the water to expand and tively in a liquid scenario. The liquid scenario will often
create overpressure if the coolant valves are closed present some mechanical instability risks, which must be
• on the pump outlet, as closing the outlet side valve may tolerable to the plant owner (e.g., it may require lower pres-
damage the pump and the discharge piping. sure to reclose in liquid service).
Define the overpressure scenarios. For each piece of It is possible that no causes for overpressure can be
process equipment, there are typically multiple scenarios identified for a particular piece of equipment in the process.
that may result in overpressure. An up-to-date piping and The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII
instrumentation diagram (P&ID) is essential for identify- (6) requires all pressure vessels to have protection from
ing these potential scenarios. Reference 3 discusses the overpressure regardless of whether there are any credible
most common causes of overpressure for different types of overpressure scenarios. In such cases, a relief device is
process equipment. typically installed to meet the code requirements. Even if no
When evaluating scenarios, consider modes of operation credible scenarios exist, a small relief device is good insur-
other than normal operation, such as startup and shutdown. ance against overpressure.
Once the potential scenarios have been defined, the Mixing vessel example. In Figure 4, a mixing vessel’s
next step is to determine which are credible scenarios. A relief valve is shown in red. This vessel has four potential
overpressure scenarios:
• The nitrogen regulator could fail, exposing the vessel to
Cooling
Water
Reflux
Condenser
Relief Device
High-Pressure
Nitrogen
Cooling Cooling
Water Water
Cooling Coils
Positive-
Displacement
Pump
p Figure 3. This batch reactor requires relief devices in four locations: on p Figure 4. A mixing vessel with a high-pressure nitrogen supply system
the reactor itself, on the cooling water coils, on the coolant side of the reflux (whose relief valve is shown in red) is subject to several overpressure
condenser, and on the pump outlet. scenarios.
Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP October 2013 www.aiche.org/cep 71
Back to Basics
the pressure of the nitrogen supply system. data such as heat capacity, density, heat of vaporization, and
• A leak could develop in the cooling water coils, expos- vapor pressure are typically needed.
ing the vessel to the pressure of the coolant system, or pos- Determine whether single- or two-phase flow is likely.
sibly resulting in a reactive scenario if the process materials At this point in the relief-design process, a determina-
react with the coolant. tion must be made as to whether the material entering the
• A procedural failure could cause the pump to continue relief device will be single-phase or two-phase flow when
operating while the vessel outlet is closed, exposing the ves- the device is at its relieving pressure. If a chemical reac-
sel to the discharge pressure of the pump. tion is involved, two-phase flow is very likely. During a
• The vessel could be exposed to fire, which may heat the fire exposure, two-phase flow is possible, but not likely
vessel’s contents and result in overpressure. unless the fluid is inherently foamy, contains surfactants,
Note that these are scenarios only for the mixing ves- or has a high liquid viscosity. The superficial velocity in
sel. Scenarios would also need to be identified for all other a narrow-diameter vessel may also result in two-phase
pressure vessels in this process (which are not included in flow, if the velocity is too high to allow for vapor-liquid
Figure 4). disengagement.
Choose the type of relief device. The next step is to select Determine the design basis for the device. Adequate
an appropriate relief device for the specific application, information is available at this point to determine the
because the sizing calculations depend on the type of relief design basis for the relief device. The design basis includes
device selected. the mass discharge rate through the device and operat-
There are many different types of relief devices. The ing information for the relief device, such as the relief set
most common are spring-operated relief valves, balanced pressure, overpressure, and superimposed backpressure, to
spring-operated relief valves (balanced using a bellows or name a few. For rupture discs, the burst temperature is also
balanced piston), rupture discs, pilot-operated relief valves, important.
and rupture-pin relief devices. Combinations of these The scenario that requires the largest area, rather than the
devices may also be desirable (i.e., a rupture disc located one with the highest mass flowrate, is the controlling case
under a relief valve). Details on these different types, and for device sizing. Liquid relief scenarios commonly have the
the advantages and disadvantages of each, are discussed in highest mass flowrate, but they are generally not the control-
Refs. 2 and 5. One must have a good understanding of the ling scenarios when vapor scenarios also exist.
process in order to select the right type of relief device for
that process. Relief device sizing
Rupture discs and buckling-pin-type relief devices do The American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended
not reclose after activation. Therefore, they should not be Practice for Sizing, Selection, and Installation of Pressure-
the first choice for most applications. Preference should Relieving Systems in Refineries, API 520 Part 1 (3), is the
be given to reclosing relief devices for both safety and most widely used manual for sizing relief devices in the
reliability. chemical process industries.
