PROCESS EQUIPMENT CALCULATIONS

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE AND

CONTROL VALVE

BY
AYO
PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATIONS
– CRITICAL GAS FLOW SERVICE
• SAMPLE PROBLEM STATEMENT
• DESIGN A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICE.
• PROTECTED EQUIPMENT : SEPARATOR VESSEL
RELIEF SERVICE : FUEL GAS
REASON FOR RELIEF : BLOCKED GAS DISCHARGE
RELIEVING RATE : 10,000 KG/HR
GAS DENSITY : 4.1 KG/M3
RATIO OF SPECIFIC HEATS FOR THE GAS (CP/CV) : 1.35
COMPRESSIBILITY FACTOR OF GAS = 0.95
RELIEVING TEMPERATURE = 200C
SET PRESSURE : 5 BARG
ACCUMULATION : 10%
BACK PRESSURE AT RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE : 0.5 BARG
TYPE OF RELIEF VALVE : CONVENTIONAL
• SOLUTION
• THIS SAMPLE PROBLEM FOR RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATION CAN BE SOLVED IN
FOLLOWING STEPS, WHICH ARE BASED ON PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURES
DESCRIBED IN API RP 520 PART I. THE FIRST STEP IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE GAS FLOW
TYPE IS CRITICAL OR SUB-CRITICAL.
• STEP 1
• THE FIRST STEP IS TO DETERMINE IF THE FLOW CONDITIONS ARE CRITICAL. FOR THIS PURPOSE
THE CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE (PCF) DOWNSTREAM TO THE RELIEF VALVE HAS TO BE
CALCULATED USING THE FOLLOWING EQUATION FROM API RP 520 PART I,
• P1 : RELIEVING PRESSURE UPSTREAM TO RELIEF VALVE IN BARA
P1 = 6.51 BARA (INCLUDING 10% ACCUMULATION)
• K : RATIO OF SPECIFIC HEATS OF THE GAS .. (CP/CV)
K = 1.35
• PCF : CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE FOR THE GIVEN FLOW CONDITIONS IN BARA
• IF THE PRESSURE DOWNSTREAM OR BACK PRESSURE OF THE RELIEF VALVE IS LOWER THAN THE
CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE, THEN THE FLOW IS SAID TO BE OF CRITICAL TYPE. IN THIS CASE, THE
ACTUAL PRESSURE DOWNSTREAM TO THE RELIEF VALVE CANNOT FALL BELOW THE CRITICAL FLOW
PRESSURE EVEN IF MUCH LOWER PRESSURE EXISTS FURTHER DOWNSTREAM TO THE VALVE. MASS
FLOW RELIEVED CANNOT INCREASE ANY FURTHER, FOR THE GIVEN SET OF FLOW CONDITIONS
UPSTREAM TO THE VALVE.
• IN THE PRESENT CASE, BACK PRESSURE (1.5 BARA) < PCF (3.5 BARA). HENCE THE FLOW IS OF CRITICAL
TYPE.
 STEP 2
• NEXT STEP IS TO USE THE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURE GIVEN IN THE API 520 PART I FOR CRITICAL
FLOW TYPE GAS RELIEF VALVE. THE FOLLOWING EQUATION IS USED,

