Vacuum Relief Valves

Figure 5-17 through Figure 5-19 show three types of direct-loaded vacuum relief valves that are or
may be combined with positive over-pressure relief.
The valve shown in Figure 5-17 relies for loading solely on the light weight of the disc. To achieve a
high degree of seat tightness under these loading conditions, the seat seal is made of sponge rubber.
To also ensure easy travel of the disc in its guide, the guide rod is PTFE coated. The valve body is
designed to be combined with an overpressure relief valve.
The pressure relief valve shown in Figure 5-18 combines a vacuum relief valve with a positive
pressure relief. The valve has been designed for sanitary application in the beverage, food processing,
and pharmaceutical industries.
Figure 5-19 shows a breather valve that carries separately a direct-loaded vacuum relief valve and an
overpressure relief valve. In deviation from other vacuum relief valve designs, the disc swings open in
an arc on a point contact hinge. Valve seals consist of soft diaphragms that allow the valves to reseat
close to the set pressure. The valve is intended for service on low-pressure storage tanks.

Direct-Loaded Pressure Relief Valves with Auxiliary Actuator

The need to improve the fluid tightness of spring-loaded pressure relief valves that have to operate
close to the set pressure, and the need to inhibit valve chatter in difficult installations, led to the
development of directloaded pressure relief valves that are combined with an auxiliary actuating
device. The power to operate the auxiliary device is of an extraneous source, commonly compressed
air in conjunction with electricity. Should the power supply to the auxiliary actuating device fail, the
valve operates without interference as a spring-loaded pressure relief valve.
Three types of spring-loaded pressure relief valves with auxiliary operating device have evolved over
time to meet these needs:
• Assisted (anti-chatter) pressure relief valves 1
• Supplementary-loaded (anti, simmer) pressure relief valves with restricted loading 2
• Pressure relief valves with unrestricted supplementary loading and/or lift assistance 3

Assisted pressure relief valves.

Figure 5-20 shows the design of an assisted pressure relief valve and Figure 5-21 the associated
control piping diagram. Under normal operating conditions, the assist device is deactivated.
When the valve is called upon to open, the assist device is activated and introduces an unrestricted
supplementary opening force. When the safe pressure is restored, the assist device is deactivated and
the valve closes normally. If the external power supply should fail, the valve opens and closes with no
interference from the assist device.

Supplementary loaded pressure relief valves with restricted loading.

Figure 5-22 shows the design of this type of valve and Figure 5-23 the associated control piping
diagram. Under normal operating conditions, the loading device introduces a supplementary but
restricted closing force as permissible by the applicable Code of Practice. When the valve is called
upon to open, the supplementary load is removed and the valve opens in the manner of a spring-
loaded safety relief valve without interference by the loading device. Should the supplementary load
fail to be removed, the valve will still fully open against the supplementary load to discharge its full
rated capacity within the permissible overpressure.
This particular valve is fitted in addition with a mechanical fail-safe device for this mode of failure.
By its design, the device disconnects the supplementary loading device from the valve stem as the
overpressure rises. A lever fitted to the device permits the supplementary load to be released also by
hand.
Should the power supply to the control device fail, the valve will open and close in the manner of a
safety relief valve with no interference from the loading device.

Pressure relief valves with unrestricted supplementary loading and lift assistance.
Figure 5-24 shows a spring-loaded pressure relief valve in combination with an auxiliary loading and
lift-assist device represented by a pneumatic actuator. In this particular example, the control system
shown incorporates three identical control lines. Using interlocked valving, one control line at a time
may be taken out of service for testing, repair, or replacement without disturbing the operation of the
pressure relief valve.
At normal operating conditions, the solenoid vent valves M1 to M3 are closed while the valve M4
closes against the compressed air system and vents the chamber H to the atmosphere.With the valves
in these positions, compressed air entering the chamber B introduces a supplementary seating load.
When the pressure relief valve is called upon to open, the pressure switches deenergize the vent
valves M1 to M3 that open to the atmosphere and energize the vent valve M4 that connects the
compressed air system to the chamber H. With the valves in these positions, the chamber B is
depressurized while the compressed air entering the chamber H assists valve opening.
The control system permits close control of valve opening and closing. The system may also be
adapted for either supplementary loading or lift assistance only.
Figure 5-25 and Figure 5-26 show two types of direct-loaded pressure valves for high pressure and
high capacity duties in which the loading device consists of Belleville disc springs. In combination
with an auxiliary actuator for supplementary loading and/or lift assistance and a control system
identical or similar to the one shown in Figure 5-24, these valves are used in conventional and nuclear
power plants.

Oscillation Dampers
Oscillation dampers are friction devices that act on the stem carrying the disc. Figure 5-14, Figure 5-
27, and Figure 5-28 show three types of oscillation dampers in combination with direct-loaded
pressure relief valves. The device shown in Figure 5-14 has already been described under the subject
of “Relief Valves.”
The damping device of the pressure relief valve shown in Figure 5-27 relies on dry friction for
damping oscillations, and uses lens-shaped friction elements made of hard electro graphite that are
packed in a chamber between spring-loaded compression elements to force the friction elements
against the stem. By this construction, the required amount of friction for a specific application can be
controlled.
Hard electro graphite has little dynamic friction scatter and the difference between static and dynamic
friction is small. The friction force over the lift is therefore relatively uniform. Because static friction
is low, its effect on the set pressure can be taken into account when setting the valve. Once the static
friction has been overcome, there is no further impediment to the valve opening speed.
It is interesting to note that with very small amplitudes of oscillation, or at low frequencies, even a
small amount of dry friction corresponds to a very large amount of equivalent viscous damping. This
means that in the absence of significant disturbances, dry friction can be effective at preventing
chatter. However, if the flow or pressure disturbances exceed the design limits of the dry friction
device, the damper may not be able to damp out the oscillations.
Oscillation damping of the valve shown in Figure 5-28 relies on viscous friction. The damping device
consists of close-fitting concentric cylinders with a narrow gap between them, which are filled with a
special viscous grease. As the valve opens or closes, the cylinders glide relative to each other and
introduce speed-dependent forces on the stem to damp out motion. The forces can be regulated by the
width of the gaps between the cylinders and by the cylinder surface area.
Viscous damping adjusts itself to demand and is capable of preventing chatter regardless of the size of
flow and pressure disturbance. The effect of viscous friction on the set pressure can be taken into
account when setting the valve.
The combination of pressure relief valves and oscillation dampers as shown in Figure 5-27 and Figure
5-28 have been tested and certified by TüV, the technical supervisory organization in Germany.