Pressure Relief Valve Testing

A pressure relief valve (PRV) or (PSV) is a safety device used on pressure vessels, boilers, or integrated in process control systems to prevent damage due to excessive pressure. When a pressure exceeds a preset limit, the valve opens to relieve some of the gas, vapor, liquid, or steam, the pressure then drops to a manageable or normal value. In most scenarios, the valve will reclose or reseat so there is no downtime or interruption in the process. There are several types and classifications of pressure relief valves available in the industry, periodic testing and maintenance is mandatory for most PRV’s found in Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Chemical, and Aerospace. This maintenance and testing may occur in the field or the device may be removed for a complete overhaul in order to meet the ASME or API published codes for pressure relief devices. Proper operation is essential to prevent damage or injury to personnel.

Traditional Testing Method

A common approach to testing PRV’s is to install an analog test gauge or several gauges depending on accuracy requirements, apply pressure, and then watch the needle of the gauge to catch setpoint pressure. The technician may repeat the test several times in order to get a true baseline and record the results manually. The results from different technicians may vary and the accuracy of the test is subject to interpretation.

A Better Way to Test with a Vaetrix ETG Series Gauge

Use the Min/Max feature to display the maximum, minimum, and live pressure readings simultaneously. The digital display clearly lets you see the maximum value that was reached during the testing process with a sample rate of 4 readings per second. Just press Reset to conduct another test.

Every Vaetrix digital pressure gauge is provided with a NIST Traceable Certificate and Data backing the accuracy statement for peace of mind and confidence in the reading.

One gauge rated at ±0.05% or ±0.1% full scale can replace several analog gauges that may be required depending on the test accuracy or uncertainty. Save time performing tests and reduce overall maintenance costs.

Document the test with a press of a button. All Vaetrix ETG digital pressure gauges come standard with data logging capability to perform this test based on a 100 sample points and unlimited sessions. Just download the software and use any USB to Micro B cable to record the results digitally. The tabulated data with graph can be printed or stored digitally to meet quality assurance requirements.

*Purchase the Hydro Data Management Software to record up to 64,000 points and turn your gauge into a data logger with an adjustable update rate (1x per second to 24 hours).

*Use the free Vaetrix Hydro App Apple on Google Play or Apple to document the test and send the .pdf via email to any GIS or asset management system such as Maximo. Gauge must have the Bluetooth (BT) option in the model number.