A key design method for safety relief valves requires that the forces acting on the valves can be scaled using a simple pressure scaling technique. This allows experimentally determined valve force characteristics to be measured at low pressure conditions and then scaled to the required operational pressures and allows spring characteristics to be specified. Ultimately, this has a direct connection with the opening and closing performance of the valve. In this paper, we question the accuracy of the scaling approach and examine the influence of the effect of built-up pressure in the discharge region of the valve. We investigate the problem theoretically using CFD techniques via the commercial code FLUENT. The influence of the discharge flange size is of particular interest since it can have an effect on the force lift curves by choking at the exit due to a detrimental increase in internal valve pressure. The investigation uses valves conforming to ASME 8 standards as a basis of the investigation. The CFD predictions are compared to experimental results of the force lift behaviour for validation purposes and then used to explore the validity of pressure scaling. The results indicate that when valves are operated with lower pressure ratios pressure scaling is not valid and common scaling approaches are only valid when the discharge flange is choked.
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ASME 2018 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference
July 15–20, 2018
Prague, Czech Republic
Conference Sponsors:
- Pressure Vessels and Piping Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-5162-3
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Limitations in the Use of Pressure Scaling for Safety Relief Valve Design
William Dempster,
William Dempster
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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Steven Taggart,
Steven Taggart
Broady Flow Control, Ltd., Hull, UK
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Christopher Doyle
Christopher Doyle
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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William Dempster
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Steven Taggart
Broady Flow Control, Ltd., Hull, UK
Christopher Doyle
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Paper No:
PVP2018-84737, V03AT03A002; 6 pages
Published Online:
October 26, 2018
Citation
Dempster, W, Taggart, S, & Doyle, C. "Limitations in the Use of Pressure Scaling for Safety Relief Valve Design." Proceedings of the ASME 2018 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference. Volume 3A: Design and Analysis. Prague, Czech Republic. July 15–20, 2018. V03AT03A002. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2018-84737
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