Analysis of Transient Two-Phase Flow in Pressure Safety Valve Outlet Headers

To protect a pressurized system from overpressure, one of the most established strategies is to install a Pressure Safety Valve (PSV). Therefore, the excess pressure of the system is relieved through a vent pipe when PSV opens. The vent pipe is also called “PSV Outlet Header”. After the process starts, a transient two-phase flow is formed inside the outlet header consisting of high speed pressurized gas interacting with existing static air. The high-speed jet compresses the static air towards the end tail of the pipe until it is discharged to the ambiance and eventually, the steady state is achieved. Here, this transient process is investigated both analytically and numerically using the method of characteristics. Riemann’s solvers and Godunov’s method are utilized to establish the solution. Propagation of shock waves and flow property alterations are clearly demonstrated throughout the simulations. The results show strong shock waves as well as high transient pressure take place inside the outlet header. This is particularly important since it indicates the significance of accounting for shock waves and transient pressure, in contrast to commonly accepted steady state calculations. More precisely, shock waves and transient pressure could lead to failure, if the pipe thickness is chosen only based on conventional steady state calculations.