Pressure relief valve types and selection

Pressure relief valves are one of the few types of equipment purchased and installed with the hope that they'll never be used. From the production viewpoint, a pressure relief valve produces nothing, yet it is very capable of disrupting a production operation or process. From a safety standpoint, a pressure relief valve must open in certain emergency conditions and also close when the emergency condition has been alleviated. Much depends upon proper selection of the type of pressure relief valve best suited for the intended service. The six figures in this article provide a summary of basic pressure relief valve types - weight loaded, direct spring operated, and pilot operated - outlining the operation and some pros and cons of each type. It is intended to be relative and not absolute. The specific application, prior experience, available commercial or special valve configurations, coupled with various accessories (such as a pilot filter for pilot operated valves in dirty service or a rupture disc upstream of a pressure relief valve), and the location of the valve in the system may allow the use of an otherwise unacceptable valve type.