The pressure relief valves protect against the devastating effects of the overpressure. Unfortunately there are so careful with the environment and which are not always made leakproof, and can therefore be emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere continuously. While European directives aimed at reducing emissions of gases causing the greenhouse effect based on a share issue (linked to heavy fines for countries that fail), other solutions much easier go unnoticed.
The Legislation as a Starting Point
To meet the quota, the European Union recommends that the industry use measures to reduce CO2 emissions, such as optimizing energy consumption, renovate existing equipment, adapting new technologies in the process and, in the longer term, make R \u0026 D efforts to develop less harmful processes.
When calculating the average annual emissions, identifying emission sources and take effective action is sufficient to decrease pollution. However, often the simplest are sometimes ignored.
One example is the safety valve, present in most industries to relieve pressure. The API 527 standard indicates that these teams are acceptable provided they can demonstrate that their level of transience is less than 0.043 meters air cubic equivalent per day. This, applied to a process plant to use 100 safety valves can be converted in 2000 m3 / year of CO2 (or equivalent) than escaping through the safety valves. In a ‘cost’ means of 20 euros per cubic meter that exceed the quota allocated to the company can be a very high annual cost.
The Bursting Disc as the Solution
However, there is a very simple and reliable solution. Install a rupture disc between the process and the safety valve will reduce the emission of gases and the associated costs.
The rupture discs are metallic membranes that open (break) to a predetermined pressure (in this case to the same pressure that the valve is activated) and also following a predetermined pattern, thus relieving the pressure in a controlled manner and protecting the team. The rupture discs are completely sealed, which means that emissions are reduced to zero. Furthermore, not being the valve in contact with the process avoids corrosion problems (which may lead to further maintenance costs). Thus, in addition, the microvalves life is extended.
The rupture discs have proven their reliability to the industry for over 60 years. These ‘weak points’ may be the ’strengths’ of your process, and may also be environmental.
