PSV Sizing

Case-1 (Gas or Vapor Relief: critical flow/

Subcritical flow)
• Gas or Vapor Service
The critical flow pressure ratio in absolute units may be
estimated using the ideal gas relationship in the following equation:

 
• Where:
Pcf = critical flow nozzle pressure, in psia,
P1 = upstream relieving pressure (set pressure + accumulation
pressure) in psia,
 = ratio of specific heats for any ideal gas.
If the pressure downstream of the nozzle (back
pressure) is less than or equal to, the critical
flow pressure, Pcf, then the flow is critical flow.

If the downstream pressure (back pressure)

exceeds the critical flow pressure, then the flow
is Subcritical flow.
 Case-1 (Gas or Vapor Relief: critical flow)

• US Customary Units:

• SI Units:
Where:
• A = required effective discharge area of the device, in2
[mm2]
• W = required flow through the device, lb / hr, [kg/hr]

• C=

• The units for C are

• Kd = effective coefficient of discharge. For preliminary

sizing, use the following values:
0.975 when a pressure relief valve is installed with or
without a rupture disk in combination.
0.62 when a pressure relief valve is not installed and sizing
is for rapture disk
• P1 = upstream relieving pressure, psia [kPa]. (set pressure +
allowable over pressure + atmospheric pressure).
• Kb = capacity correction factor due to backpressure. This
applies to balanced-bellows valves only. Refer to the
manufacture’s standard.
• Kc = combination correction factor for installations with a
rupture disk upstream of pressure relief valve.
= 1.0 when a rupture disk is not installed.
= 0.9 when a rupture disk is installed in combination with a
pressure relief valve
• T = relieving temperature, R [K]
• Z = compressibility factor, a ratio evaluated at inlet
relieving conditions
• M = molecular weight of gas or vapor at inlet relieving
conditions.
• V = required flow through the device, scfm at 14.7 psia and
60F [Nm3/min at 101.325 kPaa].
• G = specific gravity of gas at standard conditions referred
to air at standard conditions [normal conditions]. In other
words, G = 1.00 for air at 14.7 psia and 60F [101.325 kPaa
and 0C].
 Steam Relief
Pressure relief devices in steam service that operate at critical
low conditions may be sized using Equations:
US Customary Units:

SI Units:
• Kn = correction factor for Napier equation
1.0 where P1 ≦ 1500psia (10,339 kPaa),

= (US customary units)

= (SI Units)

Ksh = superheated steam correction factor

If the steam is superheated, a correction factor should be
referred to table. For saturated steam at any pressure, Ksh =
1.0.
Example
• In this example, the following relief requirements are
given:
• Required hydrocarbon vapor flow, W, caused by an
operational upset, of 53,500 lb/hr [24,260 kg/hr].
• The hydrocarbon vapor of toulene. The molecular weight
of vapor, M, is 65.
• Relieving temperature, T, of 627 R (167°F) [348 K].
• Relief valve set at 75 psig [517 kPa], which is the design
pressure of the equipment.
• Back pressure of 14.7 psia (0 psig) [101.3 kPaa (0 kPag)].
• Permitted accumulation of 10%.
Example:

• In this example, the following relief

requirement is given:
• W = saturated steam at 153,500 lb/hr (69,615
kgs/hr) at
• 1600 psig (11,032 kPag) set pressure with 10%
accumulation.
• Note that the set pressure is equal to the design
pressure in this example.