Document yzRZrX3mg1K3JBZOKmBmJwX2
ABDOO187752
OONFID
RETFnmfi DISC/RELIEF VALVE PRACTICES MANUAL
VISTA POLYMERS INC. ABKDED^Jfi
ttpdaTED SEPTEMBER 16, 1983
ABD00187753
RUPTURE DISC/RELIEF VALVE PRACTICES MANUAL
COTBim I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. RUPTURE DISC ORDERING AND PRE-INSTALLATION CHECKOUT A. Specification of Rupture Discs B. Lot Inapactlon and Pre-Testing C. Racordkaaplng
III. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION A. Installation in Holdara B. Pressure Testing in the Shop C. Installation in tha Plant D. Pressure Checking After Installation on the Reactor
IV. RUPTURE DISC REMOVAL A. Rupture Disc Changeout B. Destructive Testing
V. RECORDKEEPING
VI. TRAINING
VII. RELIEF VALVES A. Reactor Relief Valves B. Other Relief Valves In Vinyl Chloride Service C. Recordkeeping
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CONFIDENTIAL!
'-___ __ __________ _____ _
Sactlon 61.65 (b)(4) of the National Emission Standards for Hazardoua
Air Pollutants requlrta that a ruptura dlac ba installad undameath
any raliaf valve in vinyl chlorlda sarvica minimize leakage through tha
raliaf valva to tha ataoaphara. In aceordanea vith this requirement*
Vista Polymers Inc. has Installad a larga nuabar of ruptura discs in
vinyl chlorlda sarvica throughout tha plant. In addition to preventing
raliaf valva leakage* ruptura discs also sarva tha vital function of pro
tecting tha raliaf valva froa polymer buildup on tha raliaf valva seat,
which could hinder the proper functioning of the relief valva la an
emergency. In either case* proper functioning of tha ruptura dlse/rellef
valva combination is essential for plant safety.
This program has bean developed because of tha importance of maintaining
tha integrity of rupture discs during chair handling and installation.
Adherence to tha procedures outlined in this manual will help to ensure
that the chance of ruptura dlsc/rellef valve malfunctions will be mini
mized* and that thorough documentation will be available whenever such a
malfunction does occur. Thla documentation may become extremely
critical in tha event of a VCM release caused by a premature
rupture disc failure or other process upset conditions.
*
Rupture Disc/Relief Valve Pracclces Manual Page 2
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CONFIDENTIAL ?i
II. rpptpre disc ordering and pre-installation checkout
A. Specification of Rupture Place
All rupture discs In VCM service are listed on Table 1. The
following specifications should be noted on the purchase order
when ordering these rupture discs.
1. Olsc size (specify).
2. Type S-90.
3. Nickel material*
4. OX Manufacturing range*
5* Burst pressure (specify).
6. Burst temperature*
7* Certification of performance*
8* ASMS code stamped and certified*
9. Test each disc to 90X of rated burst pressure*
10. Replaces lot no. . . . (specify).
11. Serially number all'discs In the lot*
B. Lot Inspection and Pre-Testlni
All new rupture disc lots received at the plant receiving dock must
be thoroughly Inspected and tested before they are moved to the
storeroom* The following procedures are to be used when new rupture
disc lots are received at the Plant:
1* When a lot of rupture discs arrives at the receiving dock* care
must be exercised when unloading the discs from the truck so as
not to damage the discs*
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RUPTURE DISC ORDERING AND PRE-INSTALLATION CHECKOUT - Continued
8. Lot Inapectlon and Pre-Testing - continued
2. The receiver orust notify Processing Engineering chat chere are
new rupture discs at receiving, and a Process Engineer or
other trained personnel will count the number of discs In the
lot and Inspect each individual disc for flaws.
3. A flaw In a disc is defined as follows:
a. Any scratch or Indentation which can be felt on the opposite
side of the disc.
b. Any Irregularity In the shape of the domed portion of the.
disc that can be seen with the eye or felt.
c. A pinhole or scratch which could cause the disc to leak.
d. A disc without a tag.
e. A disc that will not fit the pins of a holder.
f. A disc that Is labeled differently than the other discs In
the same lot.
4. Flawed discs must be removed from the lot and returned to the
manufacturer. Discs which pass inspection are initialed on the
box by the Inspector.
5. Rupture discs which are to be installed on vessels In VCM ser
vice must be approved by lot before they can be placed in the
storeroom. One disc from each of these lots will be sent to
the maintenance shop and burst using the procedures specified
In the destructive testing section of this manual.
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CONFIDENTIAL 1
'------------- ... ....... ..........,
II. RUPTURE DISC ORDERING AND PRE-INSTALLATION CHECKOUT - Continued
B. Lot Inspection and Pre-Testing - continued
6. If any rupture disc does not burst vlthln 5X of its rated burst
pressure, the entire lot froa which the disc was taken oust be
returned to the manufacturer. Maintenance must notify receiv
ing that these discs have either passed or failed this test.
