Terminology in the operation of Pressure

Safety Devices
1 Some basic background resources:
1.1 Literature on how pressure safety valves work:
https://www.spiraxsarco.com/learn-about-steam/safety-valves/safety-valves#article-top

[1]

1.2 Good introduction video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e03u8NKLls
[2]

2 Terminology
1. Spring force: The tension force that the spring exerts on the valve seat.
2. Set pressure: The pressure at which the valve seat starts to lift. This occurs when the system
internal pressure starts to exceed the spring force (pressure).
3. Maximum (allowable) overpressure: Maximum pressure that the system is allowed to exceed
design pressure by as a percentage of design pressure.
4. Relieving pressure: Pressure at which the safety valve must discharge at full capacity i.e., the
spring is at its maximum retractable length and so the valve is fully open. This is the set
pressure plus the maximum allowable overpressure.
5. Maximum relieving pressure for process sizing
6. Super-imposed back pressure
7. Built-up back pressure
8. Constant back pressure
9. Variable back pressure
10. Total back pressure
11. Accumulation: The pressure at which the spring has fully lifted in an overpressure discharge
scenario. This is expressed as a percentage of the spring set pressure.
12. Reseat
13. Blowdown: The difference in set pressure and reseating pressure as a percentage of the set
pressure
14. Required capacity.
15. Governing case
16. Basis for governing case selection
17. Calculated orifice area
18. Selected orifice area [3]

3 Concepts of operation of a pressure safety valve:

The best way to understand the operation of a pressure safety valve is to go through the process of
how it operates. This is discussed below: -

a. A line operating under normal pressure does not need a pressure relieving device.
 b. Installation of an evaporator on the line in the plant unit as part of a modification causes for there to be a process operating case where the process
medium expands and therefore increase the pressure in the system, this calls for the need to install a pressure safety valve.
c. Below is a graph characterizing the pressure as a function of the different process scenarios involved in a single process cycle in the protected line.

P (kPa)

Normal operating Expansion Additional Expansion Return to Normal Valve seat Re-seating t (s)

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Progress of process cycle

d. The pressure vs flow regime is accompanied by illustration of how a pressure safety valve assists the system to overcome process scenarios in which
the maximum allowable working (design pressure) in the system is exceeded [5].
Process stage Pressure Safey Valve Stage Pressure Equation

P < Pd
Normal operating

(a)

P ≥ Pd
Expansion

(b)

P ≥ Pd
Additional Expansion

(c)

Return to Normal
P → Pd
(d)

Valve
P < Pdseat Re-seating

(e)
4 References
[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]