Process Design

DESIGN PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE

4.1 General
Normally systems and components shall be protected according to relevant international codes
API RP 14C and API RP 520/521. Under special conditions instrument pressure protection systems
may be used as an alternative if proved to represent the same safety level (commonly named IPPS,
HIPPS, OPPS). Instrument pressure protection systems shall not be used as a secondary pressure
protection device for pressure vessels.

4.2 Design Pressure

The design pressure shall be calculated using the following procedures:

For systems protected by a PSV, the criteria in Table 1 shall be applied.

Where rupture discs are applied, the required design pressure of the pressure vessel will depend on
the type of disc. As an indication API RP 520 may be consulted.

For piping being protected from overpressure by a PSV, it is allowable to have a PSV setpoint
above the design pressure of the piping for some piping design codes. This shall be evaluated for
each case, and only applied after examination of the relevant piping design code.

Table 1 - Design pressure criteria for pressurised systems

Maximum operating pressure (barg)

Design pressure (barg)

0-35 Maximum operating pressure +3.5 bar
35-70 Maximum operating pressure +10%
70-200 Maximum operating pressure +8.5% but
minimum 7 bar and maximum 10 bar
200 - Maximum operating pressure + 5%
The limitations given in Table 1 are to ensure proper operation of the PSV.
Process Design

Mechanical design codes for piping and equipment have different limitations with regard to
maximum allowable overpressure. It follows from this that piping and equipment in a system may
have different design pressures. For low pressure systems such differences should be avoided, so
that the same design pressure is used for the whole system.

For piping occasional variations in the operating pressure above the design pressure is permissible
in some design codes. This may be used to limit the design pressure of the piping, but shall be
subject to due consideration of all aspects in the piping design code ANSI/ASME B31.3. If such a
system is selected, it is a requirement to log the duration and amount of overpressure that the piping
is subjected to.

Tanks that are classified as atmospheric tanks shall be designed to be liquid filled and with an
overpressure of 0.07 barg.

To minimise the requirements for process relief (full flow), the design pressure should be kept
identical for systems with almost identical operating pressures.

The design pressure at the discharge of positive displacement pumps shall be calculated in
accordance with Table 1.

Equipment not protected by PSV or rupture disc and located downstream of a pump or a
compressor shall be designed for the shut-in pressure.

For flare knock out drums, it is acceptable that the design pressure is equal to the maximum
operating pressure. Normally a safety margin is added to the maximum operating pressure in the
design phase to account for increase due to uncertainties in the calculations. Table 1 may be used to
set the design margin.

Equipment where condensing vapours (e.g. after steamout of vessels), drainage or pump out may
lead to less than atmospheric pressure, shall be designed for full vacuum or protected by vacuum
relief, except for vessels where the design requirements for equipment operating below atmospheric
pressure shall be used (Table 2).

Table 2 - Design pressure for equipment operating below atmospheric pressure.

Minimum operating pressure Design pressure

0.35 bara and below full vacuum
0.35 - 1.00 bara the minimum operating pressure minus 0.1
bar, but maximum 0.5 bara

Equipment operating below atmospheric pressure shall also withstand an over-pressure of 3.5 bar
(3.5 barg).

4.2.1 Maximum operating pressure

Maximum operating pressure for vessels is defined as follows:

• Separators; the highest pressure resulting in a trip.

Process Design

• Compression suction scrubber and coolers; settle-out pressure.

The maximum operating pressure (shut-in pressure) for centrifugal compressors should, when
accurate information is unavailable, be determined as the maximum operating suction pressure +1.3
times the normal differential pressure developed by the compressor, to include for pressure rise at
minimum flow.

The maximum operating pressure (shut-in pressure) for centrifugal pumps should, when accurate

• Operating suction pressure +1.25 times the normal differential pressure developed by the pump.
information is unavailable, be determined by choosing the greater of the two following criteria:

• Maximum suction pressure at relieving conditions plus the normal differential pressure
developed by the pump.

Care should be taken not to define higher pressure than required when it affects the selection of
material and pressure class rating.

The maximum operating pressure may be limited by installation of full flow pressure safety valves
(PSV’s).

4.2.2 Piping
The design pressure of a piping system comprising pipes, fittings, flanges and valves shall in
general be according to NORSOK Standard L-CR-001. Pipe classes for design pressures between
those pressure class ratings shall be developed when justified by cost savings.

Static head, friction loss and surge pressures shall be taken into consideration.

Occasional variation above design according to ANSI/ASME B31.3 should be evaluated where
total cost can be significantly reduced.

4.3 Design Temperature

4.3.1 Maximum design temperature

Where the maximum operating temperature can be calculated accurately, this temperature shall be
used as maximum design temperature, without adding a safety margin.
Where the maximum operating temperature can not be calculated accurately, the maximum design
temperature is normally determined by adding 30°C to the operating temperature. For equipment
operating at ambient conditions, the maximum design temperature is 50°C.

For seawater supply systems where the maximum operating temperature is defined by the seawater
yearly variations, the maximum operating temperature is defined as 10° above the seawater supply
operating temperature chosen for design.

The operating temperature on a compressor discharge, when a compressor curve is not available
can roughly be defined as 15°C above the predicted design point temperature to allow for lower
efficiency at compressor minimum flow conditions.

When compressor curves are available, the temperature at minimum flow conditions shall be used
as the operating temperature.
Process Design

The following guidelines should be used to determine the upper design temperature:

• Add 15 °C to the operating temperature to allow for margins in the compressor curves, and for

• Add 10 °C as an additional margin

wear and tear giving lower efficiency over time.

Compressor suction scrubber maximum design temperatures are defined as the higher of the
following:

• Maximum operating temperature at the compressor suction in the event of cooling medium
failure. Maximum operating temperature can be limited by a high temperature shutdown

• Maximum recycle temperature (maximum discharge minus Joule Thompson drop across anti-
function.

• Maximum temperature due to settle out conditions.

surge valve) in the event of cooling medium failure.

• Operating temperature plus 30°C.

For all heat exchangers, both sides shall have a maximum design temperature determined by the
hottest fluid.

Vessels and instruments subject to steam-out shall be designed to meet pressure and temperature
during steam-out operation.

4.3.2 Minimum design temperature

The minimum design temperature shall be the more stringent of the following:

• Operating temperature (obtained during normal operation, start-up, shutdown or process upsets)

• Minimum ambient temperature. Lowest temperature should be based on available weather data.
with a margin of 5°C.

• Minimum temperature occurring during depressurizing from settle-out pressure and subsequent
Safety factors should be selected based on the quality of such weather data.

cooling to ambient temperature. Pressure reduction due to cooling before depressurisation shall
be included.
The minimum temperatures to be expected in a process plant after depressurisation will occur at
low pressures. Designing the process plant for lower design temperature at full design pressure
often will result in a conservative design and should be avoided if possible.
If calculations results in unacceptable values, operational procedures may be included for only
partial depressurisation of equipments or start of depressurisation at higher temperature.

• Minimum temperature occurring during depressurising from settle-out pressure and temperature
with a margin of 5ºC.

The depressurisation calculations shall as a minimum include heat transfer between fluid and
vessel.