Pressure Relief and Safety Valves

Overview

Pressure relief valves are often the only thing standing between an overpressure event and a ruptured vessel, yet they can sit unnoticed for years and fail when they are finally needed because of fouling, corrosion, wrong settings or poor installation. This course gives engineers and technicians a thorough understanding of how relief devices work and how to keep them reliable. Participants study conventional, balanced bellows and pilot-operated valves and rupture disks, and learn how set pressure, overpressure, blowdown and back pressure affect performance. The course explains sizing principles from API 520 and API 521, installation requirements for inlet and outlet piping, and the causes of chatter and instability. It then covers testing, inspection and repair in line with API 576, including bench testing, in-situ testing, inspection intervals and record keeping, and how to investigate valves that failed to open or failed to reseat.

Objectives

• Describe the types of pressure relief devices and how each works
• Explain set pressure, overpressure, accumulation, blowdown and back pressure
• Apply basic sizing principles from API 520 and API 521
• Specify correct inlet and outlet piping installation
• Diagnose chatter, simmering, leakage and failure to reseat
• Plan testing, inspection and repair in line with API 576
• Maintain relief device records and manage changes

Who should attend

Training methodology

Cutaway valves and animations show the internal operation of each valve type. Participants carry out simple sizing calculations, check inlet pressure loss and built-up back pressure for sample installations, and review relief valve data sheets for errors. Workshop videos demonstrate disassembly, inspection, lapping and bench testing. Failure cases from refineries and gas plants are analysed in groups to identify causes and corrective actions, and a written assessment closes the course.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Certificate

Frequently asked questions