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NABIC Valves

How do safety valves work?

The Safety Valve is designed into systems in the expectation (and hope) that they will never be called into action

Group of NABIC Valves

The function of the Safety Valve is to protect life and property against failure to control system pressures, ie it offers the last means of reducing system pressure before total failure.

Within heating and chilled water systems, excessive system pressures are caused by, amongst other reasons:

  • During start-up of items of ‘plant’
  • Failure of control valves
  • Failure of temperature and pressure sensors within the system
  • And of course human error

BS EN ISO 4126-1:2013 – Safety devices for protection against excessive pressure. Safety Valves.

This European Standard superseded BS EN ISO 4126-1:2004 which again superseded the older British Standard BS 6759.  BS 6759 was divided into 3 sections;

  1. BS 6759 – 1:1984
    • Steam and Hot Water
  1. BS 6759 – 1:1984
    • Compressed Air and Inert Gas
  2. BS 6759 – 1:1984
    • Process Fluids
Safety Valve Cross Section

In 2004 the new, well new in 2004, EU Standard brings together the Safety, Pressure Relief, Safety Relief Valves into a single Standard – Safety Valves. Interestingly, the American Standard ASME / ANSI still divide these three functions. Due to the potential risk to life caused by failing systems, most nations around the world have a National Standard covering Safety Valves.


SAFETY VALVE OPERATION

Safety Valves used within the Building Services Industry follow a design that uses an applied force (a spring) to directly oppose the system force.

This valve design utilises three states:

Equilibrium in safety valve
  1. Equilibrium

The equilibrium state is where the closing forces, ie applied by the spring and any back pressure, is in ‘equilibrium’ (balanced) with the opening forces, ie applied by the system pressure.  The disc and seat are ‘just’ in contact so flow has not started but about to start

Safety valve fully open

2. Fully open

The fully open state is where the valve can pass the maximum capacity at the specified overpressure.  It follows of course, that for the valves to open, the system force must exceed the equilibrium force, ie overcome the applied spring and back pressure force.
Some designs of Safety Valve, like the NABIC Figure 500, achieve a higher discharge flow rate by having a higher disc lift and larger discharge size

Safety valve closed

3. Fully closed

The fully closed state is where the valves is fully closed, ie nil leakage.  The closing force exceeds the opening force, ie the opening force is lower than the equilibrium force


SAFETY VALVE SIZING

The sizing of Safety Valves is particularly important. 

NABIC have a sophisticated programme to ensure correct selection.


NABIC Valves - Best in Class

SAFETY VALVE INSTALLED POSITION

Safety valves should only be installed in a vertical position with the spring chamber, ie the bonnet, in an upwards position. An isolation valve between the safety valve and the system is strictly prohibited.

The installation should avoid:


SAFETY VALVE MAINTENANCE


TYPICAL SYSTEM FAILURES

Within Building Services, there are four typical system failure modes that bring the safety into action:


TYPICAL TERMS

Set Pressure

BS EN ISO state ‘The pressure at which the valve is about to open, ie  the equilibrium state. In practice, it’s not possible to find ‘when the valve is about to open’, only when the valve is closed or just opened. ASME state ‘The pressure at which the valve starts to open’.  In practice this position is easier to establish than the BS EN equilibrium position, ie ‘about to open’.

Overpressure

A pressure increase over the set pressure, usually expressed as a percentage.

Accumulation

The pressure increase over the maximum allowable working pressure of the system during discharge through the safety valve, expressed as a percentage of pressure.

Blowdown

The difference between the actual set pressure and the actual reseating pressure, expressed as a percentage of pressure.

Backpressure

The static pressure existing in the discharge system ‘from’ the safety valve.

Boiler

Boiler

Water Heater / Storage

Water Heater / Storage

Heat Exchanger

Heat Exchanger

BIM Models of NABIC Valves

Bim Models

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