API - RP 576 INSPECTION OF PRESSURE-RELIEVING DEVICES 1. Scope This recommended practice describes automatic pressure relieving devices commonly used in the Oil and petrochemical industries. This publication does not cover weak seams or sections in tanks, fusible plugs, and control valves. This publication does not cover training requirements for mechanics involved in the inspection and repair of pressure relieving devices. 2. Reasons For Inspection Pressure-relieving devices are installed on process equipments to release excess pressure due to upset operations, external fires & other hazards. A property designed, and installed pressure-relieving device that is maintained in good condition is essential to the safety of personnel and the protection of the equipment. To determine the condition of the pressure-relieving device. To evaluate inspection frequency. 3. Type of pressure-relieving devices A pressure relief valve is an automatic pressure-relieving device that under excessive static upstream pressure opens and allows the product to flow until normal pressure has been restored. Safety Valve A safety valve is a spring-loaded pressure-relieving device that is popped open by enough static pressure and kinetic energy of the gas or vapor to overcome the spring force on the disk as it is ted, to provide full opening and allow minimal overpressure. The closing pressure will be less than the set pressure and will be reached after the blow down phase is completed. Safety valves are used on steam boiler drums and super-heaters. They may also be used for general air and steam services in a refinery. Safety valves should not be used where the escape of fluid around blowing valves is not desirable.Relief Valve: A relief valve is a spring-loaded pressure-relieving device for liquid service that begins to open when the inlet pressure reaches set pressure, overcomes the spring force, and begins to lift the disk off the seat and that continues to open as inlet pressure and the lift of the disk increase. The closing pressure is less that that of the set pressure and will be reached after the blow down phase is completed, Relief valves are normally used for incompressible fluids. Safety Relief Valve: A safety relief valve is a spring-loaded pressure relief valve that acts as a safety valve when used in gas or vapor service and as a relief valve when used in liquid service A safety relief valve opens fully before the over-pressure reaches a valve 10 percent greater than its set pressure in a compressible medium or 25 percent greater than its set pressure in an incompressible medium Balanced Safety Relief Valve A balanced safety relief valve is a safety relief valve that incorporates a pressure- balancing bellows, piston, or both to minimize the effects of back pressure on its operational characteristics. Balanced SRVs are normally used in refinery process industries that handle flammable, hot, or toxic fluids, which may pass through a closed discharge system or be released through the valve at a safe, remote point. Rupture ice A rupture disk is a thin diaphragm normally held between specially designed flanges that relieves pressure from a vessel or system by rupturing at a predetermined pressure. Rapture disks are available in various metals, polymers, plastics and coated metals. Nonmetallic disks, such as those of impervious graphite, are flat, Some bulged metal disks are designed for installation with the concave side towards the source of pressure, This places the disk material in tension, 4. Causes Of Improper Performance 4.1 Corrosion Corrosion is the basic cause of pitted or broken valve parts, deposits of corrosive residue that interfere with the operation of the moving parts, or a general deterioration of the material of the relieving device.4.2 Damaged Seating Surfaces There are many causes of damaged valve seats: a. Corrosion of vaive seat or valve disc. ». Foreign particles that get into the vaive inlet and pass through the valve when it opens, such as mill scale, welding spatter slag, corrosive deposits, coke. or dirt. c. Leakage past the seating surfaces of a valve after it has been installed. This leakage contributes to seat damage by causing erosion (wire drawing) or corrosion of the seating surface. 4.3 Failed spring: Spring failure occurs in two forms. The first is a weakening of the spring, which causes a reduction in set pressure and the possibility of premature opening. The second is a total failure (complete breakage) of the spring, which causes uncontrolied valve opening 4.4 Improper Setting and Adjustment: Improper setting of a pressure relief valve is usually due to carelessness by or inadequate training of maintenance personnel. Valve malfunction may also be due to sticking of disc or disc holder in the guide. This may be due to corrosion and galling. Galling may be due to valve chatter or flutter caused by improper piping at valve inlet or outlet or by over sizing at valve. 