GEHO Info for sales representatives

Volume 12, No. 5, September 2002

Pulsations proof - single safety valve

Mandatory protection

The insertion of a discharge relief valve
of suitable size for the capacity of the
pump, set to open at a pressure above
the operating discharge pressure of
the pump, is mandatory because of the
safety it affords.
In compliance with API 674 and the
Hydraulic Institute Standards a relief
valve shall be installed on a crankshaft
driven positive displacement pump.
Internal versus external
When installed [by others] in the
discharge line, the safety relief valve
should be close to the pump and ahead
of any other valve. The exhaust
slurry from the relief valve must be
directed to an inherently safe location
such as the supply tank. Experience
has taught that spring-loaded relief
valves and rupture discs are not reliable
in slurry service.
Where the slurry is compacting inside
the inlet nozzle, their function may even
be obstructed.
GEHO PUMPS offers the purchaser a
cost option to install the safety relief valve
internal the piston diaphragm pump.

Excellent
Engineering
Solutions

The internal single safety valve is cost-effective and provides maintenance free service.
(Photo Lunan, pumptype TZPM 180)

Single valve
A single internal relief valve protects all
diaphragm housings individually from
over-pressurisation. It is installed on a
header that connects to the propellant
liquid side of each diaphragm. Non-
return valves isolate the diaphragms
from the header. The relief valve is a
spring-loaded, self-seating type, which
complies with the European Pressure
Equipment Directive 97/23/EC.
The relief valve set pressure is 15%
and 20% over the rated pump discharge
pressure respectively for triplex and
duplex style pumps. The rising dis-
charge pressure will have triggered an
alarm and also tripped the drive motor
before activating this primary safety
device.
Undampened pressure spikes do pres-
surise the header. A stable header pres-
sure is established, which is closely the
same value as the final pump discharge
pressure. That safety valve inlet/sealing
pressure is virtually free of pulsations.
The valve instantaneously responds to
overpressure in any or all diaphragm
housings. Over-pressure relieving i.e.
loss of propellant liquid, is evidenced
and corrected by filling signals.
Upon pump shut down for the purpose of
maintenance a bleed valve is cracked
open to de-pressurise the header as
dictated by safety precautions and as
shown on a pressure gauge provided.
Maintenance savings
Previously, each diaphragm housing
was fitted with its own safety valve. This
valve was either a direct acting or a
hydraulic preloaded type. The preloaded
Excellent valve requires a hydraulic system with
Engineering controls integrated in the propellant fluid
Solutions system. It is used for the upper range of
operating pressures.
Also previously, the valves were fitted
onto the propellant fluid cavity between
the piston and the diaphragm. Pressure
pulsations at this point in the pump are
not dampened. In a few services such
undampened pulsations did affect the
valve performance and lead to the use of
a secondary soft seal.
The single relief valve provides a simple
system that is long-term free of wear and
maintenance.
Performance improvement
The single safety valve system was
duration tested before the design was
implemented. At Minera Alumbrera,
Argentina, it exhibited flawless perfor-
mance under 18,500 kPa operating
pressure.
The autoclave feed pumps at Twin
Creeks, Lone Tree and Goldstrike were
retrofitted and the single safety valve
remedied high valve maintenance.
These earlier feed pump designs are
known to be generating high undamp-
ened pressure pulsation levels.
Pressure spikes cause micro-move-
ments and eventually fine particles get
trapped between the faces of the valve
disc and seat. Wire-drawn leakage
results. With the single valve these are
now eliminated with the establishment of
a high but stable pressure.
Weir Netherlands b.v.
P.O. Box 249, NL-5900 AE Venlo
Phone: +31(0)77-3895200
Fax: +31(0)77-3824844
Email: weir@weir.nl, Website: www.weir.nl
Copyright Weir Netherlands b.v.