Area - square feet - Flow rate - cfm air

Area - m2 - Flow rate - l/s air

Safety Valves in Gas Systems

Calculate relief valves in gas and vapor systems
Flow (Lb/Hr)
The minimum discharge area of relief safety valves in gas and vapor systems can be calculated with the equation

A = m T1/2/ (C kd kbp P M1/2)

where
A = minimum discharge area (Square Inches)
m = relieving capacity (Lbs. per Hour)
T = absolute temperature ( oR = oF + 460)
C = coefficient determined from ratio of specific heats - depends on the gas - see below
kd = discharge coefficient - 0.975
kbp = back pressure coefficient - 1.0 for atmospheric discharge systems
P = relieving pressure (psia) - set pressure (psig) + over pressure (psig) + atmospheric pressure (14.7 psia)

Gases - Specific Gravities

The specific gravity of some common gases can be found in the table below:
Specific Gravity1)
Gas

Gas
Acetylene (ethyne) - C2H2

- SG -

Air
Ammonia - NH3

1.000

Argon - Ar

1.38

Arsine
Benzene - C6H6

2.6961

1)

0.90
0.59
2.69

Blast Furnace gas

Butadiene - C4H6

1.02

Butane - C4H10

2.0061

1-Butene (Butylene)- C4H8

1.94

1.87

Isobutene - C4H8

1.94

Carbon dioxide - CO2

1.5189

Carbon monoxide - CO

0.9667

Carbureted Water Gas

Chlorine - Cl2

0.63
2.486

Coke Oven Gas

0.44

Cyclobutane

1.938

Cyclopentane

2.422

Cyclopropane

1.451

Decane
Deutrium - D2

4.915

Digestive Gas (Sewage or Biogas)

Ethane - C2H6

0.8

0.070
1.0378

Ethyl Chloride - C2H5Cl

2.23

Ethylene (Ethene) - C2H4

0.9683

Fluorine

1.31

Helium - He

0.138

Heptanes

3.459

Hexane

2.973

Hydrogen

0.0696

Hydrogen chloride - HCl

Hydrogen sulfide - H2S

1.1763

Isobutane

2.01

Isopentane

2.48

Krypton
Methane - CH4

0.5537

Methyl Chloride

1.74

1.268

2.89

Natural Gas (typical)

0.60 - 0.70

Neon

0.697

Nitric oxide - NO
Nitrogen - N2 (pure)

0.9669

Nitrogen - N2 (atmospheric)

0.9723

Nitrous oxide - N2O

1.530

Nonane

4.428

Octane
Oxygen - O2

1.1044

Ozone

1.660

1.037

3.944

Pentane

2.487

Phosgene
Propane - C3H8

1.5219

Propene (Propylene) - C3H6

1.4523

Sasol

0.42

Silane
Sulfur Dioxide - SO2

2.264

Toluene-Methylbenzene

3.1082

1.39

1.11

Water Gas (bituminous)

0.71

Water Vapor

0.6218

Xenon

4.53

M = Molecular weight of gas

Coefficient
Gas

Molecular Weight
-C-

Acetylene

26.04

342

Air

28.97

356

Ammonia

17.03

347

Argon

39.94

377

Benzene

78.11

329

N-Butane

58.12

335

Iso-Butane

58.12

336

Carbon Dioxide

44.01

346

Carbon Disulphide

76.13

338

Carbon Monoxide

28.01

356

Chlorine

70.9

352

Cyclohexane

84.16

325

Ethane

30.07

336

Ethyl Alcohol

46.07

330

Ethyl Chloride

64.52

336

Ethylene

28.03

341

Helium

4.02

377

N-Heptane

100.2

321

Hexane

86.17

322

Hydrochloric Acid

36.47

357

Hydrogen

2.02

357

Hydrogen Chloride

36.47

357

Hydrogen Sulphide

34.08

349

Methane

16.04

348

Methyl Alcohol

32.04

337

Methyl Butane

72.15

325

Methyl Chloride

50.49

337

Natural Gas

19

344

Nitric Oxide

30

356

Nitrogen

28.02

356

Nitrous Oxide

44.02

348

N-Octane

114.22

321

Oxygen

32

356

N-Pentane

72.15

325

Iso-Pentane

72.15

325

Propane

44.09

330

R-11

137.37

331

R-12

120.92

331

R-22

86.48

335

R-114

170.93

326

R-123

152.93

327

Sulfur Dioxide

64.04

344

Toluene

92.13

326

Flow (SCFM)
The minimum discharge area of relief safety valves in gas and vapor systems can alternatively be calculated with the equation

A = qs (SG T)1/2/ (1.175 C kd kbp P)

where
A = minimum discharge area (Square Inches)
qs = relieving capacity (Standard cubic feet per minute)

SG = specific gravity of the gas

T = absolute temperature ( oR = oF + 460)
C = coefficient determined from ratio of specific heats - depends on the gas - see above
kd = discharge coefficient - 0.975
kbp = back pressure coefficient - 1.0 for atmospheric discharge systems
P = relieving pressure (psia) - set pressure (psig) + over pressure (psig) + atmospheric pressure (14.7 psia)