Laboratory Testing of Safety Relief Valves

Industrial fluid handling and storage systems can experience excessive pressure resulting from process upsets. A catastrophic component failure can compromise personnel safety or damage property. A pressure relief valve (PRV) represents a common design element that allows material to be vented to reduce pressure and restore safe conditions. Obviously selecting the proper PRV requires specification of the relief pressure. Less obvious might be the requirement of confirming that the flowrate is adequate to vent the system volume.

Paper published with permission.