Understanding Pressure/Vacuum Relief Valves, Flame and Detonation Arresters, and Blanket Gas Regulators

Groth Equipment

PRESSURE/VACUUM RELIEF VALVES

Pressure/vacuum relief valves are protection devices typically mounted on a nozzle opening on the top of a fixed roof atmospheric storage tank. Their primary purpose is to protect a tank against rupture or implosion by allowing the tank to breathe, or vent, when pressure changes in the tank due to normal operations.

PILOT OPERATED RELIEF VALVES 

Pilot operated relief valves serve the same primary purpose as pressure/vacuum relief valves, but with better performance characteristics than weight or spring loaded valves. Lower leakage and better flow performance make a pilot operated valve the solution when the focus is product conservation, expanded tank working pressure range, and reduced fugitive emissions. A pilot operated relief valve pro-vides the maximum available leakage control technology as specified in the Clean Air Act of 1990.

EMERGENCY RELIEF VALVES 

Emergency relief valves protect tanks against excessive pressure caused by external fire exposure or flashes within the tank. Emergency relief valves provide higher flow capacity than standard pressure/vacuum relief valves.

DEFLAGRATION FLAME ARRESTERS 

Deflagration flame arresters are fire safety devices used to protect stored or process media from deflagrations. A deflagration flame arrester can be used on the top of a tank in certain conditions, as an in-line safety device where combustible gases are transported through low pressure pipe lines.

DETONATION FLAME ARRESTERS 

Detonation flame arresters provide flame protection in cases where the ignition source pipe lengths are greater than what can be protected with a deflagration arrester.

BLANKET GAS REGULATORS 

Blanket gas regulators can provide both pressure and fire protection for storage tanks by supplying a blanket- ing gas which maintains a constant positive pressure in the vapor space of a storage tank.

For more information, contact CTi Controltech. Call them at 925-208-4250 or visit their web site at https://cti-ct.com.