Best performance characteristic of pressure relief valves and the amount of lost product

Abstract

Abstract A historic introduction to the pressure relief valve evolution leads to the definition of the best performance characteristic of pressure relief valves. The salient features of the valve's best performanace characteristic as a combination of the valve ‘best dynamic performance’ and the valve ‘best discharge capacity’ and factors leading to distortions of the best performance characteristic are discussed. The question of the amount of lost product and furgitive emissions is discussed in connection with the accumulated pressure and valve blowdown in light of the Clean Air Act passed by the US Congress.