4.5 Plugging and Sticking In petrochemical service, process solids such as coke or solidified products can sometimes plug various parts of the valve and connected piping 6. Frequency and Time Inspection 5.1 Inspection Frequency To ensure proper performance, a definite time interval between inspections should be established for every pressure relieving device on operating equipment. Depending on operating experiences, this interval may vary from one installation to another. In API 510, the subsection on pressure-relieving devices establishes a maximum interval between inspections of 5 years, or 10 years depending on valves are employed in corrosive or non-corrosive service.5.2. Shop Test Block After a pressure relief valve is removed from service, it inspection and repair. is usually taken to the shop for ‘An important phase of maintenance is testing to determine the set pressure and tightness of the vaive “as received” and after its overhaul. Most test blocks have facilities for testing with either air or water to simulate, as closely as possible, the media handled by safety and relief valves, respectively. Bottled nitrogen may be used instead, especially for high-pressure valves. 5.3 Testing with Ai Most test blocks are designed to test pressure relief valves with air because it is a safe and readily available medium. The air test is generally used to test safety, relief, and safety relief valves for set pressure and valve tightness. 5.4 Testing with Water Test blocks may include facilities that test relief valves with water. Water in safe and inexpensive. The Air-system test block includes a compressor or other source of high-pressure air, a supply reservoir, a test drum or surge tank pressure gauge and other instrumentation. ‘The water-system test block includes a positive displacement pump, piping valves and other instrumentation. 6. Inspection, Testing & Setting 1. After a pressure relief vaive is removed from service, it is transported to shop for inspection testing and resetting. 2. When the valve is first received in shop it should be placed on test stand and pressurized to determine its “as received’ relieving pressure (pop pressure) 3. If valve opens at set pressure, it is O.K. functionally. If valve opening pressure is higher than set pressure, give it a second test, on second test if it opens at set pressure means it was stuck on first occasion probably due to deposits. if the valve opens at lower than set pressure. The spring has become weak. 4, After the test pop, valve is visually inspected and checked for evidence of pitting, roughening, corrosion or breakage of springs, evidence of deposits of foreign material or corrosion products, condition of inlet/outlet nozzles and evidence of deposits, blockades etc. Body wall thickness measurement. 5. Dismantling & reassembly of valve.© After pop-pressure check & initial visual inspection, vaive shall be carefully dismantied for through overhauling. © After cleaning, the parts should be checked for wear and corrosion. © Seating surfaces on the disc and nozzles should be inspected for roughness and damage. «Seat flatness shail be checked with optical fiats or other suitable devices. (e.g. lapping blocks) © Spring shall be checked for cracking or deformation. © Wom out or damaged parts shall be replaced or reconditioned © Seating surfaces shall be machined and lapped. ¢ The valve shall be then reassembled according to manufacturer's instructions. Spring shall be adjusted to pop at desired pressure Setting of valve to set pressure: After the valve has been reconditioned and reassembled, its spring should be adjusted for the last time to ensure the vatve will pop at the required set pressure. If a new set pressut must not be exceeded. required, the manufacturer's limits for adjustment of the spring After the valve setting has been adjusted, it should be popped at least once to prove the accuracy of the setting. The deviation of the pop pressure from the set pressure should not exceed: 2 psi for. set pr. = 70 psi. For pressure relief valves that comply with Section VIII, Division 1, of the ASME code, max. set pr. = 10% of WP. When the pressure is tested with water, it should be raised slowly to the required setting, ‘The discharge should be observed for evidence of leakage, or the test gauge should be observed of a momentary drop in pressure. Attainment of the set pressure is usually indicated be a small continuous stream of water from the valve discharge.The pressure at which the vaive releases should be within the tolerances noted above before the valve is approved for service. Checking of Valve for tightness: Once the valve is set to pop at its set pressure, it should be checked for leakage. (On the test block, it can be tested for tightness by increasing the pressure on the valve to 90 percent of the set pressure and observing the discharge side of the valve for evidence of leakage. 7. Records & Reports ‘The need to keep records: For each pressure-relieving device in service, a complete permanent record should be kept. The record of each device should include its specification data and a continuously accumulating history of inspection and test results. Historical records (service records) showing dates and results of inspections are necessary for the follow-up or control phase of the pressure-relieving device program. They enable periodic reviews to determine whether the planned test intemals for a device are being realized. They also provide performance data that helps evaluate the suitability of the device for its particular service. It is especially important that the records offer a practical and realistic basis for establishing and maintaining safe and economical inspection intervals for the device.