What Does
Relief Valve (RV) Mean?
A relief valve (RV) is a type of valve used to control or limit the pressure in a system or vessel, which can build up by a process upset, instrument or equipment failure, or fire. Relief valves are commonly used in liquid systems, especially for lower capacities and thermal expansion duty.
There are a wide range of different valves available for many different applications and performance criteria. Although their primary role is for safety, they are also used in process operations to prevent product damage due to excess pressure.
A relief valve is also known as a safety relief valve or a safety valve.
Corrosionpedia Explains Relief Valve (RV)
A relief valve is a pressure-relief device actuated by inlet static pressure having a gradual lift generally proportional to the increase in pressure over opening pressure. They can also be used on pump systems as pressure overspill devices.
Relief valves work by opening at a specified pressure from fluid, to provide relief to a malfunctioning system. It releases the pressure so that there are not any blowouts that could cause damage.
A safety relief valve is a pressure relief valve characterized by rapid opening or pop action, or by opening in proportion to the increase in pressure over the opening pressure, depending on the application, and which may be used either for liquid or compressible fluid.
Relief valves are used in industries such as:
- Petroleum refining
- Petrochemical and chemical manufacturing
- Natural gas processing
- Power generation
The principle type of device used to prevent overpressure in plants is the safety or safety relief valve. The safety valve operates by releasing a volume of fluid from within the plant when a predetermined maximum pressure is reached, thereby reducing the excess pressure in a safe manner.