Balanced bellows

The set pressure of a conventional valve is affected by back pressure. The spring setting can be adjusted to compensate for constant back pressure. For a variable back pressure of greater than 10% of the set pressure, it is customary to go to the balanced bellows type which can generally tolerate variable back pressure of up to 40% of set pressure. Table 2 gives standard orifice sizes. 

Balanced Bellows Safety Relief Valve - A balanced safety relief valve incorporates means for minimizing the effect of back pressure on the performance characteristics opening pressure, closing pressure, lift and relieving capacity. This is usually achieved by the installation of a bellows. 

Superimposed Back Pressure - Is the pressure at the outlet of the pressure relief valve while the valve is in a closed position. This type of back pressure comes from other sources in the discharge system it may be constant or variable and it may govern whether a conventional or balanced bellows valve should be used in specific applications. 

Spring Pressure - The spring pressure is equal to the set pressure minus the superimposed back pressure for a conventional PR valve. For a balanced bellows safety relief valve, the spring pressure equals the set pressure. 

Figure 4. Typical balanced bellows safety relief valve.

In addition to the above back pressure limitations based on valve capacity, balanced bellows PR valves are also subject to back pressure limitations based on the mechanical strength of the bellows or bellows bonnet, or the valve outlet flange rating. The back pressure specified for the valve is governed by the lowest back pressure permitted by these various criteria. 

When the pilot exhausts to the atmosphere, a pilot-operated PR valve is fully balanced. Like the balanced bellows valve, therefore, its opening pressure is unaffected by back pressure, and high built-up back pressure does not result in chattering. 

A balanced bellows PR valve is one in which the closing force exerted by back pressure on the top of the valve disc and the back pressure exerted on the bottom of the disc are balanced by equal surface exposure, thus cancelling each other. The bellows shields the top of the disc from back pressure and the bellows area is vented to the atmosphere via the bonnet vent. 

Figure 6. Forces acting on discs of conventional and balanced bellows safety relief valves.

Balanced bellows valves need no reduction in spring pressure to compensate for superimposed back pressure, and they can tolerate variable superimposed back pressure without an effect on opening pressure. 

Balanced bellows PR valves need not be restricted to the same built-up back pressure limit (10% of set pressure) as are conventional valves, since they are not subject to chattering from this cause. However, maximum back pressure is limited by capacity and in some cases by the mechanical design strength limitations of parts such as the outlet flange, bellows, or valve bonnet. 

In general, the total back pressure on a balanced bellows pressure relief valve (superimposed plus built-up) should be limited to 50% of set pressure, because of the marked effect of higher back pressures on valve capacity, even when appropriate correction factors are used in sizing. In exceptional cases, such as a balanced bellows PR valve discharging into another vessel, total pressure up to 70% of set pressure may be used. 

It is important to note that back pressure affects balanced PR valve capacities in the same way as for conventional valves, and appropriate factors are included in the sizing procedures. They are subject to the same recommended limits of maximum total back pressure (superimposed plus built-up) as conventional valves. In the case of balanced bellows valves, mechanical considerations must also be evaluated, since they may limit the maximum permissible back pressure. 

VARIABLE OR CONSTANT BACKPRESSURE SIZING FACTOR. K,. FOR BALANCED BELLOWS SAFETY RELIEF VALVES (VAPORS AND GASES)... 

Figure 17. Variable or constant back pressure sizing factor, Kw for 25% overpressure on balanced bellows safety relief valves (liquids only). The curve represents conqiromise of the valves reconunended by a number of relief valve manufacturers. This curve may be used wiien the make of dw valve is not known. When the make is known, the manufacturer should be consulted for the correction factor.

For balanced bellows pressure relief valves, the maximum superimposed baek pressure should be specified. (For balanced bellows valves discharging to a safety valve header which is at atmospheric pressure under non-flowing conditions, the maximum back pressure is zero.)... 

In the case of a balanced bellows pressure relief valve, to the maximum pressure permitted by considerations of bellows and bellows bonnet flange mechanical strength. This maximum pressure may be obtained by applying the following correction factor to the maximum back pressure listed for 38 °C. 

As an alternative, a balanced bellows valve could be used since it is not affected by a variable superimposed back pressure. 

Other types of pressure-relief valves do not depend upon the back pressure for their performances. However, to ensure that the safety valves work at their maximum capacity, back pressure is limited to 50 percent of the relief valve set pressure. In the balanced bellows type valve, the spring does not act directly on the disk. Instead, it serves on a bellows first, which in turn acts on the disk. In case of the piston type, it works on the same principle as the bellows type, except that the bellows is replaced by a piston (see Figure 17B). The cross-sectional area of both the piston and the bellows is the same as the inlet nozzle of the valve and the effect of the back pressure on the top and the bottom of the disk creates equal balancing forces. That is, P,A is always equal to F, as shown in Figure 17B. 

I here are three types of relief valves conventional, balanced-bellow s, and spring loaded. 

Figure 13-4. Balanced-bellows relief valve. (Couriesy of APi. ...

Figure 13-5. Operation of balanced-bellows sofety-relief valve. (Reprinted with permission from APi 520.1...

Balanced bellows type valves are normally used where the relief valves are piped to a closed flare system and the back-pressure exceeds 10% of the set pressure, where conventional valves can t be used because back-pressure is too high. They are also used in flow lines, multiphase lines, or for ptu affinic or asphaltic crude, where pilot-operated valves can t be used due to possible plugging of the pilot line. An advantage of this type of relief valve is, for corrosive or dirty service, the bellows protects the spring from process fluid. A disadvantage is that the bellows can fatigue, which will allow process fluid to escape through the bonnet. For HjS service, the bonnet vent must be piped to a safe area. 

The set points for pilot-operated and balanced-bellows relief valves are unaffected by back-pressure, so they are able to tolerate higher backpressure than conventional valves. For pilot-operated and balanced-bellows relief valves, the capacity is reduced as the back-pressure goes above a certain limit. 

Figure 13-8 Bock-pressure sizing factor K, for balanced-bellows pressure relief valves—vapors ono gases.

Conventional Valve, Balanced-Bellows Valve, or Pilf>t-Operated Valve... 

Calculations of Orifice Flow Area using Pressure Relieving Balanced Bellows Valves, with Variable or Constant Back Pressure. Must be used when backpressure variation exceeds 10% of the set pressure of the valve. Flow may be critical or non-critical for balanced valves. All orifice areas. A, in sq in. [68]. The sizing procedure is the same as for conventional valves listed above (Equations 7-10 ff), but uses equations given below incorporating the correction factors K, and K,, . With variable backpressure, use maximum value for P9 [33a, 68]. 

When using a balanced/bellows relief valve in the sub-critical, use Equations 7-18 through 7-22 how ever, the backpressure correction factor for this condition should be supplied by the valve manufacturer [33A]. For sub-critical, conventional valve ... 

There are two general categories of relief devices (spring-operated and rupture discs) and two major types of spring-operated valves (conventional and balanced-bellows), as illustrated in Figure 8-7. 

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