Requirements for design of pressure relief and limiting devices.

Except for rupture discs, each pressure relief or pressure limiting device must:

(a) Be constructed of materials such that the operation of the device will not be impaired by corrosion;

(b) Have valves and valve seats that are designed not to stick in a position that will make the device inoperative;

(c) Be designed and installed so that it can be readily operated to determine if the valve is free, can be tested to determine the pressure at which it will operate, and can be tested for leakage when in the closed position;

(d) Have support made of noncombustible material;

(e) Have discharge stacks, vents, or outlet ports designed to prevent accumulation of water, ice, or snow, located where gas can be discharged into the atmosphere without undue hazard;

(f) Be designed and installed so that the size of the openings, pipe, and fittings located between the system to be protected and the pressure relieving device, and the size of the vent line, are adequate to prevent hammering of the valve and to prevent impairment of relief capacity;

(g) Where installed at a district regulator station to protect a pipeline system from overpressuring, be designed and installed to prevent any single incident such as an explosion in a vault or damage by a vehicle from affecting the operation of both the overpressure protective device and the district regulator; and

(h) Except for a valve that will isolate the system under protection from its source of pressure, be designed to prevent unauthorized operation of any stop valve that will make the pressure relief valve or pressure limiting device inoperative.

[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-1, 35 FR 17660, Nov. 17, 1970]