Understanding what the customer wantsmaking it happen!

Pressure Relief Valve Sizing

& Selection

Agenda
1. Pressure Level Relationships
2. Required Process Data
3. Sizing Equations (Hand Calculations)
4. SizeMaster Mark IV

ASME vs. API Sizing

API Sizing

Uses API equations

Used for initial sizing to determine a preliminary
PRV size
Utilizes effective Kd and effective areas
independent of specific valve design.
Use API Std 526 to select a PRV.

ASME vs. API Sizing

ASME Sizing Size Master Program

Uses API Equations

Utilizes de-rated Kd (K) and actual areas for a
specific valve design.
Must be used to verify the rated capacity of a
selected valve.

IN 1962, THE CODE WAS REVISED REQUIRING THAT

K BE USED IN SIZING CALCULATIONS (10%
SAFETY FACTOR) INSTEAD OF KD.

ASME vs. API Sizing

The following is excerpted from API 520 Part 1
Sizing and Selection, Seventh Edition January
2000, Section 3.2.6...
In summary, the effective orifice size and effective
coefficient of discharge specified in API Standards are
assumed values used for initial selection of a pressure relief
valve size from configurations specified in API Std 526,
independent of an individual valve manufacturers design

When the pressure relief valve is selected, therefore, the

actual area and rated coefficient of discharge for that valve
must be used to verify the rated capacity of the selected
valve and to verify that the valve has sufficient capacity to
satisfy the application.

ASME vs. API Sizing

Orifice Area Comparison

Orifice

API Area

Actual Area

0.11

0.15

26.7%

0.196

0.225

12.9%

0.307

0.371

17.3%

0.503

0.559

10.0%

0.785

0.873

10.1%

1.287

1.43

10.0%

1.838

2.042

2.853

Farris Certified Discharge

Coefficients
Series

Vapor

Vapor Derated

Liquid

Liquid Derated

10.0%

2600

0.953

0.858

0.724

0.652

3.17

10.0%

2700

0.975

0.878

0.751

0.676

3.6

10.0%

3800

0.954

0.859

0.869

0.782

4.34

4.822

10.0%

6.38

7.087

10.0%

11.05

12.27

9.9%

16

17.78

10.0%

26

28.94

10.2%

31.5

63.62

W2

104

113.1

143.1

176.7

API Discharge Coefficients

API Vapor
API Liquid

0.975
0.65

ASME vs. API Sizing

Process Data
Fluid:
Required Capacity:
Operating Temp.:
Relieving Temp.:
Operating Pressure
Set Pressure:
Back Pressure:
Molecular Wt.:
Gas Flow Const.:
Compress. Factor:

Sizing Equation

Nitrogen
2100 lb/hr
120F
250F
100 psig
200 psig
0 psig
28
356
1

W T Z
C Kd P M Kb

ASME vs. API Sizing

ASME Sizing

2100 710 1
356.858234.7 28 1

API Sizing
A

2100 710 1
356.975234.7 28 1

A = 0.148 in2

A = 0.130 in2

Valve must be selected based

on Actual or ASME area!!

Valve must be selected based

on API area!!

D orifice!

E orifice!

Pressure-Level Relationships
Pressure-Level
Relationships for
Pressure Relief
Devices (API 520
Part 1)

Sizing Scenarios
Three types of sizing scenarios

Non-Fire
Liquid
Vapor/gas
Steam

External Fire
Vapor/gas
Steam

Two-Phase
Liquid/vapor mixture

10

Non-Fire Scenarios
PRV

Pressure
Vessel
FULL INPUT FLOW

11

OUTLET BLOCK
VALVE CLOSED

Non-Fire Scenarios Single Valve

BLOCKED DISCHARGE
110

ALLOWABLE ACCUMULATION :
10% OR 3 PSIG, WHICHEVER IS
GREATER

100

ONE
PRV

MAWP
(MAX. SET)

