Pressure safety valves & Pressure relief valves

[lhwingking]

Can anyone please highlight what PSV (pressure safety valve) and a PRV (Pressure relief valve) are? How are they different from each other? Where are they used?

 

[moltenmetal]

They are two names for the same thing in my book. Some people may try to use the terms to differentiate between devices required for safety and devices required for process regulation of a non safety-critical nature, but both acronyms refer to the same style of quick-opening pressure relief device. They both differ from regulators or pressure control valves.

 

[zdas04]

moltenmetal has it right. I would go a step further and say that the term PRV is disingenuous spin by people trying to keep some of their PSV off of the critical component list.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

Law is the common force organized to act as an obstacle of injustice Frédéric Bastiat

 

[bimr]

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=2546

 

[cvg]

PRV is often used (in the water industry) for a Pressure Reducing Valve.

http://www.cla-val.com/waterworks-pressure-reducing-valves-c-1_3-l-en.html

 

[tbuelna]

My experience with aircraft lube oil circuits is there are "high pressure relief valves" and "pressure regulating valves". The high pressure relief valve is typically sized to divert 100% of the fluid flow at a high pressure level in order to prevent damage to components like heat exchangers or filters in the event the system is over-pressured from something like highly viscous cold oil at start-up. The pressure regulating valve is usually much smaller and is designed to maintain a controlled pressure in the circuit under nominal conditions.