Why are pressure relief systems installed?
Chris Flower, Senior Process Engineer, ABB Engineering ServicesThe answer to this might be:
- To protect equipment from the consequences of under and overpressure
- It is required by the design codes
- Relief devices are always fitted to a pressure vessel or storage tank
However, these answers are not likely to justify expenditure in today’s climate of pressures on business performance. Also, thankfully, relief streams are rarely required to operate so any inadequacies are rarely noticed. This article explains what the answer to the question should be and provides supporting statistics and conclusions.