12

Non-Fire Scenarios Multiple Valves

MULTIPLE PRVs
116
1ST VALVE
MAXIMUM SET: MAWP
2ND

ALLOWABLE OVERPRESSURE:
16%
2ND VALVE
MAXIMUM SET: 105% MAWP
ALLOWABLE OVERPRESSURE:
10.48%

13

1ST
105

100

MAWP

Fire Scenarios
PRV

STORAGE OR
PROCESS VESSEL

14

Fire Scenarios
Fire Gas Expansion

Assumes the protected vessel is filled with

gas

Fire Vapor Generation

Assumes the protected vessel is filled with

liquid
Three possible scenarios
Know the capacity
Know the wetted surface area
Know the vessel dimensions

15

Fire Scenarios Single Valve

FIRE

121

1 VALVE
ALLOWABLE ACCUMULATION:
21%

100

16

21%

MAWP

Fire Scenarios Multiple Valves

FIRE

121

2 VALVES
2ND VALVE
MAXIMUM SET:
1ST VALVE: MAWP

110

2ND VALVE: 110% OF MAWP

1ST VALVE
ALLOWABLE OVERPRESURE:

1ST VALVE: 21%

2ND VALVE: 10%

17

100

MAWP

Sizing for Gas/Vapor Relief

Vapor/Gas Sizing Calculations

Wvapor

18

required vapor capacity

Vgas

required gas capacity

Trelief

relieving temperature

Mvapor

molecular weight of vapor

ratio of specific heats (cp/cv )

compressibility factor

Sizing for Gas/Vapor Relief

Vapor Mass Equation
A

W
C Kd P1 Kb Kc

T Z
M

Where:
P1

Gas Volume Equation

V

1.175 C Kd P1 Kb Kc

Where:

Pset Pover Patm

G
( k 1)

19

2
520 k

( k1)

T Z G

M
Mair

Sizing for Gas/Vapor Relief

Example Problem

Fluid:

Hydrocarbon Gas

Set pressure:

195 psig

Const. BP:

134 psig

Gas Volume Equation

Var. BP: 0 psig

Mol. Wt.:

54

Relief Temp:

200 F

Ratio Spec. Ht: 1.22

Compress.:

.8

Required Flow: 4500 SCFM

20

T Z G

1.175 C Kd P1 Kb Kc

Sizing for Gas/Vapor Relief

Solution
A

4500 1.864 660 0.8

1.175 339 0.858 229.2 0.97

Where:
C 339
Z 0.8

P 229.2

54
28.97

G 1.864

T 200 460

Kb 0.97 BP%AB S
A 1.858

Kd 0.858
T 660

T Z G

1.175 C Kd P1 Kb Kc

Patm 14.7
P Pset Pover Patm

V 4500

21

Pset 195
Pover Pset 0.1

134 14
100
P

Calculated Area

Sizing for Steam Relief

All sizing equations require the following process parameters
Pset

set pressure at valve inlet

Pc onst

constant portion of back pressure

Pvar

variable portion of back pressure

Steam Sizing Calculations

22

Wsteam

required steam capacity

Trelief

relieving temperature

Sizing for Steam Relief

Steam Equation
A

Ws
51.5 Kd P Kb Ksh Kn

Where:

P
Ksh
Kn

23

Pset Pover Patm

superheat_correc tio n_fac to r
Napier_co rrec tio n_factor

Sizing for Steam Relief

Example Problem
Fluid:

Steam

Set pressure:

200 psig

Const. BP:

0 psig

Var. BP: 0 psig

Mol. Wt.:

18.02

Relief Temp:

500 F

Required Flow: 15000 lb/hr

24

Steam Equation
Ws
51.5 Kd P Kb Ksh Kn

Sizing for Steam Relief

A

Solution
A

Ws
51.5 Kd P Kb Ksh Kn

15000
51.5 0.858 234.7 1 0.95 1

W s 15000

Kb 1
Ksh 0.950
Kn 1

Kd 0.858

A 1.523

Pset 200
Pover 20
Patm 14.7
P Pset Pover Patm

25

P 234.7

Sizing for Liquid Relief

All sizing equations require the following process parameters
Pset

set pressure at valve inlet

Pc onst

constant portion of back pressure

Pvar

variable portion of back pressure

Liquid Sizing Calculations

Vliquid or Wliquid required liquid capacity

26

specific gravity of liquid

absolute viscosity of liquid

Sizing for Liquid Relief

Liquid Volume Equation

Liquid Mass

VL

38.0 Kd

VL

P Ku

0.002

Liquid_M ass_flowrate

Where:

