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Thousands of technical supply items are
needed to keep a fertilizer production
operation running. For some operators,
this also includes rupture discs.
Orha Karagöz and Dr Stefan Rüsenberg,
Rembe, Germany,
provide insight into
pressure relief using rupture discs and
their combination with safety valves.
P
ressure relief is a key issue for any pressure or vacuum process
within fertilizer production. Inadequate pressure relief, no matter
whether it is a protection against overpressure or vacuum, will
lead to extensive damages on the system itself and the
surrounding area. The results are long downtimes, significant monetary
losses and, in the worst case, employees can be injured or killed.
Rupture discs, whether as a stand-alone solution or in combination with
safety valves, are an essential part of pressure relief systems in the
fertilizer industries. They protect cooler, heat exchanger, catalysts,
compressors, autoclaves and several other pressurised systems.
More than just a piece of metal
During the time of the rupture disc invention, simple metal discs or
films that protect non-critical processes were used. Now they are
sophisticated engineered components, which can be found in
applications with very high requirements controlling the pressure relief.
These include, for example, small dimensions or special geometries,
especially high or low pressures, as well as temperatures far above or
below the zero point. These applications require a considerable degree
of expertise and experience to manufacture the rupture disc to suit the
application. Therefore, the range of available rupture discs is currently
extensive and continually expanding in design.
Flat rupture discs are commonly used for processes with relatively low
requirements and are installed directly between flanges. In addition to these