The routing of the relief device effluent will also influ- The objective of the relief sizing calculation is to deter-
ence the selection of the type of relief. If the device dis- mine the required relief area for the relief device. Almost
charges to the atmosphere, then a conventional spring relief every relief device installation has its own unique design
valve is generally the best and most economical choice. issues and special considerations that will impact the relief
If the discharge is routed to a containment (e.g., pipe or sizing calculations. The procedure outlined in the flowchart
vessel) or treatment (e.g., scrubber or flare header) sys- provided in Figure 2 must be followed to identify these
tem, then a balanced or pilot-operated relief valve is more issues. The procedure described in this article is a generic
appropriate due to the backpressure from the downstream sizing procedure and covers sizing calculations only for
system. conventional spring-operated devices in liquid and gas
Acquire data for relief-device sizing. The next step in (vapor) service.
the relief-design procedure is to acquire the data needed to
determine the required relief flowrate and required relief Sizing for liquid service
area for each scenario. For example, a control valve failure For a spring-operated pressure-relief device in liquid ser-
scenario requires knowing the control valve’s flow coef- vice, the sizing procedure requires, at a minimum, a speci-
ficient and the upstream pressure. If the overpressure is fication of the design basis. This includes the volumetric
caused by a centrifugal pump, then the pump curve and the discharge flowrate through the relief device, the set pressure,
size of the impeller are needed to calculate the flowrate. and the overpressure. For a balanced-bellows relief valve,
To calculate the required relief area, physical property the backpressure must also be known.
72 www.aiche.org/cep October 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
For liquid service, the sizing calculation is based on For conventional relief valves in liquid service, use
the fundamental equation for liquid discharge through an Kw = 1.0. For balanced-bellows relief valves in liquid
orifice (2): service, Kw must be obtained from the manufacturer. For
∆ preliminary sizing, Kw can be determined from Figure 5.
= (1) Kv is the unitless viscosity correction factor and can be
determined from Figure 6. The viscosity correction fac-
where u is the average discharge velocity of the fluid through tor is a function of the fluid’s Reynolds number. As the
the relief orifice (in units of distance/time); Kd is the effec- Reynolds number decreases (i.e., the liquid becomes more
tive discharge coefficient (unitless); gc is the gravitational
constant (distance-mass/force-time2); ∆P is the pressure drop
across the orifice (force/area); and r is the density of the 11
fluid (mass/volume). The unitless discharge coefficient, Kd, 0.95
0.95
is normally provided by the valve manufacturer. It can also
Kw
0.75
Q ρ
( 2)
0.60
0.6
A=
K d 2 gc ∆P 0.55
0.55
0.50
0.5
A working equation with fixed units is derived from 00 10
10 20
20 30
30 40
40 50
50
Back Pressure, gauge
Eq. 2 by replacing the density with the specific gravity PG = % Gauge Backpressure =
Set Pressure, gauge
x 100
Backpressure, gage
(r/ρref) and using water as the reference material, and mak- PG = % Gage Backpressure =
Set Pressure, gage
×100
A= ⎢
( )
⎡ in.2 psi ⎤ Q
⎥
2
(ρ / ρ )
ref
(3)
is drawn using the equation Kw = 1.1165 – 0.01(PG) for PG > 17 and data
from Ref. 3.