7. Rupture discs which pass Inspection and testing are ok'd for
placement In the storeroom. Rupture disc boxes which have not
been Initialed are not to be placed In the storeroom.
C. Recordkeeping
Administrative Services must keep a record of rupture disc
receiving and Inspection data. An example logsheet Is attached.
This Information must be stored In the plant for a period of at
least two years.
III. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION
A qualified maintenance Installation observer must be present during
all phases of rupture disc Installation (vinyl reactors only). The
Mechanical Superintendent will keep an updated list of qualified
maintenance Installation observers.
A. Installation In Holders
All rupture discs must be installed In the holders according to the
manufacturer's specifications. These written specifications come
with each rupture disc. The following steps outline the general
procedure which Is to be used when Installing rupture discs la
holders:
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III. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION (Continued)
OGNF/OENM
A. Installation in Holders - continued
1. Before a disc is placed in the holder, the disc, the holder
and the holder bolts must be Inspected for flavs.
2. Flavs are defined as follows:
a. A disc that has any of the defects listed in Section II
(B)(3).
b. A holder face that is covered with dirt or debris, or Is
deeply gouged such that it will leak when installed.
c. Set screws that are galled or cannot be screwed into the
holder by hand. .
d. A holder with a daaaged bite ring. A holder is considered
damaged if there are indentations or flat spots on the bite
ring. This is determined from a visual inspection of the
holder. Also, the height of the bite ring oust be checked.
This is done by the Inspector running his fingernail around
the bite ring. The bite ring has sufficient height to be
reused If it holds the fingernail all the way around the
circumference of the bite ring.
3. Flew components must not be Installed in the Plant.
4. Place the disc in the holder and hand Install the holder bolts.
Using a torque wrench, tighten the holder bolts to the torque
specified by the manufacturer. This tightening muat be per
formed In at least four passes; l.e. 25Z, 50Z, 73Z and 100Z of
the final torque. A criss-cross tightening pattern must be
used when torquln^ the bolts*
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III. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION - Continued
CONFIDENTIAL
A. Installation in Holders - continued
5. When the installation of the disc in the holder is complete,
visually Inspect the disc again to see if it has been distorted
or otherwise damaged.
6. Rupture discs must not be removed from the holders after installation, otherwise the rupture disc must be discarded.
B. Pressure Testing in the Shop
All reactor rupture discs are to be pressure tested in the
maintenance shop to 90Z of their rated burst pressure before being
Installed in the plant The following testing procedure must be .
used when pressure testing rupture discs in the maintenance shop.
1. Clean the flanges of the test bench and the faces of the
rupture disc holder where the two surfaces meet. Use an
asbestos gasket between the flange and the holder.
2. Install the holder on the test bench and tighten the bolts
in a criss-cross pattern, making several passes on each bolt.
3. Warn nearby personnel that a rupture disc is being pressure
tested.
4. Using pressurized air. slowly open the test valve and pressurise the space underneath the rupture disc. Increase the pressure to 90Z of the rupture disc burst pressure at 72F.
5. Slowly depressurize the space underneath the rupture disc and
remove the assembly from the test bench. If the disc appears
to have been distorted or otherwise damaged during the test, do
not install the alsc in the plant.'
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CONFIDENTIAL
III. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION - Continued
B. Pressure Testing in the Shop - continued
6. If a rupture disc bursts prematurely (less than 902 of its
rated burst pressure) or is damaged by the test, the disc oust
be given Intact to Process Engineering.
7. The calibration of the test bench pressure gauge will be
checked with a dead weight pressure gauge every six months.
C. Installation In The Plant
Rupture disc assemblies must be Installed in the plant accordingly:
1. Before Installing the holder assembly between the companion
flanges, thoroughly clean the flange faces with a putty knife
to remove any solid buildup or debris.
2. Check to see that the flange faces are not gouged or otherwise
damaged. Place the rupture disc between the flanges, with the
bulged-out side of the disc facing the process.
3. On reactors, use asbestos-type gaskets only. Flexatallk gas
kets may be used elsewhere in the plant if desired.
4. When tightening the companion flanges, torque the bolts to the
manufacturer's specification using a criss-cross tightening
pattern. Make at least four passes on each bolt.
D. Pressure Checking After Installation on the Reactor
After a rupture disc has been installed on a reactor, the reactor
will be pressure checked before it is charged. The reactors will
be pressure checked to 902 of the pressure of the lowest rated 2
rupture disc on the reactor or 170 #/ln , whichever pressure is
lower.
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CONFIDENTIAL'I
in. RUPTURE DISC INSTALLATION - Continued
D. Pressure Checking After Installation on the Reactor - continued
The pressure check must be witnessed by an approved pressure
check observer. A list of approved pressure check observers
is kept on the Vinyl Shift Supervisor's bulletin board.
