2)

BREATHER VALVES

BASIC FUNCTION
The breather valve also known as pressure/vacuum relief valve is a protective
device mounted on the top of a fixed roof atmospheric storage tank. Its primary
function is to conserve the loss of storage tank content when the tank is in outbreathing mode. The purpose & selection of breather valve is mainly to control
the in-breathing and out-breathing of storage tank by protecting the tank under
over pressurization and vacuum and possible rupture or imploding
The storage tank needs a suitable size vent (fixed or controlled venting) to
achieve in-breathing and out-breathing cycles during loading or unloading
operations. The inbreathing of storage tank is due to the pump in of fluid to
storage tank and condensing of vapour part of storage tank at lower ambient
temperature. This develops a vacuum in the tank if fixed vent nozzles is under
sized or controlled venting is in close mode till preset value. The out-breathing
process is an opposite phenomenon to inbreathing and it takes place when the
tank is loaded and evaporation of liquid due to higher atmosphere temperature.
This phenomenon develops over pressure in tank if vent nozzle is under sized or
controlled venting in close mode till preset value. The pressure and vacuum
developed in the tank shall be within the design values allowable by a code and
function of pressure / vacuum relief valve is to conserve the vapour loss by
opening and closing within the set values to safeguard the tank design
parameters.

a)

Emergency Vent Valve

The pressure/vacuum relief valve is meant to take care of normal in-breathing
and out-breathing functions.
The minimum ambient temperature is a
geographical phenomenon and can be estimated based on local metriological
data for sizing the vent nozzles. However, maximum temperature is a function of
storage tank exposure temperature due to external fire in an area in vicinity of
storage tank or flashes due to chemical reaction within the tank.
In such a situation to cope up with the rate of evaporation of liquid stored in the
storage tank based on worst wetted surface area of tank would call for an
emergency vent valve which is pressure set at a value slightly higher than
breather valve to work as stand by device under emergency situation when
breather valve cannot control the rise in pressure of tank. The emergency vent
valve maintains the positive pressure in the tank within allowable design
parameters. Hence emergency vent valve can be termed as emergency
pressure relief valve.

COMP REF: BREATHER VALVES.DOC

b)

Pressure or Vacuum Relief Valve

Pressure and vacuum relief valve is a composite unit to encounter the over
pressure/vacuum condition within storage tank with single unit. However it is
feasible to achieve two independent units one to control pressure and other to
control vacuum and can be procured as pressure or vacuum relief valve. The
basic function of each unit is identical to composite unit under respective area of
work.

c)

Gauge Hatch
This has similar function as emergency vent valve as far as construction features
are concerned. However, this is recommended as a standby measure on top of
storage tank to carry out manaul measurement of tank level with a metallic tape
where conventional float and tape type level instrument is out of action.

d)

Tank Blanketing Valve

The function of automatic tank blanketing valve is to maintain the constant
pressure in the vapour space of storage tank when tank is under unloading mode
or vapour under condensation due to low ambient temperature. Under both
these pheonomena vacuums is developed within the tank and this will allow the
inert gas to automatically enter the tank in vapour space and maintain the tank
vapour space pressure. The advantage of this unit is to minimise the tank
content to get vapourised due to loss in tank level while unloading and due to
increase in ambient temperature.

e)

Pilot Operated Relief Valve

The pilot operated relief valve is designed to provide safe, dependable and
accurate low pressure and/or vacuum protection. Full flow is attained with no
more than 10% over-pressure. This reduces the need of high over pressure
design requirements which save products and prevents high fugitive emissions.
Blowdown may be adjusted to the requirements between 0% to 20% of set
pressure. Properly adjusted pilot operated relief valve is bubble tight upto 95% of
set pressure.

f)

Air operated relief valve

Air operated relief valve is used to replace weight loaded & pilot operated valves
in severe applications where polymerization & crystallization may take place &
plug as well as corrode the control orifice. The air operated valve increases valve
efficiency & reduces evaporation losses. The pressure switch coupled with a
solenoid valve & using instrument air instead of corrosive product vapour
provides a bubble tight seal. Additionally the use of clean air greatly reduces the
maintenance time compared to the pilot operated valve. By using air operated
valve remote sensing is provided by the pressure switch. The valve provides
greater conservation due to minimum product loss.

