High-integrity pressure protection system

This alternative outlet generally leads to a flare or venting system to safely dispose the excess fluids.

Conventional relief systems have disadvantages such as release of (flammable and toxic) process fluids or their combustion products in the environment and often a large footprint of the installation.

A system that closes the source of over-pressure within a specified time with at least the same reliability as a safety relief valve is usually called a HIPPS.

Such a HIPPS is a complete functional loop consisting of: The scheme above presents three pressure transmitters (PT) connected to a logic solver.

The final elements consist here of two block valves that stop flow to the downstream facilities (right) to prevent them from exceeding a maximum pressure.

The ever-increasing flow rates in combination with the environmental constraints initiated the widespread and rapid acceptance in the last decades of HIPPS as the ultimate protection system.

These are performance based, non-prescriptive, standards which provide a detailed framework and a life-cycle approach for the design, implementation and management of safety systems applicable to a variety of sectors with different levels of risk definition.

Not only the response time and accuracy of the loop but also safety factors for over-sizing of the actuator of the final element are dictated by these standards.