• A = ORIFICE AREA REQUIREMENT IN MM2

• W= FLOWRATE IN KG/HR =10,000KG/HR
• T = TEMPERATURE IN KELVIN=273.16+20=293.16K
• Z = COMPRESSIBILITY FACTOR OF A GAS=0.95
• COEFFICIENT FOR FIRE CASE AS A FUNCTION OF K(CP/CV) AS PER FOLLOWING EQUATION,
Here, C = 351.6
P1 : Relieving pressure upstream to relief valve in bara
P1 = 6.51 bara (including 10% accumulation)
Kd : Coefficient of discharge
Kd = 0.975 for gas service
Kb : capacity correction factor due to back pressure
Kb = 1 (for conventional relief valves with near atmospheric backpressure)
KC : combination correction factor for use of rupture discs
KC = 1 (for absence of rupture disc upstream to the valve)
Plugging this data into equation (1), the minimum required orifice area for
the relief valve is calculated to be,
A = 22.0 cm2
• STEP 3
• THE NEXT HIGHER AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA SHOULD BE SELECTED FOR THE PRESSURE RELIEF
VALVE TO BE ACTUALLY INSTALLED. REFERRING TO THE TABLE OF STANDARD ORIFICE SIZES
GIVEN IN ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATOR,
• NEXT HIGH AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA IS SELECTED TO BE A = 23.20 CM2 AND THE
CORRESPONDING DESIGNATING LETTER IS 'M'. AVAILABLE VALVE SIZE IS '4M6', WHICH
CORRESPOND TO DIFFERENT NOZZLE SIZES FOR SUCTION AND DISCHARGE NOZZLES OF THE
PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE. FOR A '4M6' VALVE SUCTION NOZZLE IS OF 4" SIZE AND DISCHARGE
NOZZLE OF 6" SIZE.
 PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATIONS –
STEAM SERVICE
• SAMPLE PROBLEM STATEMENT
• DESIGN A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICE.
• PROTECTED EQUIPMENT : REBOILER
RELIEF SERVICE : STEAM
REASON FOR RELIEF : BLOCKED STEAM DISCHARGE
RELIEVING RATE : 10,000 KG/HR
GAS DENSITY : 2.5 KG/M3
RATIO OF SPECIFIC HEATS FOR THE GAS (CP/CV) : 1.3
COMPRESSIBILITY FACTOR OF GAS = 1.1
MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF GAS = 18 GM/MOLE
RELIEVING TEMPERATURE = 2500C
SET PRESSURE : 5.0 BARG
ACCUMULATION : 10%
BACK PRESSURE AT RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE : 0.5 BARG
TYPE OF RELIEF VALVE : CONVENTIONAL PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
• SOLUTION
• THIS SAMPLE PROBLEM FOR RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATION CAN BE SOLVED IN
FOLLOWING STEPS, WHICH ARE BASED ON PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURES
DESCRIBED IN API RP 520 PART I.
• STEP1
• FIRST STEP IS TO USE THE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURE GIVEN IN THE API 520 PART I FOR
STEAM RELIEF VALVES. THE FOLLOWING EQUATION IS USED,