II

ADVANTAGE OF PRESURE/VACUUM RELIEF VALVE (EVAPORATION

LOSSES)

1)

Saving in cost of content lost in form of vapour

Protects tank from over pressure or vacuum condition
Protection under fire hazard
Atmospheric corrosion of area in vicinity
Control the emissions to atmosphere

Purpose
In reality properly sized opening on the tank roof protects the tank from rupture or
imploading.
However, it constantly outbreath and inbreath and during
outbreathing cycle it losses the vapour to atmosphere and possesses constant
fire hazard. This can be prevented by installation of pressure/vacuum relief
valve. Cost of loss of vapour totally out weighs the cost of breather valve.

a)

Calculating the tank content loss during outbreathing

-

20 feet dia and above

Ly

Ly

TPY (
P
)68
D 1.73 H 0.51 T 0.50 FP
1000
14.7 P
The outbreathing loss in barrels per year

TPY

Turn overs per year

The true vapour pressure at bulk liquid temperature in

Lbs/in2 abs

Tank diameter in feet

The average outage in feet

3

Average daily ambient temperature change

FP

Paint Factor

Small dia tanks

Ly = TPY (
P
1000 14.7-P

b)

)68

D 1.73 H 0.51 T 0.50 FP C

APIs Estimated Breathing Loss Table

Tank Dia x Nominal
Ht in feet
Tank
Capacity
barrels

30 x 40
42.5 x 40
60 x 30
100 x 40

5000
10,000
20,000
55,000

Breathing Loss

Estimated
Estimated
losses with losses with
Pressure
open vent
Relief Valve
154
235
297
441
570
825
1382
2000

BBLS/Year
saved using
Pr
Relief
Valve

81
144
255
618

Due to the above statement breather valve is also termed as conservation vent
valve.
c)

Basic fire protection mode with usage of breather valve

-

Observes close tank principle within set pressures on pressure and

vacuum side hence vapours have no access to external fire source and to
allow combustion

Breather valve discharge to atmosphere is with positive pressure and the

velocity of the relieving vapour is higher than flame speed hence protects
the tank content from external fire source

Over rich vapour mixture within tank due to equilibrium being reached in a
closed tank, the vapours are too rich to burn. However when emptying the
tank due to inbreathing of air and oxygen in air, the vapour mixture is

d)

Reduced Corrosion
-

e)

They help in reduction in overall corrosion in a plant due to controlled

emmision of vapour

Recommendation
-

III

susceptible to ignite hence flame arrestor shall be installed to protect the

tank content
In case of intermittent inbreathing the escape of vapour from tank to
atmosphere do not exist hence it is always in safe mode.

Pressure/vacuum valves are recommended by API 2000 for use on

atmospheric storage tanks in which the hydrocarbon with a flash point
below 100o F is stored. OSHA recommends that tank storing Class I
liquids shall be equipped with venting device which shall be normally
closed except over set pressure or vacuum conditions. Generally
speaking the majority of the regulatory bodies dealing with tank safety
such as API, NFPA, OSHA insurance companies etc insist installations of
these devices on flammable liquid storage tanks