Pset Pover Pback

G

27

liquid
water

Sizing for Liquid Relief

Example Problem
Fluid:

Hydrocarbon Liquid

Set pressure:

300 psig

Const. BP:

50 psig

Var. BP: 0 psig

Sp. Gravity:

0.92

Viscosity:

0.8 cP

Required Flow: 5000 GPM

28

Liquid Volume Equation

VL
38.0 Kd

G
P Ku

Sizing for Liquid Relief

A

Solution

5000

0.92

38.0 0.652
Where
VL 5000

280 1

Pset 300
Pover 30

29

38.0 Kd

G
P Ku

Pback 50
P Pset Pover Pback
Ku 1

G 0.92
Kd 0.652

VL

A 11.568

P 280

Sizing for Fire Scenarios

All sizing equations require the following process parameters
Pset

set pressure at valve inlet

Pc onst

constant portion of back pressure

Pvar

variable portion of back pressure

Fire Sizing Calculations

A

Wetted/Exposed Surface Area

hv

Latent Heat of Vaporization

Vessel Dimensions

30

Understanding what the customer wantsmaking it happen!

Two-Phase Sizing

31

2-Phase Sizing
Old API method added vapor and liquid areas
together.
New 2-Phase methods:
Direct Integration of the Isentropic Nozzle
Flow Calculation
Omega Method
Neither validated by testing.
No procedure for certifying capacity.

32

2-Phase Sizing
Many 2-phase liquid/vapor relief scenarios are possible

2-phase mixture enters the PRV

2-phase mixture is produced as the fluid moves through the
valve
Condensing 2-phase flow
2-Phase Liquid/Vapor Relief Scenario

Example

Section

2-Phase system (liquid/vapor mixture) enters PRV and flashes.

No non-condensable gas present.

Saturated liquid/vapor propane

system enters PRV and the liquid
propane flashes.

D.2.1
or
D.2.2

2-Phase system (highly subcooled liquid and either noncondensable gas, condensable vapor or both) enters PRV and
does not flash.

Highly subcooled propane and

nitrogen enters PRV and the propane
does not flash.

D.2.1
or
D.2.2

2-Phase system (non-condensable gas or both condensable

vapor and non-condensable gas and either subcooled or
saturated liquid) enters PRV and flashes.

Saturated liquid/vapor propane

system and nitrogen enters PRV and
the liquid propane flashes.

D.2.1
or
D.2.2

Subcooled (including saturated) liquid enters PRV and flashes.

No condensable vapor or non-condensable gas enters PRV.

Subcooled propane enters PRV and

flashes.

D.2.1
or
D.2.3

33

2-Phase Methodology Flowchart

34

2-Phase Sizing D.2.1

Direct Integration of the isentropic nozzle flow
calculation
Based on the Homogeneous Equilibrium Method
(HEM).
Assumes:

Fluid behaves as a pseudo-single phase fluid

Mixture at thermal and mechanical equilibrium

Requires a physical property database to perform

flash calculations.

35

Not in SizeMaster
Not practical for PRV manufacturers.
Expensive.
Can be done in iPRSM.

2-Phase Sizing D.2.2 & D.2.3

Used for sizing 2-phase flashing or non-flashing
flow though a PRV using the Omega Method.
Omega method calculates parameter (which
indicates the expansion of the two-phase
mixture).
Assumes:

Both phases have the same velocity (no slip)

Mixture at equilibrium

Two-point method (Omega 9)

36

Specific volume data at the PRV inlet pressure.

Specific volume data at the 90% of the PRV inlet
pressure.

Omega Parameter
=0

No Expansion

<1

Non-Flashing
Flow

37

Flashing Flow

Omega Method
Eqn.
D1 & D2

xo

Variables
vapor mass fraction at the PRV inlet

no

specific volume of the two-phase system at the PRV inlet

nno

specific volume of the vapor at the PRV inlet

n n lo

difference between the vapor and liquid specific volumes at the PRV inlet

hn lo

latent heat of vaporization at the PRV inlet

Cp

liquid specific heat at constant pressure at the PRV inlet.

W2phase mass flow rate

Do not assume values!

If all of the required process data is not given,
go back and get it!

38