Rupture discs and safety valves

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It’s a well-known problem for plant operators: safety devices are obstructed more or less strongly in their functioning and reliability by the presence of sticky, polymerising or viscous media. The same is true for safety valves. If the base of the valve has become sticky, the defined response pressure can no longer be guaranteed. This risk appears even before the safety valve responds for the first time. To ensure that, in an emergency, it can respond at the relevant pressure, it needs to be cleaned and inspected at short intervals. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might happen otherwise – not to mention the costs. If there is a rupture disc in front of the safety valve, it prevents material build-up and bonding. The REMBE rupture disc KUB V, for instance, has a smooth metal surface turned towards the process, which prevents any adhesion. The buckling pins – i.e. the predetermined breaking points of the rupture disc which define the rupture pressure – are just as much isolated from the process medium as the safety valve. Maintaining the rupture pressure also ensures that the existing dead space is reduced. Furthermore, a rupture disc in front of a safety valve helps in cases where the medium contains solids, as it prevents particles from getting stuck to the base of the valve.

This means that service intervals and cleaning cycles can be longer for the safety valves, and any cleaning that may be necessary is much easier. This makes it far more cost-effective for operators.