HOW PRESSURE/VACUUM RELIEF VALVES FUNCTION

The atmospheric storage tanks are designed for storage of liquid hydrocarbon at
operating conditions close to atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions.
The tanks are designed in such a way to overcome the routine over pressure and
vacuum conditions prevailing in a tank due to loading, unloading operation and
thermal expansion and contraction of liquid due to change in ambient
temperature during the day and in a year. This kind of storage tanks are ideal
and economical for storage of large quantity of liquid hydrocarbon and expensive
chemicals in liquid form. These tanks are designed as per API 650 with conical
reinforced roof with weak roof to shell design criteria and this is the criteria which
imposes the restriction on over pressure and vacuum requirements beyond
which the tank may rupture or implod and the main failure link is shell to roof
joint. The normal range of design parameters for such tanks is (+) 150 MM WG
& (-) 75 mm WG with respect to atmospheric pressure. The emissions of vapour
from storage tanks is due to variations in vapour space within tank due to change
in liquid level and variation in ambient temperature and its effect on wetted
surface area of storage tanks.

The breather valves are installed to reduce the continuous vapour loss to
atmosphere through fixed vent nozzle to achieve the controlled losses with the
set operating range of breather valve within the design pressure and vacuum
parameters employed for the storage tanks. The saving in vapour loss is due to
intermittent operation of breather valve. In order to accommodate large volumes
at low set pressure these valves have ports that are greater in area compared to
area of inlet port or nozzle provided on tank. The low setting values necessitates
weight loading valve instead of spring loaded valve.
Because of weight loaded concept a pressure / vacuum valve requires approx
100% overset pressure in order to reach full opening of the valve. However,
while deciding on a set pressure the maximum allowable working pressure
MAWP should be at least twice of the required set pressure to obtain optimum
flow. If the MAWPis less than 100% above the required set pressure then the
valve shall be larger in size than normally required. The possibility of valve
chatter and accelerated seat and diaphragm wear will exist if less than 20% over
pressure is allowed. A pressure / vacuum valve is not same as high pressure
safety valve and should not be sized at 10% to 20% over pressure.
Spring Loaded Valves
The small capacity storage tanks can be designed with dome roof instead of
conical reinforced roof as per API 620. These tanks can be designed for higher
range of pressure and vacuum conditioning w.r.t. atmospheric pressure. Say
+2000 WG and 400 MM WG. This kind of storage tanks provides higher vapour
conservations by opting out for spring loaded breather valves.
-

When weight loaded valve becomes too massive then it can be replaced
by compact design of spring loaded breather valve
Most helpful where installation space is a constraint

IV

SIZING OF PRESSURE / VACUUM RELIEF VALVES

(AS PER API 2000)

A)

BASIS
The following parameters need
pressure/vacuum relief valve :
1

to

be

considered

while

sizing

the

Normal Relief : The sum of the vapour displacement resulting from filling
+ thermal outbreathing from storage tank or emptying + thermal
inbreathing of storage tank

B)

Emergency Relief : Thermal outbreathing due to exposure of storage tank

to external fire

Pressure / Vacuum Relief Valve Settings (As per API 2521)

Pressure/Vacuum valves on atmospheric pressure fixed roof tanks are usually
set at oz/in2 (22 mm WG) pressure or vacuum. Test data indicates that an
increase of 1oz/in2 in the pressure set point over oz/in2 reduces breathing
losses by approximately 7%. However, the test data indicates that each
additional increase of 1oz/in2 in pressure set point reduces the breathing losses
in progressively smaller increments.

C)

Pressure / Vacuum Relief Valve Settings (As per API 2513)

The pressure and vacuum setting of breather valves are directed by the
structural characteristics of the tank and should be within safe operating limits. A
certain amount of pressure and vacuum beyond this setting is necessary to
overcome pressure drop in order to obtain required flow. Proper size and
settings can be best determined by reference to API 2000.

