Situation
In viscous service applications where viscous fluids are flowing, product buildup between the process and therupture disc is a concern. In some cases, this buildup can interfere with the proper operation of the disk during an overpressure event. Viscous service holders are typically designed with diaphragm valve bodies to allow for the installation of a rupture disk. These valve bodies are machined to divert the flow and “sweep” it past the rupture disc to minimizeproduct buildup. However, the diaphragm valve body design presents a number of challenges. The valve bodymust have the same size and pressure rating as the rupture disc. If the right valve body is not be available, theonly alternative is to custom machine or cast a body to suit a particular application. Additionally, the diaphragmvalve body design has many bolted joints, which create additional leak paths for the assembly. The custommachined or cast body is also much more expensive due to the increased amount of raw material and capital costfor tooling up for each configuration.OsecoElfab was tasked to find a way of overcoming these challenges while still providing a cost-effective solution.
Goals
- Quantitative: Design an affordable rupture disc assembly for viscous service applications.
- Quantitative: Reduce the resistance to flow of the viscous service holder.
- Qualitative: Reduce possible leak paths present in viscous service holders
Solution
The Oseco Top Hat Assembly has been specifically designed for viscous services where product buildup betweenthe process equipment and the rupture disc is a concern.