A : orifice are requirement in mm2

• W : FLOWRATE IN KG/HR
W = 10,000 KG/HR
• P1 : RELIEVING PRESSURE UPSTREAM TO RELIEF VALVE IN BARA
P1 = 6.51 BARA (INCLUDING 10% ACCUMULATION)
• KD : COEFFICIENT OF DISCHARGE
KD = 0.975 FOR GAS SERVICE
• KC : COMBINATION CORRECTION FACTOR FOR USE OF RUPTURE DISCS
KC = 1 (FOR ABSENCE OF RUPTURE DISC UPSTREAM TO THE VALVE)
(IF A RUPTURE DISC IS PRESENT, KC = 0.9)
• KB = CAPACITY CORRECTION FACTOR DUE TO BACK PRESSURE
KB = 1 (FOR CONVENTIONAL RELIEF VALVES WITH NEAR ATMOSPHERIC BACKPRESSURE)
• KSH = SUPERHEATED STEAM CORRECTION FACTOR
FROM TABLE 9 OF API 520 PART I,
KSH = 0.9786 (@ 6.0 BARA & 250 0C BY LINER INTERPOLATION)
• PLUGGING THIS DATA INTO EQUATION (1), THE MINIMUM REQUIRED ORIFICE AREA FOR THE
RELIEF VALVE IS CALCULATED TO BE,
• A = 32.24 CM2
• STEP 2
• THE NEXT HIGHER AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA SHOULD BE SELECTED FOR THE PRESSURE RELIEF
VALVE TO BE ACTUALLY INSTALLED. REFERRING TO THE TABLE OF STANDARD ORIFICE SIZES
GIVEN IN ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATOR, NEXT HIGH AVAILABLE
ORIFICE AREA IS SELECTED TO BE A = 41.20 CM2 AND THE CORRESPONDING DESIGNATING
LETTER IS 'P'. AVAILABLE VALVE SIZE IS '4P6', WHICH CORRESPONDS TO DIFFERENT NOZZLE SIZES
FOR SUCTION AND DISCHARGE NOZZLES OF THE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE. FOR A '4P6' VALVE
SUCTION NOZZLE IS OF 4" SIZE AND DISCHARGE NOZZLE OF 6" SIZE.
 PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATIONS –
SUBCRITICAL GAS FLOW SERVICE
• DESIGN A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICE.
• PROTECTED EQUIPMENT : SEPARATOR VESSEL
RELIEF SERVICE : FUEL GAS
REASON FOR RELIEF : BLOCKED GAS DISCHARGE
RELIEVING RATE : 10,000 KG/HR
GAS DENSITY : 4.1 KG/M3
RATIO OF SPECIFIC HEATS FOR THE GAS (CP/CV) : 1.55
COMPRESSIBILITY FACTOR OF GAS = 0.95
MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF GAS = 20 GM/MOLE
RELIEVING TEMPERATURE = 200C
SET PRESSURE : 4.5 BARG
ACCUMULATION : 10%
BACK PRESSURE AT RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE : 2.1 BARG
TYPE OF RELIEF VALVE : BALANCED BELLOWS
• SOLUTION
• THIS SAMPLE PROBLEM FOR RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATION CAN BE SOLVED IN
FOLLOWING STEPS, WHICH ARE BASED ON PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURES
DESCRIBED IN API RP 520 PART I. THE FIRST STEP IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE GAS FLOW
TYPE IS CRITICAL OR SUB-CRITICAL.
• STEP 1
• THE FIRST STEP IS TO DETERMINE IF THE FLOW CONDITIONS ARE CRITICAL OR SUB-CRITICAL. FOR
THIS PURPOSE THE CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE (PCF) DOWNSTREAM TO THE RELIEF VALVE HAS TO
BE CALCULATED USING THE FOLLOWING EQUATION FROM API RP 520 PART I,
• P1 : RELIEVING PRESSURE UPSTREAM TO RELIEF VALVE IN BARA
P1 = 5.96 BARA (INCLUDING 10% ACCUMULATION)
• K : RATIO OF SPECIFIC HEATS OF THE GAS .. (CP/CV)
K = 1.55
• PCF : CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE FOR THE GIVEN FLOW CONDITIONS IN BARA
PCF = 3.0 BARA
• IF THE PRESSURE DOWNSTREAM OR BACK PRESSURE (3.113 BARA) OF THE RELIEF VALVE IS
GREATER THAN THE CRITICAL FLOW PRESSURE (3.0 BARA), THEN THE FLOW IS SAID TO BE OF SUB-
CRITICAL TYPE. IN THE PRESENT CASE, BACK PRESSURE (3.113 BARA) > PCF (3.0 BARA). HENCE THE
FLOW IS OF SUB-CRITICAL TYPE.
• STEP 2
• NEXT STEP IS TO USE THE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURE GIVEN IN THE API 520 PART I FOR
SUB-CRITICAL FLOW TYPE GAS RELIEF VALVE. THE FOLLOWING EQUATION IS USED,
A : orifice are requirement in mm2
W : flowrate in kg/hr
W = 10,000 kg/hr
T : Temperature in Kelvin
T = 273.16 + 20 = 293.26 K
Z : compressibility factor of gas
Z = 0.95
M : Molecular weight of the gas
M = 20 gm/mole
P1 : Relieving pressure upstream to relief valve in bara
P1 = 5.96 bara (including 10% accumulation)
• P2 : BACK PRESSURE DOWNSTREAM TO RELIEF VALVE IN BARA
P2 = 3.11 BARA
• KD : COEFFICIENT OF DISCHARGE
KD = 0.975 FOR GAS SERVICE
• KC : COMBINATION CORRECTION FACTOR FOR USE OF RUPTURE DISCS
KC = 1 (FOR ABSENCE OF RUPTURE DISC UPSTREAM TO THE VALVE)
• F2 : COEFFICIENT OF SUB-CRITICAL FLOW

k : Ratio of specific heats of the gas .. (CP/CV)

