API 520

Part 1-Sizing & Selection

Part 2-Installation
 Scope
• Equipment MAWP > 15 psig(103 kPag)
• Unfired pressure vessel
• Sizing procedures and methods

• Overpressure/Structural failure
• Atmospheric and low pressure storage tanks
• Fired vessel – Section 1,ASME Boiler and
pressure Vessel code & ASME B31.1
Pressure Relief Device
• Re closing Type
a. A Relief Valve
b. Safety Valve
c. Safety Relief Valve
d. Conventional Pressure Relief Valve
e. Balanced Pressure Relief Valve
f. Pilot Operated Pressure Relief Valve

• Re closing Type
a. Rupture Disc
b. Pin-actuated Device
Dimensional Characteristics of Pressure
Relief Device
• Actual discharge area
• Effective discharge area
• Bore area
• Huddling chamber
• Inlet size
• Outlet size
• Curtain area
• Lift
• Minimum net flow area
Operational Characteristics
• coefficient of discharge:
a. Effective coefficient of discharge
b. Rated coefficient of discharge

System Pressures and Temperatures

• Maximum operating pressure
• Maximum allowable working pressure
(MAWP)/design pressure
• Accumulation
• Overpressure
• rated relieving capacity
Device Pressure
• Set Pressure
• The cold differential test pressure (CDTP)
• The burst pressure
• The marked burst pressure or rated burst pressure
• The specified burst pressure
• Burst-pressure tolerance
• Lot of rupture disks
• The manufacturing range
• Back pressure
• Built-up back pressure
• Superimposed back pressure
• Blowdown
• Opening pressure
• Closing Pressure
• Simmer
• operating ratio
• Leak-test pressure
• relieving conditions
• specified disk temperature of a rupture disc
Spring-Loaded Pressure Relief Valves
(Gas/Vapor Service)
• Conventional Pressure Relief Valves
safety valves/ relief valve/ safety relief valves
Conventional Pressure Relief Valve with a Single
Adjusting Ring for Blowdown Control
Conventional Pressure Relief Valve with Threaded
Connections
Relationship Between Lift of Disk in
a Pressure Relief Valve and Vessel Pressure
Spring-Loaded Pressure Relief Valves
( Liquid Service )
Balanced Pressure Relief Valves
Pilot-Operated Pressure Relief Valves

• Parts
a. Main Valve
b. A Floating Unbalanced Piston
Assembly
c. An External Pilot (pop/modulating)

• Types
a. The flowing Type
b. The Non flowing Type
Pop-Action Pilot-Operated Valve (Flowing-Type)
Pop-Action Pilot-Operated Valve (Non flowing-Type)
Modulating Pilot-Operated Valve (Flowing-Type)
Pilot-Operated Relief Valve with a Nonflowing Modulating
Pilot Valve
RUPTURE DISK DEVICES (Rupture Disc)

• Single, Multiple, and Fire Applications

• Rupture Disk Device at the Inlet of a
Pressure Relief Valve
• Rupture Disk Device at the Outlet of a
Pressure Relief Valve
• Highly Corrosive/Highly Viscous

• Types
a. Forward-acting, tension loaded.
b. Reverse-acting, compression loaded.
c. Graphite, shear loaded.
Forward-Acting Scored Rupture Disk
Forward-Acting Composite Rupture Disk
Reverse-Acting Rupture Disk with Knife Blades
Reverse-Acting Scored Rupture Disk
Graphite Rupture Disk
Buckling Pin Valve
Manufacturing Ranges and Corresponding Burst Pressure
Marking
• DETERMINATION OF RELIEF
REQUIREMENTS(API 521)
• API EFFECTIVE AREA AND EFFECTIVE
COEFFICIENT OF DISCHARGE(API 526)
 Part 2- Installation
• Inlet Piping to Pressure-Relief Devices
a. Flow and Stress Considerations
b. Vibration Considerations
c. Pressure Loss at the Pressure-Relief Valve Inlet
d. Size and Length of Inlet Piping to Pressure-
Relief Valves
 REFERENCED PUBLICATIONS
• API RP 520 Sizing, Selection, and Installation of Pressure-
Relieving Devices in Refineries, Part II, “Installation”
• API Std 526 Flanged Steel Pressure Relief Valves
• API Std 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code—Maintenance
Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration
• API RP 521 Guide for Pressure-Relieving and Depressuring
Systems
• API Std 527 Seat Tightness of Pressure Relief Valves
• API RP 576 Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices
• API Std 2000 Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage
Tanks (Nonrefrigerated and Refrigerated).
• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section I, “Power
Boilers,”1998
• Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, “Pressure
Vessels,” Division 1, 1998
• B31.1 Power Piping, 1995, latest addenda
• B31.3 Process Piping, 1996, latest addenda