Challenges in Relief Design for Pilot Plants

The design of relief systems for pilot plants presents unique challenges that are not normally present in production facilities. Typical industry standards and codes, such as API standards 520 and 521, and ASME VIII Div 1 prescribe solutions which can be both prohibitive and impractical to implement at such a small scale. Relief valves at the pilot scale typically require orifices that are orders of magnitude smaller than what is commercially available for purchase. This paper looks at options available to designers when specifying and selecting relief devices at the pilot scale.