If you're involved in the development of a new industrial facility, you may be planning your installation process and ordering various items of equipment to make sure that the operation will be a success. The process will involve the transmission of materials under pressure, and you know that you have to introduce certain safety measures in order to ensure that everything works safely and without interruption. Yet you will have to match your pressure relief equipment carefully with the type of environment you expect, or you could face unwanted issues and downtime. What do you need to consider when choosing pressure relief valves in this situation?
Material
You will come across a huge variety of pressure relief valves, and not all of them are applicable in every situation. For example, these valves can be made from different materials that are meant to deal with specific applications. If the liquid flowing within the pipes is corrosive, for example, you need to choose pressure relief valves that are made from stainless steel in order to cope with the long-term effects of the liquid on the metal.
Sizing
Relief valves are also made to a specific size and type in order to cope with the configuration of the inlet and outlet piping. You need to choose the connection size carefully if your operation is to run unimpeded.
Back Pressure
You can also expect a certain amount of back pressure to come from the discharge side of the system, and this can affect the working pressure of the valve itself. If there is constant pressure a specific type of pilot-operated valve is recommended.
Limitations
Other pressure relief valves are meant to cope with temperature and pressure gradients according to predetermined limits. This will need to be carefully calibrated to ensure that the pressure within the system will cause the valve to open at precisely the right moment.
Pressure Limits
Certainly, pressure relief valves are designed to alleviate pressure, but they will not operate in every eventuality. Therefore, the valves have to be matched carefully with the temperature of the gas or liquid flowing through the system and often other aspects as well to make sure that the maximum capacity of the unit is not exceeded.
Narrowing It Down
As you can see, there are multiple factors involved in choosing the right kind of valve, including the type of liquid or gas, inlet and outlet pressure, temperature and other factors. Discuss your requirements with an equipment supplier that sells products such as Bailey safety valves to ensure that your new project is fitted out properly.
