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API versus OSHA

The term “Double-Block-and-Bleed” may sound straightforward enough – two barriers and a bleed to confirm
absence of leakage – but it only makes real sense when related to a specific standard or regulation.

OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration – is an agency in the United States government
responsible for setting and enforcing standards about workplace safety. For OSHA, double-block-and-bleed
means “the closure of a line, duct, or pipe by closing and locking or tagging two inline valves and by opening
and locking or tagging a drain or vent valve in the line between the two closed valves.” That is, this definition
is clearly concerned with control of hazardous energies. For OSHA, double-block-and-bleed is a system: two
independent valves installed in series with a third valve providing a means to bleed or vent the fluid in the
piping. For works about to break a line for maintenance, this system allows them to safely check if pressure
is contained and the job may proceed. API, the American Petroleum Institute, has a different definition for
double-block-and-bleed. Now we are not talking about a system of valves, but isolation characteristics for a
single valve. In its standard API 6D (Specification for Pipeline and Piping Valves), there are three important
definitions regarding double block: DBB (double-block-and-bleed), DIB-1 (Double-Isolation-and-Bleed type 1),
and DIB-2 (Double-Isolation-and-Bleed type 2). However, in order to understand these API definitions, we
need first to understand piston effect for seats.

Single and Double Piston Effect

Uni-directional valve seats or Single Piston Effect (SPE) seats are self-relieving seats which provide sealing if
the upstream pressure is greater than the cavity pressure, but will leak if the cavity pressure is greater than
the upstream pressure.

Bi-directional valve seats or Double Piston Effect (DPE) seats will provide sealing regardless of whether the
cavity or upstream pressure is higher. A DIB valve utilizes one or two bidirectional seats. The valve provides
double isolation from pressure at both ends of the valve, but requires an external relief system to relieve
pressure.

A trunnion ball valve has two seats, one upstream and one downstream, and they may be combined in three
different arrangements:

1. Two SPE’s seats

2. Two DPE’s seats

3. One SPE seat and One DPE seat

Each of these arrangements is classified by API with a different name: Double-block-and-bleed (DBB),
Double-Isolation-and-Bleed type 1 (DIB-1), and Double-Isolation-and-Bleed type 2 (DIB-2), respectively.

Double-Block-and-Bleed (DBB)

According to the API 6D definition, Section 3.1.10 defines a double-block-and-bleed valve as a: “Single valve
with two sealing surfaces that, in the closed position, provides a seal against pressures from both ends of
the valve with a means of venting/bleeding the cavity between the seats.”

To achieve this, the valve is equipped with two SPE seats, as we have seen.

The double-block-and-bleed design is the most commonly used for trunnion ball valves, responsible for
around 85% of global oil and gas applications. It is a compact, low-weight valve that provides reliable
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isolation in critical areas, reducing piping requirements. To summarize, a DBB is a valve that seals from
either direction with a bleed between the two, if the first seal leaks, the second will not seal in same direction
and it does not require an external mechanism to relieve pressure. A DBB valve implies double security,
providing security in two different directions, each with a separate seal. When a DBB valve is in use and the
first seal leaks, the second seal will not seal in that same direction.

Double-Isolation-and-Bleed (DIB)

The API 6D definition Section 3.1.11 defines a double-isolation-and-bleed valve as a: “Single valve with two
seating surfaces, each of which, in the closed position, provides a seal against pressure from a single
source, with a means of venting/bleeding the cavity between the sealing surfaces. This feature can be
provided in one direction or in both directions.”

In API’s DBB and DIB definitions the difference is that a double-block-and-bleed valve seals against pressures
from both sides of the valve while a double-isolation-and-bleed valve provides an additional seal against
pressure building in the valve’s cavity.

Two configurations are available for DIB ball valves — DIB-1 and DIB-2. The DIB-1 configuration features bi-
directional seats upstream and downstream. The DIB-2 ball valve design features one bidirectional (DPE)
seat and one uni-directional seat (SPE).
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DIB-1 Explained

DIB-1 ball valves have DPE seats both upstream and downstream to provide a seal in both directions. For the
DIB-1 configuration, over pressurization of the cavity is avoided by the use of an external relief valve. With the
ball in the closed position and pressure on the upstream side, the cavity pressure will increase in case of
upstream seat failure. The cavity pressure will cause a double piston effect on the downstream seat creating
a second seal on the ball.

DIB-2 Explained
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For the DIB-2 configuration, one seat SPE and the other DPE, cavity over-pressurization is internally
controlled within the line. If the upstream seat leaks, then there is automatic cavity pressure relief on the
upstream side and the downstream seat will provide isolation due to double piston effect. 