⎢ gpm ⎥ K d ΔP
⎣ ⎦
where A has units of in.2, Q has units in U.S. gal/min, and
∆P has units of psi. 1
Equations 1–3 model liquid discharge through an orifice
with fully turbulent flow. Equation 3 must be adjusted for the 0.90
Kv = Viscosity Correction Factor
Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP October 2013 www.aiche.org/cep 73
Back to Basics
viscous), the value of Kv decreases, and a larger relief area the Reynolds number is almost certainly above 16,000.
is required. Thus, assume Kv = 1.0. The liquid is water at 70°F, so
For a Reynolds number greater than 16,000, viscosity G = (r/ρref) = 1.0.
correction is not needed (i.e., Kv = 1.0). However, in order From Eq. 4:
to calculate the Reynolds number, the relief area must be
known. This may require solving Eq. 4 by trial and error. ⎡ in.2 psi 1/2 ⎤ 300 gpm ( ) 1.0
In this case, first assume a viscosity correction factor of =⎢ ⎥
Kv = 1.0 and calculate the relief area, then calculate the
⎢
⎣
gpm ⎥ 0.65 1.0 1.0
⎦
( )( )( ) 110 psig − 0 psig
Reynolds number. In most cases, the Reynolds number will = 1.16 in.2
11
Rated Capacity withou Back Pressure
Back Pressure
11 202%
0% O
Backpressure
Ovverp
Capacity with Backpressure
rprersessure
10 sure
0.9
0.9
withBackpressure
%
Capacity with Back Pressure
0.8
Back Pressure
10
0.8
O
%
ve
O
γ == 1.1
1.1 rp
ve
without
0.8
0.8
rp
re
re
ss
ss
0.6 γ=
= 1.3
1.3 ur
without
ur
0.6
e
e
Rated Capacity
γ == 1.5
1.5 0.7
0.7
with
0.4 γ == 1.7
1.7
Capacity
0.4
KbCapacity
Capacity
0.6
0.6
0.2
=
0.2
Rated
0.5
K b=
0.5
00 55 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Kb =
00 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
00 10
10 20
20 30
30 40
40 50
50 60
60 70
70 80
80 90
90 100
100 Back Pressure, gauge
Kb =
p Figure 7. Use this plot to determine the backpressure correction factor, p Figure 8. Use this plot to determine the backpressure correction factor,
Kb, for conventional spring-operated relief devices in vapor service. It is Kb, for balanced-bellows relief devices in vapor service. It is drawn using
drawn using the equation and constants in Table 2 and data from Ref. 3. the equation and constants in Table 3 and data from Ref. 3.
74 www.aiche.org/cep October 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
where both PMAWP and Pmax are in gage pressure units. To
( γ + )( γ − )
γ× use Figure 7, the backpressure and Pmax must be converted
= γ + () to absolute pressure units with an equation such as:
Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP October 2013 www.aiche.org/cep 75
Back to Basics
= =
( ) safety education and research since 1985. He is the author or editor
of several books on process safety, has produced many modules and
π student certificate programs for the Safety and Chemical Engineering
Education (SAChE) program, and is a past editor of AIChE’s quarterly
This scenario requires a relatively large orifice size of journal Process Safety Progress. He worked for two years as a process
control engineer for St. Regis Paper Co., and then spent 16 years
14.0 cm because the relief valve must handle a large volu- teaching at Wayne State Univ. in Detroit before joining Michigan Tech
metric discharge rate. in 1993. His research is in flammability and reactivity, and he consults
with industry in these areas. He is a member of the AIChE SAChE Com-
mittee, the 11a Committee on Loss Prevention, the Chem-E-Car Rules
Wrapping it up Committee, and the ASTM E27 Committee on the Hazard Potential of
Chemicals. He is a Fellow of AIChE, the Center for Chemical Process
Relief devices are safety systems that you hope are Safety (CCPS), the ACS Div. of Chemical Health and Safety, and the
never activated. However, if they do activate, they must National Speleological Society. He has received numerous awards,
be designed and sized properly to ensure that they including most recently the Merit Award from the Mary Kay O’Connor
Process Safety Center at Texas A&M Univ. He received a BS in fuel sci-
work every time. CEP
ence from the Pennsylvania State Univ. and an MS and PhD in chemical
engineering from the Univ. of Illinois.
76 www.aiche.org/cep October 2013 CEP Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)