The pressure checking consists of filling the reactor with water and then increasing the pressure in the reactor to the desired pressure per established procedures. The operators Involved must be extremely careful during pressure check procedures not to burst or damage a rupture disc. Bursting a disc during the pressure check will cause reactor downtime to change the disc. A disc can be damaged by hydraulic shock if the reactor becomes liquid full during the pressure check. A damaged rupture disc may burst at lower than the rated pressure, causing leakage through the reactor relief valve. In addition, a damaged disc may not burst at the rated pressure, which could allow a reactor to overpressure. The pressure check observer must witness the pressure check from the field and must verify the final reactor pressure. The reason for the pressure check, the signature of the approved observer, the final reactor pressure, and other test find ings will be noted in the reactor pressure check log kept in the Vinyl control room.
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CONFIDENTIAL !!
IV. MTPTPRB DISC REMOVAL
A. Rupture Disc Changaout
Rupture discs are to be reaoved from service and changed accord
ingly:
1. Any rupture disc which fails in service mat be changed as
soon as possible after It is discovered that the disc has
failed.
2. Any rupture disc which is believed to be covered with resin or
otherwise damaged met be changed as soon as possible.
3. All rupture discs on reactors will be changed at least once
every twelve months
4. When a reactor Is taken out of service for condenser drilling,
the condenser rupture dlsc(s) will be reaoved or guard(s) will
be Installed over the rupture disc nozzle(s) before the drill
ing operation la started.
5. Any rupture disc which falls In reactor service mat be given
to Process Engineering.
B. Destructive Testing All rupture discs taken off of vinyl reactors oust be burst in the
aalnteneace shop when taken out of service permanently. The follow
ing procedures also apply to new rupture discs which are to be
burst when they arrive at the Plant.
1. When removing the holder asseably from the reactor and when
transporting the holder asseably to the maintenance shop, use
caution so as not to damage the disc or the holder.
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rafiNTIAL iI ------- ....~/
IV. RUPTURE DISC REMOVAL - Contlnuad
B. Destructive Teating - contlnuad
.2 Whan destructively testing a vinyl reactor rupture disc, a
qualified maintenance Installation observer oust be present to observe the testing,
3. Install the holder assembly on the test bench and pressurize
the disc with air until the disc bursts,
4. If a rupture disc bursts prematurely (less than 90S of its
rated burst pressure), the disc oust be given to Process
Engineering, Use care so as not to damage these discs# V. RECORDKEEPING
'*
A record must be kept of all rupture disc Installation and testing
data. An example logsheet Is attached. This Information must be
stored in the plant for a period of at least two years.
VI. TRAINING
All maintenance and engineering personnel involved in this program are
to receive hands-on training in the Installation and handling of
rupture discs once each calendar year. Records of all personnel who
attend these training sessions are to be kept for a period of at least
two years#
VII. RELIEF VALVES
All relief valves in vinyl chloride service will be periodically
checked to assure that they will operate properly in an emergency
situation
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CONFIDENTIAL
VII. ttgLIff VALVES - Continued
A. Raactor Raliaf Valvta
The past practice of testing the relieving pressure of reactor
relief valves in place can no longer be used due to the change
In the setting of the blovdovn ring. With the new settings,
the quantity of nitrogen available to test the relief valves
only results in "slnnarlng" rather than "popping" of the valves.
Thus a true relieving pressure cannot be determined with the
relief valves in place on the reactors.
Current practice is to remove the relief valves from the reactors
and to send them to a relief valve repair shop for testing, in
spection and reworking. The rework includes dlsessenbly. cleaning
and replacing/refurbishing internal parts as required so that the
relief valve meets the original manufacturers specifications.
Initially, all reactor relief valves will be sent to a relief valve
repair shop on a scheduled basis. The valves will be disassembled,
cleaned and refurbished as necessary. The set pressure on each of
the relief valves will also be Increased approximately 10 psl while
at the repair shop.
After the initial testing and refurbishing, the valves will be re
installed on the reactors. The information obtained on valve con
dition versus period of time between the rework will be analyzed.
From this data, a decision on the frequency of testing and refur
bishing the valves will be established.
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A
CONRDENHAL!
VII. RHjgf VALVR8 - Continued
A. Raactor Rallaf Valva - continued
All new raactor relief valvaa purchaaad will ba prataatad by eha
manufacturer. Upon Installation, eha rallaf valvaa will ba re
moved and taatad at a rallaf valva shop par tha fraquancy estab-
llahad above.
B. Othar Rallaf Valvaa In Vinyl Chlorlda Sarvlca
Rallaf valvaa In tha vinyl chlorlda sarvlcat except thoaa on tha
reactors, will ba taatad and rafurblahad at althar a rallaf valva
repair shop or by tha plant aalntananca personnel* Tha fraquancy
of testing and refurbishing will be established by tha plane
aalntananca department.
C. Recordkeeping
Tha aalntananca department shall keep a record of all tests and
repairs aade on tha rallaf valves.
ENG Dlsc/9-85/rah