D)

Breather Valve Capacity Calculation

2 x P x 9.805 x 3600 x E
K x La

A d2
4

Volumetric flow

M3/hr

Diameter of valve

Meter

Total differential pressure

Set pressure + over pressure
Pressure

mm H20

Vacuum

mm H20

Head loss co-efficient of valve (Refer Table 1)

Pressure & Vacuum

La

Density of air at valve test

Overpressure correction factor

i)

Dead weight loaded valves

ii)

Spring loaded valves

1.2217 kg/m3
___________
3 Over-pressure
Set-pressure
___________
3 Over-pressure
Set-pressure

pressure &
vacuum
pressure &
vacuum

Breather valve size calculation

_____________________
d
=
Q
16.05 x P x 2826 x E
K
For units refer point (D) above

To convert mass flow to equivalent volumetric air flow

Q

Ma
Ta

x Tg
Mg x Wg
La

Volumetric air flow = M3 /hr at 1.221 7 kg/m3 air

Density @ 293 o K
Wg = Mass flow rate

kg/hr

Ma = Molecular wt of air 29
Ta

Absolute temperature of air

K (273 +

Mg =

Molecular wt of fluid

Tg

Absolute temp of process fluid

C)

K (273 +

C)

La = Density of air at valve test

1.2217 kg/m 3
Venting requirements in accordance with API 2000
1

To determine volumetric air flow requirements as per API 2000

a)

Outbreathing (SCFH air) due to hydrocarbon movement requirements

=

6.0 or 12.0 x barrels/hr filling + thermal requirements

as per Table 1
12.0 for flash point of oil below 100o F
6.0 for flash point of oil at 100o F and above

b)

Inbreathing (SCFH air) due to

Oil movement requirements = 5.6 x barrels/hr emptying + thermal
Requirements as per Table 1.

Example :
Tank Size : 100 ft dia x 60 ft high (cap 84000 barrels)
Tank contents : Gasoline (Flash Point 50o F)
Filling rate

6100 barrels/hr

Emptying rate :

3200 barrels/hr

Outbreathing

12 x 6100 + 53500 = 126,700 ScFH

Inbreathing

56 x 3200 + 53500 = 71,420 ScFH

Tank capacity
(Barrels)

Vertical storage tank

Where Df = Dia in feet, Dm = Dia in Metres

Barrels

= 0.14 D f 2 x height in feet

Barrels =

4.944 Dm2 x height in metres

c)

Emergency Venting
The volumetric air flow requirements for emergency venting as per API
2000 for any specific liquid may be determined by the following formula :
Cubic feet of free air per hour = V x 1337
LM

v)

T
520

Cubic feet of free air from Table 2

Latent heat of vapourisation in BTU

Molecular Weight

Temp of Relief Valve in degree rankine

a)

Broad specification for pressure & vacuum relief valve

Size range 50 to 300 mm

Pressure range 25 to 2000 mm wg
Vacuum range 25 to 250 mm WG
Body material Aluminium, cast iron, cast steel, stainless steel,

PALLETS :
PTFE,
Aluminium
stainless steel
with soft insert of PTFE,
Neoprene or viton
aluminium
Seats : Stainless Steel

Allowable leakage rate

40 to 100 mm
100 to 150
150 to 200
200 to 250

OPERATING RANGE
35 to 100 mm
50 to 250 mm
100 to 2000 mm

Lit/hr
1.13
1.69
2.25
2.83

10

VI

b)

Broad specification for emergency vent valve

Size range : 200 mm to 750 mm

Pressure range : 100 mm to 250 mm WG and above
Body material : carbon steel, stainless steel
Seat : Stainless steel or Hastalloy C
Cover : Valve pellet PTFE diaphragm + soft nitrile rubber backing ring
Blowdown Rate : 20 to 25%
Over Pressure : Max 50% over set pressure to minimize leakage

FLAME ARRESTOR & BREATHER VALVE ASSEMBLIES

A flame arrstor is a safety device installed on a nozzle on top of a storage tank
when the flash point of the stored product is lower than the possible tank
temperature. A majority of the cases a vent to atmosphere pressure/vacuum
valve is installed on top of the flame arrestor to achieve the safe storage of tank
content and minimum emission of vapour to atmosphere. Even in order to
control the emission to the atmosphere the flame arrestor and breather valve
assembly mounted on the tank can be hooked up to flare, incinerator or thermal
oxidiser.

11

12