k = 1.55
r : ratio of back pressure to relieving pressure
r = P2/P1 = 0.58
hence, F2 = 0.5985
• PLUGGING THIS DATA INTO EQUATION (1), THE MINIMUM REQUIRED ORIFICE AREA FOR THE RELIEF
VALVE IS CALCULATED TO BE,
A = 34.07 CM2
• STEP 3
• THE NEXT HIGHER AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA SHOULD BE SELECTED FOR THE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE TO
BE ACTUALLY INSTALLED. REFERRING TO THE TABLE OF STANDARD ORIFICE SIZES GIVEN IN
ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATOR, NEXT HIGH AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA IS
SELECTED TO BE A = 41.20 CM2 AND THE CORRESPONDING DESIGNATING LETTER IS 'P'. AVAILABLE
VALVE SIZE IS '4P6', WHICH CORRESPONDS TO DIFFERENT NOZZLE SIZES FOR SUCTION AND
DISCHARGE NOZZLES OF THE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE. FOR A '4P6' VALVE SUCTION NOZZLE IS OF 4"
SIZE AND DISCHARGE NOZZLE OF 6" SIZE.
 PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATIONS – BLOCKED
LIQUID DISCHARGE
• DESIGN A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICE.
• PROTECTED EQUIPMENT : SEPARATOR VESSEL
RELIEF SERVICE : WATER
REASON FOR RELIEF : BLOCKED LIQUID DISCHARGE
RELIEVING RATE : 100,000 KG/HR
WATER DENSITY : 1000 KG/M3
WATER VISCOSITY : 0.8 CP
SET PRESSURE : 5 BARG
ACCUMULATION : 10%
BACK PRESSURE AT RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE : 0.5 BARG
TYPE OF RELIEF VALVE : CONVENTIONAL
• SOLUTION
• THIS SAMPLE PROBLEM FOR RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATION CAN BE SOLVED IN FOLLOWING
STEPS, WHICH ARE BASED ON PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE SIZING PROCEDURES DESCRIBED IN API RP
520 PART I.
• STEP 1
• AS PER API RP 520 PART I, THE REQUIRED ORIFICE AREA FOR RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGE IS CALCULATED
USING THE FOLLOWING EQUATION,

A : ORIFICE are requirement in mm2

• Q : FLOWRATE IN LIT/MIN
Q = 100000×1000/(1000×60) = 1666.67 LIT/MIN
• G : SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF THE LIQUID = 1 (FOR WATER)
• P1 : UPSTREAM PRESSURE IN KPAG=500KPAG
• P2 : DOWNSTREAM PRESSURE IN KPAG=50KPAG
• KD : COEFFICIENT OF DISCHARGE
KD = 0.65 FOR LIQUID SERVICE
• KW : CORRECTION FACTOR
KW = 1 (FOR CONVENTIONAL RELIEF VALVES WITH NEAR ATMOSPHERIC BACKPRESSURE)
• KC : COMBINATION CORRECTION FACTOR FOR USE OF RUPTURE DISCS
KC = 1 (FOR ABSENCE OF RUPTURE DISC UPSTREAM TO THE VALVE)
• KΝ : CORRECTION FACTOR DUE TO VISCOSITY
KΝ = 1 (CALCULATED USING FOLLOWING EQUATIONS FROM API 520 PART I)

• ……………(1)

• …….PLUGGING (1) INTO KV

• STEP 2

• THE NEXT HIGHER AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA SHOULD BE SELECTED FOR THE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE TO BE
ACTUALLY INSTALLED. REFERRING TO THE TABLE OF STANDARD ORIFICE SIZES GIVEN IN
ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S RELIEF VALVE SIZING CALCULATOR,

