Design of Safety Valves

Design standard: DIN EN ISO 4126-1

Design of safety valves DIN EN ISO 4126-1 | LESER GmbH & Co. KG | 01.03.2011 | Rev. 01

Objective
Objective
Codes and standards
Design

Objective of the presentation

Design of Safety Valves DIN EN ISO 4126-1

The objective of the presentation is to show the

design of safety valves in compliance with ISO 4126-1.

inlet pressure loss

Back pressure

Standard specifications for the design of safety valves

Formulas for the design of safety valves

Factors Influencing the stability

in operation

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Objective
Codes
andstandards
standards
Codes and
Design

National and international standards

for the calculation specifications of safety valves
Calculation levels of safety valves

inlet pressure loss

Back pressure

ISO 4126-1

AD 2000 Merkblatt A2

TRD 421

API 520

ASME VIII

Calculation levels of inlet pressure loss and back pressure

ISO 4126-9
Chapter 7 + 9

AD 2000 Merkblatt A2
Chapter 6

TRD 421
Chapter 6

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Objective

What impact does this have on the user?

Codes
andstandards
standards
Codes and
Design
inlet pressure loss

Size
determination

Back pressure

inlet
pressure loss

ISO 4126-1 must be applied in the European region

for size determination of safety valves
TRBS is not yet available for specification of the safety
valve
There is no effect on the capacity and function up to a
pressure loss of 3%
Pressure losses >3% must be taken into account in the
capacity calculation. The operation may be affected.

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Objective

What impact does this have on the user?

Codes
andstandards
standards
Codes and
Design
inlet pressure loss

Back pressure

Effect on the capacity taking the pao/po curve into

consideration
This ratio is observed for absolute pressures.

Back pressure

rated coefficient of discharge Kdr /w

Capacity minimisation must also be

taken into consideration for low set
pressures.

Correction factor for back pressure Kb

p = 03 bar g (set pressure)

pao = 1.013 bar a (ambient pressure)
po = (0.3 barg + 0.1 barg + 1.013 bar
a) (pressure in the system to be
secured)
pao / p0 = 1.013 bar a / (0.3 barg +0.1
bar g + 1.013 bar a) = 0.72
>> Kb = 0.81

Ratio back pressure / set pressure pao/ po

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Objective
Codes and standards
Design
Design

What parameters are important for the

design, and how are they related?
High Performance

inlet pressure loss

Coefficient of discharge w:
the rated coefficient of discharge from
component testing (often also referred to
as d)

Orifice area A0:

actual orifice area

Substance information
medium-dependent substance data

Operating data:
state parameters like pressure and
temperature

Back pressure

d0

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Objective
Codes and standards

Coefficient of discharge and rated

coefficient of discharge

Design
Design

German Code

American Code

VdTV Merkblatt
SV 100, 3.3.1

ASME-Code Sec.VIII,
Div. 1, UG-131 (e)

inlet pressure loss

Back pressure

Coefficient of
discharge
Rated coefficient
of discharge

qmeasured
qtheoretical

w = 0.9 x

qmeasured
qtheoretical

= actual measured qm
= calculated qm

or Kd
d or K
0.9

= coefficient of discharge
= rated coefficient of discharge
= correction factor

Design of safety valves | LESER GmbH & Co. KG | 01.03.2011 | Rev. 01

Kd =

qmeasured
qtheoretical

K = 0.9 x Kd

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Objective

Differentiation of media

Codes and standards

Design
Design

Steams/
gasses

inlet pressure loss

Subcritical
Supercritical

Back pressure

Low viscosity
Liquids
High viscosity

Medium
Saturated steam
Steam
Superheated steam

Twophase
flow

Design of safety valves | LESER GmbH & Co. KG | 01.03.2011 | Rev. 01

Liquid phase
Gaseous Phase

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Objective

Required data on materials

Codes and standards

Design
Design
inlet pressure loss
Back pressure

Gasses/
steams

Liquids

Saturated
steam

Superheated
steam

Set pressure pset

psig

Back pressure pa

psig

Temperature T

[C]

Mass flow* qm

[kg/h]

Volumetric flow rate* qv

(while operating)

[m/h]

Volumetric flow rate* qv

[Nm/h]

Overpressure c

[%]

Real gas factor Z

[-]

[kg/kmol]

[-]

Molar mass M
Isentropic exponent k

Density

[kg/m]

