API-520 (6th edition, March 1993)

Notes:
Page No.: 1

1. Pressure relieving devices are required for the equipment that has a maximum
allowable working pressure of 15 psig or greater.
2. This Standard is intended to protect unfired pressure vessels and equipment
against overpressure from operating and fire contingencies.
3. Pressure relief devices protect a vessel against overpressure only; they do not
protect against structural failure when the vessel is exposed to fire.
4. Atmospheric and low pressure storage tanks covered in API standard 2000
and pressure vessels under the transportation of products in bulk or shipping
container are not within the scope of this Standard.
5. A pressure relief device is actuated by inlet static pressure and designed to
open during an emergency or abnormal conditions to prevent a rise of internal
fluid pressure in excess of a specified value. The device also may be designed
to prevent excessive internal vacuum. The device may be a pressure relief
valve, a nonreclosing pressure relief device (Rupture Disk), or a vacuum relief
valve.
6. A relief valve is used primarily with incompressible fluids and safety valve is
normally used with compressible fluids. Relief valve and safety valve is a
spring-loaded pressure relief valve actuated by the static pressure upstream of
the valve. Relief valve opens proportionally to the pressure increase over the
opening pressure, whereas safety valve opens rapidly.
7. Relief valve and safety valve are different. Whereas Safety relief valve is a
combination of both i.e. it may be used as either a safety or relief valve
depending on the application. Safety relief valve is a spring loaded pressure
relief valve.

Page No.: 2

8. The maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) is the basis for the
pressure setting of the pressure relief devices that protect the vessel.
9. The design gauge pressure may be used in place of MAWP in all cases where
the MAWP has not been established. The design pressure is equal to or less
than the MAWP.
10. Back pressure is the pressure that exists at the outlet of a pressure relief
device as a result of the pressure in the discharge system. It is the sum of
superimposed and built-up back pressure.
11. Built-up back pressure is the increase in pressure in the discharge header that
develops as a result of flow after the pressure relief device opens.
12. Superimposed back pressure is the static pressure that exists at the outlet of a
pressure relief device at the time the device is required to operate. It is the
result of pressure in the discharge system coming from other sources and may
be constant or variable.
13. Blow down is the difference between the set pressure and the closing pressure
of a pressure relief valve, expressed as a percent of the set pressure or in
pressure units.

Page No.: 3

14. Relief valve capacities are usually rated at 10 or 25 percent overpressure,

depending on the application.
15. Conventional pressure relief valves are used when the discharge is through a
short tail pipe that vents to the atmosphere or through a low-pressure manifold
system that carries the discharged fluid of one or more valves to a remote
location for disposal.

Page No.: 6

16. Flutter refers to abnormally rapid reciprocating motion of the movable parts of
a pressure relief valve in which the disk does not contact the seat. Chatter
refers to the motion that causes the disk to contact the seat and damage the
valve and associated piping. The allowable built-up back pressure must
therefore be considered for each amount of overpressure used.
17. Conventional pressure relief valves should typically not be used when the
built-up pressure is greater than 10 percent of the set pressure at 10 percent
overpressure. A higher maximum allowable built-up pressure may be used for
overpressure greater than 10 percent.

Page No.: 14

18. Application of Rupture Disks

The ratio of the maximum operating pressure to the actual burst pressure
rating is a primary factor in selecting a rupture disk and its associated
manufacturing range.
The maximum expected operating pressure should be sufficiently below the
design pressure of the vessel to prevent premature failure of the disk due to
fatigue or creep.
A rupture disk is a pressure differential device. The designer must consider
pressure on both side of the disk when the disk burst pressure is specified.
The rupture disk is a temperature-sensitive device. Burst pressure can vary
significantly with the temperature at the location of the rupture disk device.
This temperature may be different from the normal fluid operating
temperature. As the temperature at the disk increases, the burst pressure
usually decreases. Since the effect of temperature depends on the rupture disk
and material, the manufacturer should be consulted.
The rupture disk must be specified at the temperature and pressure at which
the disk is expected to burst.
Page No.: 16

19. A rupture disk device may be used as a primary or supplemental pressure

relief device. It may be used independently or in conjunction with pressure
relief valves.