• NEXT HIGH AVAILABLE ORIFICE AREA IS SELECTED TO BE A = 18.49 CM2 AND THE CORRESPONDING
DESIGNATING LETTER IS 'L'. AVAILABLE VALVE SIZES ARE '3L4' AND '4L6', WHICH CORRESPOND TO
DIFFERENT NOZZLE SIZES FOR SUCTION AND DISCHARGE NOZZLES OF THE PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES. FOR
A '3L4' VALVE SUCTION NOZZLE IS OF 3" SIZE AND DISCHARGE NOZZLE OF 4" SIZE. SIMILARLY FOR A '4L6'
VALVE SUCTION NOZZLE IS 4" AND DISCHARGE IS OF 6" SIZE.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM – CONTROL VALVE SIZING
• A LEVEL CONTROL VALVE IS TO BE INSTALLED ON AN 8” OIL LINE GOING FROM AN OIL WATER SEPARATOR
TO AN OIL HEATER. THE OIL WATER SEPARATOR OPERATES AT 3.5 BARG AND 250C. INLET PRESSURE
REQUIREMENT AT THE HEATER IS 2.0BARG.
• NORMAL, MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM OIL FLOWRATES ARE 200M3/HR, 60M3/HR AND 220 M3/HR
RESPECTIVELY. SIZE A LEVEL CONTROL VALVE TO DETERMINE THE CONTROL VALVE FLOW COEFFICIENT OR
VALVE CV.
• OIL PROPERTIES ARE –
DENSITY AT GIVEN CONDITIONS = 700 KG/M3
VISCOSITY AT GIVEN CONDITIONS = 5 CP
CRITICAL PRESSURE = 60 BARA
VAPOR PRESSURE = 1.5 BARA
• THE DETAILS OF THE OIL LINE ARE –
LINE SIZE 8”
TOTAL LENGTH OF THE LINE = 50M
HEATER INLET NOZZLE ELEVATION – VESSEL OUTLET NOZZLE ELEVATION = -4.0 M (HEATER IS ON THE
GROUND AND VESSEL IS ELEVATED)
FITTINGS – 12 NOS. OF 900 ELBOWS AND 2 GATE VALVES
STEP 1
First step of solving this control valve sizing sample problem is to determine the
line pressure drop resulting due to frictional losses from pipe and fittings plus
elevational losses. Normally for this case, the level control valve would be
located close to the separator vessel. Hence the pressure drop between vessel
and the control valve has been neglected and inlet pressure to the control valve
has been assumed to be the same as vessel outlet pressure.
Frictional losses from straight pipe alone can be easily calculated using
EnggCyclopedia’s pipe pressure drop calculator for single phase flow as follows.
• MASS FLOW OF OIL = 200 X 700 = 140000 KG/HR (NORMAL FLOW CASE)
MASS FLOW OF OIL = 60 X 700 = 42000 KG/HR (MINIMUM FLOW CASE)
MASS FLOW OF OIL = 220 X 700 = 164000 KG/HR (MAXIMUM FLOW CASE)
• AS PER ENGGCYCLOPEDIA’S CALCULATOR, PRESSURE DROP IN BAR/KM OF STRAIGHT PIPE IS REPORTED
HERE FOR THE 3 CASES,
FOR NORMAL FLOW CASE,
• PRESSURE LOSS = 1.09 BAR/KM; FRICTIONAL PRESSURE DROP IN STRAIGHT PIPE = 0.05 X 1.09 = 0.0545
BAR
FOR MINIMUM FLOW CASE, PRESSURE LOSS = 0.128 BAR/KM; FRICTIONAL PRESSURE DROP IN STRAIGHT
PIPE = 0.05 X 0.128 = 0.0064 BAR
FOR MAXIMUM FLOW CASE, PRESSURE LOSS = 1.445 BAR/KM; FRICTIONAL PRESSURE DROP IN STRAIGHT
PIPE = 0.05 X 1.445= 0.0723 BAR
• FLUID VELOCITY EXPRESSED IN M/S, FOR EACH FLOW CASE IS ALSO CALCULATED AT THIS TIME. THIS
VELOCITY WILL BE LATER USED FOR DETERMINATION OF PRESSURE DROP DUE TO FITTINGS.