Kinematic viscosity

[m2/s]

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Objective
Codes and standards

Design for gasses/steam

as per DIN EN ISO 4126-1

Design
Design
inlet pressure loss

ISO 4126-1

A=

Back pressure

ZT

Qm
C Kdr p0

ISO 4126-1
Actual orifice area

A [mm]

Mass flow

Qm [kg/h]

Functional isentropic exponent

C [-]

Rated coefficient of discharge

Kdr

Set pressure
Temperature
Molar mass
Real gas factor

p0 [bar abs]
T [K]
M [kg/kmol]
Z [-]

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Objective
Codes and standards

Design for saturated steam

as per DIN EN ISO 4126-1

Design
Design
inlet pressure loss

ISO 4126-1

Back pressure

A=

Qm
C Kdr 0.2883

p0

ISO 4126-1
Actual orifice area

A [mm]

Set pressure

p0 [bar abs]

Functional isentropic exponent

Mass flow

Qm [kg/h]

Specific volume
Rated coefficient of discharge

v [m3/kg]
Kdr [m3/kg]

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Objective
Codes and standards

Design for liquids

as per DIN EN ISO 4126-1

Design
Design
inlet pressure loss

ISO 4126-1

A=

p0 - pb

Back pressure

Qm
1.61 Kdr Kv

ISO 4126-1
Actual orifice area

A [mm]

Set pressure

po [bar abs]

Back pressure

pb [bar]

Mass flow
Specific volume
Rated coefficient of discharge
Viscosity correction factor

Qm [kg/h]
v [m3/kg]
Kdr
Kv

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Objective
Codes and standards

Inlet pressure loss

Influencing Factors

Design

p2 = p1

p2 = p1 - p

inlet
pressureloss
loss
inlet pressure

p = 0

p > 0

Back pressure

Valve is
closed

p2

Valve is
open

p2

p
p1

p
p1

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Objective
Codes and standards
Design

Inlet pressure loss

Standards and Codes

A maximum pressure loss of 3% from the vessel to the safety valve

is permissible for the most common international standards and
codes.

ISO 4126-9 Chapter 6.2

Unless otherwise specified by national codes or regulations, the inlet
line shall be so designed that the total pressure drop to the valve inlet
does not exceed 3 % of the set pressure of the safety device,

inlet
pressureloss
loss
inlet pressure
Back pressure

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Objective

Calculation

Codes and standards

p = ( l/d + ) /2 w2

Design
inlet
pressureloss
loss
inlet pressure

Flow
resistance

Back pressure

l/d

Flow
rate

= Pipe friction coefficient (pipeline)

= Length and diameter of a pipe
= Friction coefficient (components)
= Density
= Speed

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Objective

Inlet pressure loss

Codes and standards

Design

The following measures prevent malfunctions that are caused by an

inadmissible inlet pressure loss:

inlet
pressureloss
loss
inlet pressure
Back pressure

Reduction of the flow rate through

increasing the pipe diameter
reducing the mass flow through a smaller valve
reducing the mass flow through a lift stopper
reducing the mass flow through an O-ring-damper

Reduction of the flow rate

through
shorter inlet pipeline
low-resistance connection
to the vessel

Incorrect

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Correct

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Objective

Inlet pressure loss

Codes and standards

Design

Reduction of the flow rate is more effective

than reduction of the flow resistance

inlet
pressureloss
loss
inlet pressure
Back pressure
Reduction (%)

Reduction of the pressure loss

p = ( l/d + ) /2 w 2
Reduction of flow resistance

Reduction of the flow rate (w)

Reduction of the pressure loss (%)

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Objective
Codes and standards
Design

Back pressure
Definition

Back pressure

inlet pressure loss

Back
pressure
Back pressure

Built-up
back pressure

External back
pressure

Constant

Exists only in the

outlet while the
safety valve
blows off. It is
dependent on the
flow loss in the
discharge line.

Variable

Exists
permanently in the
outlet system The
external back
pressure is
dependent on the
blow-off of the
safety valve

Back pressure

Back pressure = built-up back pressure

+ external pressure

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Objective
Codes and standards
Design
inlet pressure loss

Back pressure stability

Setting

The following measures prevent malfunctions

resulting from the back pressure:

Back
pressure
Back pressure

Constant back pressure

settings to differential set pressure (CDTP)
use of stainless steel bellows

Variable back pressure

use of stainless steel bellows

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