Recent Blog Posts

PSI Explained: Relief System Design and Design Basis

June 13th, 2017

Relief System Design and Design Basis is one of the most commonly inspected components of Process Safety Information (Title 8 CCR §5189(d)(3)(A)(4) and Title 29 CFR §1910.119(d)(3)(i)(D)). This documentation, when prepared correctly, will describe the basis by which a relief system was designed. Notice that the requirement is not limited to “relief valves”, but rather […]

Relief Valve Piping System Design Scenario

January 24th, 2017

One often overlooked aspect of a relief valve discharge termination piping system is the scenario that was used at the basis of the piping design. Most designers understand that termination piping must be sized so as to not cause excessive back pressure in the manifold when a relief valve lifts. The question, however, that must […]

Ammonia Week in Review | April 22, 2016

April 22nd, 2016

Ammonia gets caught upside down in this week’s edition of the Ammonia Week in Review….. Broken Pipe Cause of Anhydrous Leak in Worthington – The Worthington Fire Department, with the assistance of three other local departments, responded to the White River Co-Op just before noon Tuesday to assist with a leaking tank in the lot south of […]

Relief Valves Discharging Back into a Refrigeration System

April 19th, 2016

ANSI/IIAR 2-2014 §15.6 outlines the requirements for providing Hydrostatic Overpressure Protection. In situations where thermal hydrostatic expansion of trapped liquid ammonia could occur, hydrostatic protection must be provided. Per ANSI/IIAR 2-2014 §15.6.1, Protection against overpressure due to thermal hydrostatic expansion of trapped liquid ammonia shall be provided for equipment and piping sections that can be […]

1982 Uniform Mechanical Code and “Adjoining Ground Level”

July 7th, 2015

Anyone who operates an “older” ammonia refrigeration system in California should be familiar with the requirements of the 1982 Uniform Mechanical Code. Cal/OSHA regulation Title 8 CCR §3248(a) requires the following: “Mechanical refrigeration systems placed in service before March 13, 1999, shall be designed, installed, tested, and maintained in accordance with Chapters 4, 15, and 16 […]