Conclusion

API DBB and DIB valves are field proven solutions for end user requiring a means isolate fluids and check for
leakage. Both valves can provide isolation in both the upstream and downstream directions and zero-leakage
capabilities, even in high-pressure or high-temperature situations. Once the fluid is isolated, the bleed
mechanism can drain the area between the two valves or two seating surfaces.

When determining whether to use a DBB or DIB valve, it is important to also determine which definition to
follow — API or OSHA. In order to do so, it is also important to have a clear understanding of the similarities
and differences of the types of block-and-bleed valves and the specific application in which the valve will be
used.

In applications where critical isolation is needed to ensure that leakage does not occur, DBB and DIB can be
selected. Both valves can be used in a variety of applications and markets, such as LNG, petrochemical,
transmission and storage, pipelines, and more. The main advantage of DBB is that the seats are self-relieving
seats. However, if the upstream seat leaks, the downstream seat will not provide isolation. The main benefit
of the DIB is that the second seat will provide the seal if the upstream seat leaks. In applications that require
an additional pressure barrier that seals separately from the main pressure barrier, it is important to use a
DIB valve.
Valve pressure test of DBB and DIB ball valve
DBB (double block and bleed valve) and DIB (double isolation and bleed valve) are two kinds of
commonly used seat sealing structures for trunnion mounted ball valves. According to API 6D,
DBB ball valve is a single valve with two sealed auxiliary, the closed position of which provides the
pressure seal at both ends of the valve by means of bleed of the body cavity between the two seal
surfaces, if the first seal leaks, the second will not seal in the same direction. DIB ball valve is a
single valve with two seating surfaces, each of these seal seat provides a single source of pressure
seal in the closed position by discharging the valve chamber between the seal seats.

The pressure test of the DBB valve:

The valve is partially opened so that the experimental

flow is fully injected into the valve chamber, and then the valve is closed so that the bleeding of the
valve body is open and the excess medium is allowed to overflow from the valve chamber test
junction. Pressure should be applied simultaneously from both ends of the valve to monitor seat
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tightness through overflow at the valve chamber test junction. The figure below shows a
typical DBB ball valve configuration.

When the valve is closed and the valve chamber test port is opened and both ends of the valve are
pressurized (or pressurized separately), the valve chamber port detects leakage from each end to the
valve chamber. Theoretically, DBB valve can not provide positive double isolation when only one
side is under pressure, the valve does not provide positive double isolation when only one side is
under pressure.

The pressure test of DIB-1（Two bi-directional sealing seats）

Each seat shall be tested in both directions and the installed

cavity pressure relief valve shall be removed. The valve shall be half-opened so that the valve and
valve chamber shall be injected with the test medium until the test liquid spills through the test port
of the valve chamber. Close the valve to prevent leakage of the chamber in the direction of the test
seat, the test pressure shall be applied successively to each end of the valve to test the leakage of
each seat upstream separately, and then to test each seat as the downstream seat. Open both ends of
the valve to fill the cavity with media and then pressurize while observing leakage of each seat at
both ends of the valve.

Because the pressure in the cavity of the DIB-1 valve cannot be released automatically, when the
temperature of the valve is abnormally raised, the volume of the medium in the valve cavity
increases accordingly, thus forcing the pressure in the cavity to increase automatically. When the
pressure reaches a certain level, it will be very dangerous, so the cavity of the DIB-1 valve must be
installed with a safety valve.

The pressure test of DIB-2（One bi-directional and one unidirectional sealing seat）
One of the seats of the DIB-2 valve can withstand pressure from either the chamber or the end of
the valve in any direction without leakage. The other seat can only withstand pressure from the end
of the valve. When the valve is closed and the valve chamber test interface is open and both ends of
the valve are pressurized (or pressurized separately), the valve chamber test interface can detect
whether there is leakage from each end to the valve chamber. Two-way seat test should be
pressurized valve chamber and valve upstream observe whether the downstream valve leakage.

The advantage of the valve is tight protection for the valve, the valve closed after the medium will
never enter the pipeline downstream, at the same time when the cavity pressure abnormal rise can
automatically pressure relief to the upstream of the valve. Please note that the valve installation
direction requirements, the opposite direction is the same as DBB.

 
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Both DBB and DIB valves have their unique application and media, and various environmental
challenges where critical isolation is needed to ensure that leakage does not occur such as LNG,
petrochemical, transmission and storage, natural gas industrial processes, mainline and manifold
valves in liquid pipelines, and refined products transmission lines.
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