The Importance of Safety Valves
Safety valves play a crucial role in preventing the pressure of the medium in pipelines or devices from exceeding the specified value, thus ensuring safety.
A safety valve is a type of valve that remains closed under normal conditions but automatically opens when the pressure of the medium in equipment or pipelines rises beyond the specified value. This prevents the pressure from exceeding the safe limit by discharging the medium outside the system. Safety valves are categorized as automatic valves and are commonly used in boilers, pressure vessels, and pipelines to protect personal safety and equipment operation.
Based on the opening height of the safety valve disc, there are two types: micro-lift safety valves and full-lift safety valves. The opening stroke height of the micro-lift safety valve is equal to or less than 0.05 times the minimum discharge throat diameter (0.05d0), while for the full-lift safety valve, the opening stroke height is equal to or less than 0.25 times the minimum discharge throat diameter (0.25d0).
Safety valves can be classified according to their structure, such as plumb type, lever type, spring type, and pilot type (pulse type). Furthermore, based on the valve body structure, safety valves can be divided into two types: closed and non-closed. Closed safety valves ensure that the medium is not leaked and is entirely discharged through the outlet to the designated location. This type is often used for toxic and corrosive media. Non-closed safety valves are mostly used for air and steam safety valves. When selecting safety valve products, it is crucial to determine the actual sealing pressure.
In addition, when ordering spring-loaded safety valves, it is necessary to indicate the safety valve model, name, medium, temperature, and valve body sealing pressure. Otherwise, it will be supplied according to the maximum sealing pressure.
During installation and maintenance of safety valves, the following items should be considered:
- All safety valves must be installed vertically.
- There should be no resistance at the outlet of the safety valve to avoid pressure.
- The safety valve should be tested before installation, and its official tightness should be checked.
- The safety valve should be checked regularly during use.
