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This Technical Measures document refers to codes and standards applicable to the design of
relief and vent systems.
Related Technical Measures documents are:
Explosion relief
Quench systems
Secondary containment
Control systems
The relevant Level 2 Criteria are 5.2.1.3 (29) a, 5.2.1.5 (35) a, 5.2.1.6 (38)
e and5.2.1.10(54, 59, 60).
General principles
Process plant can be subjected to excessive overpressure or underpressure due to:
External fire;
Relief devices must not be isolated from equipment they protect while the
equipment is in use;
The discharge from a relief device should pass to a safe location which
may be:
A dump tank;
A storage tank;
A sewer;
The atmosphere;
A knockout drum;
A scrubber;
An incinerator;
A flare stack.
Design basis and methodology of all relief stream packages must be documented, and
incorporated into plant modification and change procedures to ensure that relief stream
invalidation does not occur.
API Methods;
NFPA Methods;
Leungs method;
Stepwise method;
Nomogram method;
Fauskes method;
Two-phase method;
DIERS method;
Huffs method;
Boyles method.
The use of DIERS (Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems) methodology is becoming
increasingly widespread. Detailed analysis of relief systems using this methodology, together
with experimental testing, is now the accepted practice.
Flame arresters
Flame arresters are commonly installed on the vent outlet of tanks containing liquids with
flashpoints below 21C, generally where pressure-vacuum vent valves are not in use. Their
prime function is to prevent the unrestricted propagation of flame through flammable gas or
vapour mixtures, and secondly to absorb heat from unburnt gas.
Flame arresters should be designed for each specific application, and due to the likelihood of
progressive blockage a rigorous inspection and maintenance schedule should be in place.
Relief valves
Relief valves are characterised by:
Risk of blockage;
Trace leakage.
Design considerations for relief valves include:
The pressure drop before the safety valve must be low to avoid instability;
The design must take into consideration differences between gas and
liquid duties;
Bursting discs
Bursting discs are characterised by:
No leakage;
Non re-closing hence may allow large discharges even when pressure falls
below relieving (rupture) pressure;
initial disc may occur. In such instances the second bursting disc is reversed to withstand the
initial shock pressure.
The composition of the gas load must be known with respect to:
o
Inerts loading.
Control systems;
The control system for the scrubber operation should be interlocked with the
plant and processes that the scrubber services such that in the event of
scrubber failure process operations can be isolated and / or suspended. The
control system should feature scrubber diagnostics that verify and indicate that
the scrubber is healthy and working.
Stack heights
The concentration of waste gases at ground level can be reduced significantly by emitting the
waste gases from a process at great height, although the actual amount of pollutants released
into the atmosphere will remain the same.
The basis for design begins with determination of an acceptable ground-level concentration of
the pollutant or pollutants. If the waste gas is to be discharged through an existing stack, or
the stack size is restricted the ground-level concentration should be determined and if it is
unacceptable appropriate control measures should be adopted. Steps in the design
methodology include:
For a given stack height, the effective height of the emission can be
determined by employing an appropriate plume-rise equation;
Bosanquet-Pearson model;
Wilson model
Pasquill-Gifford model;
Sutton model;
TVA model.
Various software models are available to undertake these calculations. The
most widely used in the UK is the ADMS model.
Factors affecting stack design include:
Humidity;
Rainfall
Flaring
Flaring may be used to destroy flammable, toxic or corrosive vapours, particularly those
produced during process upsets and emergency venting.
Smokeless operation;
Flame stability;
Thermal radiation;
Noise level;
Flashback protection.
The major safety issues are the latter two items. BS 5908 : 1990 recommends that
permanent pilot burners should be provided with a reliable means of remote ignition. An
additional means of ignition, e.g. a piccolo tube should be provided, independent of power
supplies. Flare header systems should be provided with an inert gas purge sufficient to
provide a positive gas flow up the stack to prevent back diffusion of air.
Spot ventilation
General ventilation is applied to the room or compartment as a whole (see forced ventilation
above). It may also be applied locally to the plant or process as spot or local ventilation. Basic
design principles include:
The rate of extraction of fume should be greater than or equal to the rate
of generation of fume in the particular area;
Air supply inlets should be located to provide ventilation for other regions
that may become contaminated;
Status of guidance
Although existing guidance provides reasonably comprehensive information for the sizing and
design of basic relief systems, more complex relief system applications for example with
polymerisers are not specifically covered by guidance.
HS(G)50 The storage of flammable liquids in fixed tanks (up to 10000 cu.
m in total capacity), HSE, 1990.
Replaced by HS(G)176, 1998.
API RP 526 Flanged Steel Safety Relief Valves, Fourth Edition, 1995.
API RP 527 Seat Tightness of Pressure Relief Valves, Third Edition, 1991.
API Std 2000 Venting atmospheric and low pressure storage tanks:
Nonrefrigerated and refrigerated, 1998.
BS 2915 : 1990 Specification for bursting discs and bursting disc devices,
British Standards Institution.
BS 5908 : 1990 Code of practice for fire precautions in the chemical and
allied industries, British Standards Institution.
Section 7, Paragraph 43.3.3 Flare Stacks provides guidance on ignition and
prevention of flashback in flare stacks.
BS 5925 : 1991 Code of practice for ventilation principles and designing for
natural ventilation, British Standards Institution.
Kumar, A., 'Design and Operate Flares Safely', The Sapphire Group,
Chemical Engineering Magazine, Environmental Manager, December 1998.
Singh, J., 'Sizing Relief Vents', Hazard Evaluation Laboratory (Fire Research
Station Site), Chemical Engineering, 97, 8, p104, August 1990.