GAS/VAPOR & STEAM RELIEF SIZING CALCULATION

Calculation according API-RP-520 7th edition, January 2000)

API STD 520 eight edition, Dec 2008, Example1
RELIEF VALVE DATA
Discharge to HP-flare Fluid Vapor
Set pressure (Pset) (barg) 5.17 Vapor-gas / Steam relief (V / S) V

PROCESS DATA
VALVE DATA

Back pressure (P2) (bara) 1.00 Relieving temperature (T) (°C) 75

Accumulation (%) 10.00 Molweight gas/vapor (M) 51.00
Accumulated press. (P1) (bara) 6.70 Compressibility (Z) (@ relief cond.) 0.90
Specific heat ratio cp/cv (k) 1.11
Required relief load (W) (kg/h) 24270.0

RELIEF VALVE ORIFICE CALCULATION

X VAPOR / GAS O STEAM Abbr. Description unit
Check for subcritical flow only in case of steam relief A Calculated orifice area mm²
Check for subcritical flow using W Required mass flow kg/hr
1 . 904⋅W
the following formula A= C k-value coefficient
P1⋅K d⋅K b⋅K c⋅K n⋅K sh T Relieving temperature K
P2
( )
k
2 Calculated Kn with Z Compressibility factor
≥ k −1
2. 764⋅P1 −1000
P k+1 K n= M Mol weight kg/kmole
3. 324⋅P1 −1061 P1 Upstream relieving pressure bara
X Critcal flow vapor/gas O Subcritical flow vapor/gas P2 Back pressure bara
F2 Coefficient subcritical flow
A=
131. 6⋅W
C⋅K d⋅P 1⋅K b⋅K c
⋅
T⋅Z
M √ A=
0 .179⋅W
⋅
√
T⋅Z
F 2⋅K d⋅K c M⋅P1⋅( P1 −P2 )
k
r
Kd
Specific heat ratio Cp/Cv
Pressure ratio (P2/P1)
Discharge coefficient

√
Calculated F2 with Kb

√(
Calculated C with Back Pressure Coefficient

( )
k+1

( )
2
)
( k−1)/ k Kc
C=520⋅ k⋅ k−1 k 1−r Combination correction factor
F 2= ⋅(r )2/k⋅ Kn
k+1 k−1 1−r Ksh
Napier correction factor
Superheat correction factor
STANDARD ORIFICE AREAS (acc. API-RP-526)
Orifice tag D E F G H J K L M N
Area (mm²) 71 126 198 325 506 830 1186 1841 2323 2800
Area (sq. inch) 0,110 0,196 0,307 0,503 0,785 1,287 1,838 2,835 3,600 4,340

CORRECTION FACTORS CALCULATED ORIFICE

Discharge coefficient (Kd) 0.975 Type of flow Critical
CALC. DATA

Back pressure coeff. (Kb) 1.0 k-value coefficient (C) 328

K-VALUES

Comb. Rupture disk factor (Kc) 1.0 Coefficient subcritical flow (F2) -
Calculated orifice (mm²) 3697
Napier correction factor (Kn) - Recommended orifice (mm²) 4116
Superheat steam cor. factor (Ksh) 1.0 Orifice TAG (acc API-RP-526) P

NOTES :
mm²
kg/hr

kg/kmole
bara
bara

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etc
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