Pressure Safety Valve Design

Presented to ES-317 at UWO in 1999

Dick Hawrelak

ASME Code
Section VIII for Unfired Pressure Vessels
requires a PSV to be designed for the worst
case scenario (fire or other upset).
PSV alone does not protect the pressure vessel.
Flames may impinge on the vapor space
causing vessel failure.
Flammable liquid pressure vessels still require
water coverage.

PSV Design Methods

NFPA 30
API-521
Natural Gas Association.

Problems
Heat input uncertain.
Wetted area versus vessel area.
Protection factors for heat input reduction
are variable.
Treatment of physical properties are
different.

PSV1

Single component fluid.

Blocked in vessel.
Fire conditions.
Boiling liquid.

DIERS
Prediction of two-phase flow for PSVs
designed for single phase flow.
Most often the vessel is filled beyond the
swell and foam heights.
See example in PSV Folder in Chemical
Plant Design.

PSV2

Single component fluid.

Blocked in vessel.
Fire conditions.
PSV sized for two phase flow.

PSV3

Vessel with 100% vapor.

Blocked in vessel.
Fire conditions.
Vapor expansion.

PRDV
Rupture disc sizing.
Sonic or sub-sonic flow.
Overpressure for any reason.

PRDL
Rupture disc sizing for flashing liquid.
Homogenius Equilibrium Model.
Landis CRITFLO method.

PSV4
PSV sizing for liquid expansion.
No phase change.

PSV5
Sizing relief vents.
Runaway reactions.

HP Trip
ICI method to lower vessel pressure before
PSV blows.
Manual Pressure control station to by-pass
PSV.
Would rather vent manually than allow PSV
to blow.

EXPLO
Explosion venting routine.
Scale-up from pilot plant data.

PSV Header and Flare Stack

Design
Flare header design - multiple PSVs blow in
fire area 50 x 50.
Complex headers for dry HCs, wet HCs,
dry liquid and wet liquid blowdowns.
Flare KO drums.
Three API-521 flare stack methods.

Possible Exam Questions

What are the four main problems with the
different PSV design methods?
In a fire situation, does the PSV alone
protect the pressure vessel?
Why would a PSV designed for sigle phase
flow under fire conditions relieve a two
phase vapor / liquid mixture?