What is the main purpose of a pressure relief valve?

The main purpose of a pressure relief valve is to relieve excessive pressure within a system. When pressure builds up beyond the design limits of equipment, a pressure relief valve acts as a safety device that opens to allow fluid to escape and thus prevent potential equipment failure, ruptures, or catastrophic incidents. This is critical in maintaining safe operating conditions and protecting both personnel and equipment.

The design and function of pressure relief valves are focused solely on managing pressure levels. They ensure that if the system reaches an unsafe pressure threshold, the excess pressure is released in a controlled manner. This proactive feature plays a crucial role in process safety management, ensuring that processes operate within their safe limits.

While other aspects of equipment and process management, such as preventing flow reversal, managing corrosion, or monitoring temperature fluctuations, are important, they do not pertain directly to the function of a pressure relief valve, which is specifically aimed at managing and relieving excessive pressure.