GAS/VAPOR & STEAM RELIEF SIZING CALCULATION

Calculation according API-RP-520 7th edition, January 2000)

API STD 520 eight edition, Dec 2008, Example1

Accumulation
Accumulated press. (P1)

RELIEF VALVE ORIFICE CALCULATION

X
VAPOR / GAS
O
Check for subcritical flow

P
X

2
k +1

( )

Calculated Kn with

K n=

Critcal flow vapor/gas

A=

131. 6W
TZ

CK dP1K bK c
M

Calculated C with

1 . 904W
P1K dK bK cK nK sh

A=

k
k 1

2
k +1

( )

C=520 k

k+1
k1

K-VALUES

Napier correction factor (Kn)

Superheat steam cor. factor (Ksh)

NOTES :

2. 764P11000
3. 324P1 1061

Subcritical flow vapor/gas

A=

0 .179W
TZ

F 2K dK c MP1( P1 P2 )

Calculated F2 with

F2 =

STANDARD ORIFICE AREAS (acc. API-RP-526)

Orifice tag
D
E
F
71
126
198
Area (mm)
0,110
0,196
0,307
Area (sq. inch)
CORRECTION FACTORS
Discharge coefficient (Kd)
Back pressure coeff. (Kb)
Comb. Rupture disk factor (Kc)

Fluid
Vapor-gas / Steam relief
(V / S)
Relieving temperature (T)
(C)
Molweight gas/vapor (M)
Compressibility (Z) (@ relief cond.)
Specific heat ratio cp/cv (k)
(kg/h)
Required relief load (W)

STEAM
only in case of steam relief

Check for subcritical flow using

the following formula

P2

PROCESS DATA

HP-flare
5.17
1.00
10.00
6.70

(barg)
(bara)
(%)
(bara)

k
1r (k1) /k
(r)2/k
k1
1r

Abbr.
A
W
C
T
Z
M
P1
P2
F2
k
r
Kd
Kb
Kc
Kn
Ksh

Vapor
V
75
51.00
0.90
1.11
24270.0

Description
Calculated orifice area
Required mass flow
k-value coefficient
Relieving temperature
Compressibility factor
Mol weight
Upstream relieving pressure
Back pressure
Coefficient subcritical flow
Specific heat ratio Cp/Cv
Pressure ratio (P2/P1)
Discharge coefficient
Back Pressure Coefficient
Combination correction factor
Napier correction factor
Superheat correction factor

unit
mm
kg/hr
K
kg/kmole
bara
bara

325
0,503

506
0,785

830
1,287

1186
1,838

1841
2,835

2323
3,600

2800
4,340

0.975
1.0
1.0

CALCULATED ORIFICE
Type of flow
k-value coefficient (C)
Coefficient subcritical flow (F2)

1.0

Calculated orifice
Recommended orifice
Orifice TAG (acc API-RP-526)

CALC. DATA

VALVE DATA

RELIEF VALVE DATA

Discharge to
Set pressure (Pset)
Back pressure (P2)

(mm)
(mm)

Critical
328
3697

4116
P

mm
kg/hr
K
kg/kmole
bara
bara

-->
etc
etc