• FOR NORMAL FLOW, VELOCITY = 1.71 M/S
FOR MINIMUM FLOW, VELOCITY = 0.51 M/S
FOR MAXIMUM FLOW, VELOCITY = 2.01 M/S
• ELEVATIONAL PRESSURE LOSS FOR ALL THREE CASES IS THE SAME AND IS EQUAL TO (DENSITY X
GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION X ELEVATION CHANGE).
• HENCE FOR ALL THE THREE CASES PRESSURE LOSS IS = 700 X 9.8 X (-4.0) / 105 BAR = -0.2744 BAR.
NEGATIVE VALUE INDICATES PRESSURE GAIN INSTEAD OF PRESSURE LOSS DUE TO DROP IN HEIGHT.
• TO DETERMINE FRICTIONAL PRESSURE LOSS DUE TO FITTINGS, FIRST THE COMBINED K-FACTOR OF FITTINGS
IS CALCULATED USING ENGGCYCLOPEDIA’S K-FACTOR CALCULATOR.
• FOR 12 NOS. OF 900 ELBOWS AND 2 GATE VALVES, K FACTOR = 5.64.
• PRESSURE DROP DUE TO FITTINGS IS OBTAINED BY MULTIPLYING THE K-FACTOR BY ΡV2/2 FOR EACH CASE,
WHERE ‘V’ IS THE VELOCITY IN M/S. VELOCITY FOR EACH FLOW CASE IS CALCULATED IN
ENGGCYCLOPEDIA’S PIPE PRESSURE DROP CALCULATOR FOR SINGLE PHASE FLOW.
• FOR NORMAL FLOW CASE, FITTINGS PRESSURE DROP = K X ΡV2/2 = 5.64 X 700 X 1.712 / (2 X 105) = 0.0577
FOR MINIMUM FLOW CASE, FITTINGS PRESSURE DROP = K X ΡV2/2 = 5.64 X 700 X 0.512 / (2 X 105) = 0.0051
FOR MAXIMUM FLOW CASE, FITTINGS PRESSURE DROP = K X ΡV2/2 = 5.64 X 700 X 2.012 / (2 X 105) = 0.0798
• TOTAL PRESSURE DROP CAN BE THE CALCULATED BY ADDING THE 3 COMPONENTS CALCULATED INDEPENDENTLY
FOR EACH CASE,
LINE PRESSURE DROP FOR NORMAL CASE = 0.0545 + 0.0577 – 0. 2744 = -0.1623 BAR
LINE PRESSURE DROP FOR NORMAL CASE = -0.2629 BAR
LINE PRESSURE DROP FOR NORMAL CASE = -0.1224 BAR.
• NOTE THAT, DUE TO DROP IN HEIGHT, THE NET PRESSURE DROP IN THE LINE HAS TURNED OUT TO BE NEGATIVE.
• STEP 2
• NEXT STEP FOR SOLVING THE CONTROL VALVE SIZING SAMPLE PROBLEM IS TO DETERMINE THE ALLOWABLE
PRESSURE DROP ACROSS THE CONTROL VALVE FOR EACH OF THE THREE CASES. IT IS CALCULATED AS,
PRESSURE DROP ACROSS CONTROL VALVE = VESSEL OUTLET PRESSURE – HEATER INLET PRESSURE – LINE PRESSURE
DROP
• FOR NORMAL FLOW, ΔP = 3.5 – 2 – (-0.1623) = 1.6622 BAR
FOR NORMAL FLOW, ΔP = 1.7623 BAR
FOR NORMAL FLOW, ΔP = 1.6224 BAR
• STEP 3
• THE FINAL STEP OF SOLVING THIS SAMPLE PROBLEM IS TO DETERMINE THE CONTROL VALVE FLOW
COEFFICIENT OR VALVE CV USING ENGGCYCLOPEDIA’S CONTROL VALVE SIZING CALCULATOR. THE INLET
PRESSURE TO THE VALVE IS TAKEN AS VESSEL OPERATING PRESSURE SINCE THE VALVE IS VERY CLOSE TO
THE VESSEL. THE OUTLET PRESSURE IS TAKEN BY CONSIDERING THE ALLOWABLE PRESSURE DROP ACROSS
THE CONTROL VALVE. FOLLOWING VALVE CV VALUES ARE CALCULATED FOR THE 3 CASES.
NORMAL FLOW CASE, CV = 150.44
MINIMUM FLOW CASE, CV = 44.31
MAXIMUM FLOW CASE, CV = 178.94
• THE CHOSEN VALVE CV IS ALWAYS HIGHER THAN THE MAXIMUM CV REQUIREMENT WITH A MARGIN FOR
VALVE OPENING. THESE VALVE CV VALUES ARE GIVEN TO THE CONTROL VALVE MANUFACTURER ALONG
WITH CORRESPONDING FLOWRATE VALUES AND SUBSEQUENTLY A SUITABLE VALVE WITH A HIGHER
VALVE CV IS CHOSEN TO BE INSTALLED.