Safety in Process Plant

Reliefs

Topics
Introduction to Reliefs (Chapter 9)
Relief Sizing (Chapter 10)
Hazards Identification (Chapter 11)

Introduction to Relief
Increase of operating pressure beyond the safe
level leads to in rupturing of process equipment,
causing major release of toxic or flammable
chemicals.
To solve it:
a) Prevent the pressure build up (Inherent safety)
b) Better control
c) Pressure relief

Relief design procedure

Relief devices must be installed.
Appropriate relief device
nature of the material relieved and the relief characteristics required

Liquid, vapor, or two phases

Data Collection
physical properties of the ejected material, and the relief is sized.

Why do we need relief systems?

To protect personnel from the dangers of over
pressurizing equipment.
To minimise chemical losses during pressure
upsets
To prevent damage to equipment
To prevent damage to adjoining property
To reduce insurance premiums
To comply with government regulations

Relief Concept
Assumption:
Exothermic reaction
Cooling is lost

Curve C, no relief v/v

Curve A, relief v/v
Curve B, 2 phase with relief v/v

Relief Definitions
Set pressure
Pressure at which the relief device begins to activate

Maximum Allowable working pressure (MAWP):

Also known as Design Pressure.
Vessel Fails 4-5 times MAWP, vessel deformation started at twice the MAWP.

Operating pressure:
Gauge pressure during normal service, usually 10% below MAWP

Accumulation:
Pressure increase over the MAWP of a vessel during the relief process.
Expressed as % of MAWP

Relief Definitions
Overpressure:
The pressure increase in the vessel over the set pressure during the
relieving process, expressed as a % of MAWP

Backpressure:
The pressure at the outlet of the relief device during the relief process
resulting from pressure in the discharge system.

Blowdown:

Relief Definitions
Maximum allowable accumulation pressure:
The sum of the MAWP & the allowable accumulation

Relief system:
Network components around a relief device, including:pipe to relief, relief device, discharge pipe, knockout drum, scrubber,
flare.

Guidelines for relief

pressures. Adapted from
API RP521, Guide for
Pressure-Relieving and
De-pressuring Systems,
4th ed. (Washington, DC:
American Petroleum
Institute 1997)

Location of Reliefs
Must installed at any point identified as potentially hazardous. Upset conditions
create pressure > MAWP
All vessels need reliefs, including reactors, storage tanks, towers, and drums.
Blocked-in sections of cool liquid-filled lines that are exposed to heat (such as the
sun) or refrigeration need reliefs.
Positive displacement pumps, compressors, and turbines need reliefs on the
discharge side.
Storage vessels need pressure and vacuum reliefs to protect against pumping in
or out of a blocked-in vessel or against the generation of a vacuum by
condensation.

Vessel steam jackets are often rated for low-pressure steam. Reliefs are installed
in jackets to prevent excessive steam pressure due to operator error or regulator
failure.

Example: Polymerisation reactor system

Process:
1. Pumping 100lb of initiator into reactor R-1
2. Heating to the reaction Temp = 240F
3. Adding monomer for 3 hours
4. Stripping residual monomer by means of a
vacuum valve V -15
5. Reaction is exothermic

Solution: Polymerisation reactor system

Reactor (R-1): in general every process vessel needs a relief.
PSV -1 (pressure safety valve 1)
Positive displacement pump (P-1): will be overloaded,
overheated, & damaged if they are dead-headed w/o PSV -2.
Relief discharge is usually recycle back to the feed vessel.
Heat exchanger (E-1): PSV -3 to prevent tubes rupture.
Drum (D-1): all vessel need relief valves, PSV -4
Reactor Coil: PSV -5 added to prevent pressure-ruptured.

Solution: Polymerisation reactor system

With safety reliefs

Major types of Relief devices

Buckling-pin relief valve

Relief installation Practices

Relief installation Practices

Chatter
It is the rapid opening and closing of a relief valve that can
cause valve seat damage or the mechanical failure to the
internals.
It could be due to:
Excessive inlet pressure drop: can be prevented with large
inlet pipe
High back pressure: can be prevented by increasing the size
of the exit pipe
Oversize valves: can be prevented by adding different size
valves.

Sample Check List