ASME BPVC Section XIII provides rules for the overpressure protection of pressurised equipment such as boilers, pressure vessels, and piping systems.
With the 2021 edition, an additional section “Section XIII – RULES FOR OVERPRESSURE PROTECTION” has been added to the ASME Code.
The requirements regarding safety devices are now summarized in Section XIII, i.e. these requirements have been completely or largely deleted from the other sections.
Scope of ASME BPVC Section XIII:
“This section provides rules for the overpressure protection of pressurized equipment such as boilers, pressure vessels, and piping systems. This standard provides requirements for topics such as design, material, inspection, assembly, testing, and marking for pressure relief valves, rupture disk devices, pin devices, spring-actuated non-reclosing devices, and temperature and pressure relief valves. This standard also covers devices in combination, capacity and flow resistance certification, authorisation to use the ASME Certification Mark, installation, and overpressure protection by system design.”
What products about safety devices are covered in ASME BPVC Section XIII?
ASME Code Section XIII covered products such
- Pressure Relief Valves (PRV),
- Direct spring-loaded pressure relief valve
- Pilot-operated pressure relief valve
- Power-actuated pressure relief valve
- Rupture Disk,
- Pin Devices,
- Spring-loaded non-reclosing pressure relief valves,
- Temperature and pressure relief valves.
Note 1: The used terminology related to pressure safety and relief valves in Europe and the USA is different.
For example: A valve referred to as a “safety valve” in Europe is referred to as a “safety relief valve” or “relief valve” in the USA. In addition, the term “safety relief valve” in the USA generally refers to the full lift safety relief valve type used in Europe.
What is the ASME Code Section XIII requirement for these safety devices?
(1) Rules relating to pressure integrity and performance governing the construction and installation of pressure relief devices.
Construction covers materials, design, fabrication, examination, inspection, testing and certification.
Installation, covers variables that affect the performance and safety function of pressure relief devices.
(2) Rules for device type certification of relieving capacity and flow resistance ratings including the rules for conducting the tests and analyses to determine the performance of pressure relief devices.
Permitted Pressure Relief Device (Designation) in acc. to ASME BPVC
| Typ of device | Section I | Section IV | Section VIII Div. 1 | Section VIII Div. 2 1 | Section VIII Div. 3 | Section X | Section XII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct spring-loaded pressure relief valve | V | HV, V | UV, V | UV, V | UV3, V | UV, HV, V | TV, UV |
| Pilot-operated pressure relief valve | V | – | UV | UV, V | – | UV | – |
| Power-actuated relief valve | V | – | – | – | P2, 3 | – | – |
| Rupture disk | – | – | UD | UD | UD3, UD | UD | TD, UD |
| Pin device | – | – | UD | UD | – | UD | UD, TD |
| Spring-loaded non-reclosing pressure relief valve | – | – | UV | UV | – | – | – |
| Temperature and pressure relief valves | – | HV | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rupture disk upstream of pressure relief valve | P3 | – | P3 | P3 | P3 | – | P3 |
| Rupture disk downstream of pressure relief valve | – | – | P3 | P3 | P3 | – | – |
| Pin device upstream of pressure relief valve | – | – | P3 | P3 | – | – | P3 |
| Open flow paths or vents | – | – | P3 | P3 | P3 | P3 | – |
| Fusible plugs | – | – | – | – | – | – | P3 |
| Overpressure protection by system design | – | – | P3 | P3 | – | P3 | – |
1All pressure relief devices permitted in Section VIII, Division 1 and bearing the Certification Mark and either the UV or UD Designator may be used on pressure vessels constructed to Section VIII, Division 2.
2Section VIII, Division 3 power-actuated pressure relief valves are not within the scope of Section XIII.
3 Allowable devices and methods are indicated by either the letter P (permitted) or one or more of the following Certification Mark Designators:
- HV = heating boiler pressure relief valve
- TV = transport tank pressure relief valve
- UD = pressure vessel pressure relief device
- UD3 = high pressure vessel pressure relief device, Section VIII, Division 3
- UV = pressure vessel pressure relief valve
- UV3 = high pressure vessel pressure relief valve, Section VIII, Division 3
- V = power boiler safety relief valve
What requirements remain in ASME BPVC Section VIII Div. 1 regarding overpressure protection?
In ASME BPVC Sect. VIII Div. 1 UG-150 to UG-156, the following requirements regarding safety devices still remain:
- UG-150 General requirements
- UG-151 Responsibilities
- UG-152 Determination of pressure relieving requirements
- UG-153 overpress limits
- UG-154 Permitted pressure relief devices and methods UG-155 pressure setting and performance requirements UG-156 installation
