Basic Depressuring - Why 15 minutes ?

In previous posting, we have discussed that PSV wouldn’t provide adequate protection for
vessel of fire case. Therefore, depressuring can be applied for another safety layer.

Commonly the plant area is divided into the ESD Zone. Each ESD zone may contain one or
more equipments. ESDV or SDV valves are provided in each ESD Zone to isolate the system
zone. In case of fire, a system will be isolated by those SDV valves. Then the inventory fluid
(commonly gas phase only) in the system will be released to flare through BDV valve.
Commonly one BDV is provided for one system zone, but in some cases, it is possible to
provide more than one BDVs in one system zone.

See the picture..

EDP (Emergency Depressuring) is generally initiated by manual push button. In case of fire, the
operator will push the EDP push button in the control room. That will initiate SDV valves closing
and BDV valves opening. The hydrocarbon fluid will be released to flare so that the pressure of
the system will be depressurized to lower pressure at certain time (recommendation from API
STD 521, decrease the pressure to 100 psig or 50 % of the system design pressure within 15
minutes)

For example, If a pool fire exposes the un-wetted carbon steel vessel, it will take about 15
minutes to heat the vessel wall to around 1 200 °F (very close to material’s allowable stress
condition). If the vessel is depressurized within the 15 min to 50 % of the initial pressure, then
the time to rupture would increase to about 2 - 3 hour "

Hope this picture will give better explanation

For thickness of vessel less than 1 inch, the system is depressurized to 100 psig, and for more
than 1 inch thickness can be depressurized to 50% of design pressure. The depressuring time
can be longer and less than 15 minutes. The depressuring time of 15 minutes is only an
example in API STD 521 which is applicable for carbon steel vessel with has thickness greater
than 1 inch.

Consideration of limiting flare capacity, the depressuring time longer than 15 minutes may be
applied. It will result in lower depressuring load. Considering of the maximum reduction of the
vessel stress, vessel with thickness less than 1 inch, generally requires faster depressuring rate.
The faster the depressuring time, the higher the depressuring load. And for the vessel with
stainless steel material, the depressuring rate may be longer than 15 minutes for 1 inch
thickness or more.

Based on my experience, many companies have their own manual for conducting depressuring
study. Generally, the maximum depressuring time of 15 minutes is applied. But each company
has difference consideration of thickness vessel and depressurized pressure. Some companies
apply that for thickness greater than 24.5 mm, the pressure is depressurized to 50% of design
pressure, but other companies apply that for thickness greater than 60 mm the pressure can be
depressurized to 50% of design pressure.

I have ever read discussion in Cheresources ( check here and here) about the depressuring
time, one of the participants says that his company applies the depressuring time which
depends on the vessel thickness. For thickness greater than 25.4 mm, 15 minutes depressuring
time is applied. The depressuring time will be decreased 3 minutes for each 5 mm decrease in
thickness.

Yesterday, I checked to API STD 521, (Fifth Edition, Jan 2007), figure 1 (section 2.15.1.2.2), the
graphic show “ Plate Temperature vs Time After Fire “ for carbon steel 3.2 mm, 12.7 mm and
25.4 mm thickness. It is very logic that the required depressuring time for those vessel are
different each other. In my opinion, it is better to state in manual ‘the depressuring time will be
decreased, say 2 or 3 or xx minutes, for each 5mm decrease in thickness”.

Oh,,I miss something important. Even though the depressuring time of 15 minutes is used, the
depressurization will not stop after 15 minutes and that the pressure will continue to decline.

Ha ha ha,,I guess you already know that :D

Let’s imagine, a PLANT is shutdown for annual maintenance purpose, the fire does not exist,
then the system is to be depressurized to atmosphere condition. In this case, the system is
depressurized in adiabatic condition, which means no heat input to the system. During
depressurization, the pressure decreases, and the temperature decreases as well. The final
temperature of adiabatic depressuring could be very low. As Process Engineer, we have
responsibility to determine the Minimum Metal Design Temperature (MDMT) for each system
zone based on the adiabatic depressuring case
Hi my friend.
Today, In this post, we will learn about Blowdown Valve (BDV) to flare system
configuration.
During emergency or depressuring, the BDV valve opens to release high pressure fluid
flow to flare system.