Page No.: 17

20. Rupture Disk Devices in Combination with Pressure Relief Valves

 Rupture disk device at the inlet of pressure relief valve

• The capacity of a rupture disk in combination with a pressure
relief valve, where the rupture disk device is located at the valve inlet,
may be determined by multiplying the ASME stamped valve capacity
be the combination capacity factor, KC. The value of KC is 0.90.

 When a rupture disk device is used in combination with a pressure

relief valve and the devices are close coupled, the specified burst pressure
and set pressure should be the same nominal value.

 Rupture disk device at the outlet of pressure relief valve

• To protect the valve from atmospheric or downstream fluids or
to prevent hazardous or flammable materials from leaking through the
outlet of the pressure relief valve to the atmosphere.

Page No.: 21

Section 3 – Causes of Overpressure

Section 3.2 - Process Causes (Excluding Fire)

21. When the fluid is pumped to a pressure vessel and if the fluid flow rates are
imbalance. The discharge pressure developed by the pump may be greater
than the maximum allowable working pressure of the vessel. In this case, a
pressure relief device must be provided to protect the vessel against excessive
pressure when the vessel becomes full. A means of warning the operator
against overfilling the vessel may be provided by the designer. A means of
automatically shutting down the pump may also be provided; nevertheless, a
pressure relief device must be installed.
22. A more involved relief problem is a fractionating tower in which vapor may
be generated and accumulated as a result of mal-operation of the condensing
and reflux system or the reboiler and vapor-generating system.
Page No.: 22

23. Equipment that is not capable of withstanding external atmospheric pressure

should be provided with a vacuum relief device if it is likely to be subjected to
vacuum.

Section 3.3 - Fire

24. A pressure vessel that contains flammable or non-flammable liquids should be

provided a pressure relief device to relieve overpressure generated by fire heat
input. Since a pressure relieving device may not protect the vessel from
bursting when it is exposed to fire.
25. If an open, free burning fire occurs, heat will be absorbed by the vessel and
other equipment exposed to the flame either by radiation or by direct contact
from hot gases or flames or both. If the heat absorption continues long
enough, the contents of the vessel will be heated, and the pressure will rise
until the pressure relief device opens.
The release of vapors through the pressure relief device will serve to limit the
maximum pressure in the vessel. If the rate of vapor generation is greater than
the rated capacity of the valve, the pressure will build up beyond the
permissible accumulation and may reach a pressure that is unsafe for the
vessel.
26. The heat input to a vessel for above conditions may be estimated by the
method given in D.5.1 (Heat absorption equations).

Section 3.3.2 – Effect of fire on the wetted surface of a vessel

27. Internal insulation is likely to seriously affect the temperature of the vessel
wall by reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the liquid. In this case, the
vessel may quickly reach temperatures at which the stress level from pressure
is adequate to cause short term creep rupture.

Page No.: 23

Section 4 – Procedure for sizing

28. Pressure relief valves may be sized using the equations presented in 4.3
through 4.5 as appropriate for vapors, gases or liquids. These equations are
used to calculate the effective nozzle area necessary to achieve a required flow
rate through the valve.
29. The effective areas and assumed discharge coefficient, Kd = 0.975.
30. Relieving pressure P1 is the inlet pressure of the pressure relief device at
relieving conditions. The relieving pressure is the total of set pressure +
overpressure + atmospheric pressure.
31. Relieving pressure for pressure relief valves in liquid service is determined in
a manner similar to that used for vapor service except that the relieving
pressure is expressed in gauge rather than absolute units.
32. Allowable overpressure is same as allowable accumulation only when the set
pressure is equal to the maximum allowable working pressure.
33. In case of ASME-application liquid service valves (for protection of a liquid
full vessel), max accumulated pressure is limited to 110 % of the max
allowable working pressure for operating contingencies-the same constraint as
for vapor service.
34. In case of non-ASME-application liquid service valves (for protection of
piping without vessels included), 25 % overpressure is generally specified.

Page No.: 24

35. Table 2 summarizes the maximum accumulation and set pressure for pressure
relief valves specified in accordance with ASME Code.
36. Table 3, 4, 5, and 6 shows an example determination of Relieving pressure for
single valve (operating contingencies), multiple valve (operating
contingencies), single valve (fire contingencies) and multiple valve (fire
contingencies).

Page No.: 25

37. Sizing of Gas or Vapor relief