Consolidated™ 1900 DM Dual Certified PRVs

Pressure Relief Valves (PRVs) are the final safeguard against overpressure in process plants, protecting vessels and piping systems from exceeding their Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP). Selecting the correct PRV is relatively straightforward when a system operates under a single fluid condition. However, many industrial processes experience multiple overpressure scenarios involving gases, liquids, or even two-phase mixtures. In these applications, one valve is often expected to protect against a wide range of relief conditions, creating a significant engineering challenge.

The difficulty lies in identifying and designing for both the controlling relief case and secondary relief scenarios. Traditionally, PRVs have been equipped with trim designs optimized and certified for a single media type, such as gas, steam, or liquid service. While this approach performs well under the intended conditions, it can introduce operational risks when the valve is required to relieve a different fluid phase than the one for which it was originally designed.

For example, a vapor-certified PRV relieving liquid may experience instability or chatter, while a liquid-certified PRV relieving gas may open at pressures lower than intended. Industry guidance indicates that opening pressures can shift by as much as 3% to 5% depending on the relieving medium. Such deviations can affect valve performance, increase product loss, generate fugitive emissions, and in some cases, prevent the valve from achieving full lift within the required overpressure limits.

Industry standards have evolved to address this challenge. ASME Code Case 2787 introduced the ability to certify a single PRV on multiple media without requiring adjustments between tests, while the latest edition of API 520 formally defined the concept of a “Dual Certified” PRV. This certification requires the valve to demonstrate compliant performance on both gas and liquid service using the same trim configuration.

Consolidated™ 1900 DM Series Dual Certified PRV represents a significant technological advancement. Its hybrid trim design combines the performance benefits of conventional gas and liquid trims, enabling reliable operation across multiple fluid conditions. These valves are engineered to open within ASME tolerance limits regardless of whether the relieving medium is gas or liquid, achieve full lift within certified overpressure requirements, maintain stable and chatter-free operation, and provide certified flow capacities for both media.

As a result, Dual Certified PRVs eliminate the traditional compromise between gas and liquid trim selection. They reduce uncertainty in multi-case and multi-phase applications, improve operational efficiency, lower risk, and simplify specification by providing a single valve solution capable of protecting against the full range of expected relief scenarios. For end users and EPCs seeking greater reliability and compliance, Dual Certified PRV technology offers a practical and economical path toward enhanced overpressure protection.

Contact:

Brian Morgan
Sales Manager - UK, Ireland & Benelux
Brian.Morgan@bakerhughes.com

Sébastien Vermeulen
Sr. Product Manager, Consolidated – Europe & Menati
Sebastien.Vermeulen@bakerhughes.com 

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