The following are guidance for developing the BDV (Blowdown Valve) to flare system

BDV Size and Its Line Size

The BDV size is same with the inlet and outlet line size.
How to determine the appropriate line size?
1. You must determine the maximum flowrate through this BDV line during
depressuring. So, you have to conduct depressuring study at first.
2. Based on the maximum flow (peak blowdown rate), select the appropriate
size that meet the velocity and Rho v2 criteria.
• Most of Engineering Company consider maximum velocity of 60m/s (or 200 fps).
• Consider maximum Rho v2 of 200000 kg/m s2. (But, some other Engineering
Company use the lower of 150000 kg/m s2 in their standard practice).
The Rho v2 to be limited to prevent turbulence – induced vibration of flare piping based
on the lesson learn of experience in many company.
I suggest you to consider maximum Rho v2 of 150000 kg/m s2 for new design.

Restriction Orifice (RO) Size

Do you know, why we need RO in downstream of the BDV to flare? It is to limit
blowdown flowrate to flare system (to ensure controlled flow rate). When the BDV opens
to release the high pressure on its upstream, the restriction orifice plate at its
downstream ensures that the flow is not excessive to overload the flare system.
If there is no RO (or with RO but oversize), the actual flowrate to flare system could be
higher (comparing to depressuring simulation result, which the BDV size, and pipes are
designed for). Besides, the higher blowdown flowrate, the faster depressuring time, the
colder the depressurized section system. The current material in the system may not
appropriate to handle drop temperature.
RO to be sized correctly so that the actual maximum flowrate during blowdown is
correct. Blowdown flowrate may exceeds the flare capacity due to RO is oversized. But,
if RO is undersized, it will result in longer depressuring time. Therefore it is very
important that the correct data is used when sizing the RO (ensure input data is
correct), so that the RO size is correctly selected.

Pipe Size Downstream RO

The pipe size of downstream RO is usually bigger than the upstream line (since gas
expand when pressure reduced). Therefore the reducer (enlarger) is provided at
downstream RO.
1. The pipe size of downstream RO is selected with maximum Mach No 0.7,
2. The maximum back pressure at this line is about 0.5 times of upstream
pressure to ensure the flowrate at throat RO is at critical condition (so that the
flowrate through RO will only depend on the upstream pressure).
BDV System Configuration
The distance from BDV to RO to be verified that the “coldness” temperature travel time
is sufficient to avoid freezing of BDV is occurred. This requirement is to prevent the
moisture from atmosphere will freeze at the body BDV and potentially cause the stem
stuck at position. Operator may not possible to close the BDV after blowdown activity
and potentially lead to back flow.

For general practice, the distance from BDV to RO should be more than 0.6 meter (or
other company use standard of minimum 3ft).

See the following figure.

Blowdown vs PSV

Blowdown is differential pressure (can be in percentage) between set pressure and re-
seat pressure. PSV start to open at set pressure and will 100% back closed at re-
seat pressure. What do you think, why the re seat pressure lower than set pressure ?
and What impact blowdown value to PSV's operation ?

See the picture below

And this picture below will show why the re seat pressure is lower than set pressure.
Relieving Condition Exceed Design Temperature
Equipment design temperature is usually determined based on the maximum
temperature plus a certain margin. The margin could be different for each project, say
20F, 25 F or 30F. Conducting rigorous simulation for fire case, the temperature in each
stage simulation is set higher than the previous stage by certain interval. Let say, using
10F in interval temperature will result in temperature about 30F higher than the
operating temperature at third stage simulation. That is why; relieving temperature for
fire case is very often higher than the design temperature. Whether or not increasing
rating pipe is required?

PSV Doesn't Provide Adequate Protection of Fire Case

See the picture below

A Separator has operating temperature of 120 F with design temperature of 145F.

Looking at simulation above, in only two stages of temperature increase, the
temperature will reach 150F.
After fire, the temperature will increase commonly above the design temperature. And
even in some cases, the vessel could rupture before increasing pressure reaches PSV’s
setting pressure. In other word, the vessel will have ruptured before the PSV open.
Thus, the PSV doesn’t provide adequate protection for the vessel in case of fire.

For example, the following picture show that the metal plate temperature reaches 1200
F in only 15 minutes after fire.

That is, actually, the PSV doesn’t provide adequate protection for the vessel in case of
fire. Therefore, some other options for vessel protection from fire case beside the PSV
should be considered, such as: 1. Depressuring 2. External cooling 3. External
insulation 4. Provide proper drainage

My friend, for now, we already know the fact that PSV will not give adequate protection
for vessel in fire case. But, why do we always provide PSV as protection devise of the
vessel? Why do we consider for fire case too? That could be a joke, right? In my
opinion, that is all to meet the CODE requirement