Whats Changed in API STD 521 6th ed.

- Issued January 2014

Eli Vatland Johansen - Leading Advisor Process Safety
Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

Overview:
Introduction to American Petroleum Institute (API)
Some main changes in API STD 521 6th ed.
Other API standards in subcommittee Pressure Relieving Systems
updated lately

Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

American Petroleum Institute (API)

Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (Guideline to facilities regulations 34):
Overpressure protection should be designed in accordance with API RP 520/NSEN ISO 4126 and API 521/NS-EN ISO 23251
ISO 23251 1st ed. and API STD 521 5th ed. were cobranded

Sadly this cooperation has ended API 521 6th ed. issued as API standard
Reason: Restriction from OFAC (Office for Foreign Assets Control - USA)
API committee and API staff regret this, and hope that things will change
Statoil has been member of API Pressure Relieving Systems committee for 10 years.
The API Pressure Relieving Systems committee meets twice a year.

Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

Sec. 3.1
General update of Terms and definitions
Examples, changes or new definitions:
Blowdown drum
Lift off (replaces blow-off)
Choke valve
Combustion efficiency
Confined fire
Lateral
Open fire
Pressure-relief device / pressure relief valve
Pressure system
Rated capacity
Required relief rate
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Sec. 4.2.5
Operator Error / Effect of Operator Response
Section Effect on operator response and Operator error has been combined

New paragraph added on items to consider when credit is taken for operator
intervention:
An alarm is required
Sufficient time for operator to intervene
Operator training
Understanding of consequences of operator failure
Evaluation of probability of alarm failure and / or ineffective operator
intervention

Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

Section 4.4.9.3:
Check Valve Leakage or Failure (1)
New text 6th edition:
. . .overpressure protection should be considered where the maximum operating
pressure of the high pressure system is greater than the low pressure equipment's
corrected hydrotest pressure.

Old text 5th edition:

Required overpressure protection if the operating pressure of the high pressure
system are greater than the design pressure

Note:
New edition is less strict and more in line with the 4th edition

Classification: Internal

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Section 4.4.9.3:
Check Valve Leakage or Failure (2)
New paragraph under Severe Check Valve Leakage:
For certain rotating equipment such as reciprocating compressors and positive
displacement pumps, the user may determine that significant reverse flow
trough the machinery will not occur.
5th edition allowed reverse flow through check valves to be less than a orifice
area equal to 1 % of the nominal flow area for series check valves provided a
condition-monitoring system where installed.
This has been deleted in 6th edition, API 521 6th ed. now recommends either:
orifice area equal to 1 % of the nominal flow area
orifice that is sized to pass 10 % of the normal forward flow

Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

New sec. 4.4.8.6 Choke valve Failure

(Choke Collapse)
Statoil have provided the API committee with:
- Norsok P-100 section 16.2.2 Choke Valve Collapse

Section 4.6.8 Choke Valve Failure in API STD 521 6th ed. is more or less the same
as old Norsok P-100.

Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

New sec 5.4.4 (Flare) Header Segregation

Flare header streams should be segregated based on:
Pressure
Temperature
Fluid properties
New list with aspects to consider when making flare relief headers
Water-wet fluids should be segregated from cold fluids to prevent ice/hydrate
List of what to consider when designing the relief discharge from rupture discs

.
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New Sec. 5.5.12 Acoustic Fatigue

5.5.12.1 Background
High pressure drops across e.g. PRV, orifice cause noise downstream
High-energy, high-frequency noise cause high-frequency vibration in pipe wall
that can result in rapid fatigue
Fatigue screening method Carucci and Mueller Sound Power level

5.5.12.2 Sound Power Level

Guidance on calculation the Sound Power Level

5.5.12.3 Mitigation Options

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Sec. 5.7.9: Flare Knockout Drums

5th edition:
Outlet nozzles should have a deflection plate or baffle to minimize carry over
6th edition:
In general, vapor outlet nozzles should not be fitted with any devices (e.g.
deflection plates, baffles, demister pads, vane packs, etc.), because of the
potential for such devices to fail or plug and obstruct the outlet. Such devices
should be used only if the drum is equipped with an alternate outlet nozzle
sized for the drums design vapor flow rate and fitted with a rupture disk (or
buckling pin device) whose burst pressure is selected both to protect the drum
against overpressure and to permit proper operation of the drum and relief
system in the event the normal vapor outlet becomes obstructed.
Input from Visund accident where baffle plate blocked the flare stac
http://www.ptil.no/getfile.php/z%20Konvertert/Helse,%20milj%C3%B8%20og%20sikkerhet/Hms-Aktuelt/Dokumenter/report20063098rev02_komprimert.pdf

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Classification: Internal

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521: 5.7.9.4
Droplet Size Criteria for Flare Drums
Flare knockout drums can be sized for droplet size 400 m (sub-sonic tip), 1000 m (sonic)
API 5th edition
In general, a flare can handle small liquid droplets. However, a knockout drum is required to separate
droplets larger than 300 m to 600 m in diameter in order to avoid burning liquid outside the normal
flame envelope.

API 6th edition

Although the presence of burning rain may result with liquid droplet sizes, conditions or loadings in
excess of the values noted in a) through c) below under steady-state conditions (read: 600 micron for
sub-sonic, 1000 micron for sonic), the occurrence of burning rain is often associated with transient flare
load conditions where slugs of liquid may be carried over from the flare knockout drum, liquid seal drum,
or re-entrainment of liquid accumulated within the flare piping or the flare gas riser. Liquid droplets
exceeding 1,000 m can readily lead to burning rain regardless of flare type. Burning rain can occur at
smaller droplet sizes for some flare types.
The focus is more on smoke than burning rain, i.e. smoke is an issue before burning rain. Although not explisitly
said, the new droplet sizing requirements are 400 m and 1000 m with respect to burning rain.

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521: 5.7.9.8 (New Section)

Knockout Drums for Oil and Gas Production Facilities
Describes the challenges with designing Knockout drums for overfill protection
for oil and gas platforms compared to refineries.
Sizing a knockout drum to contain 20 min to 30 min of this flow (the sizing basis
suggested in 5.7.9.5 for a typical facility) is frequently impractical for both
transportation to and installation in an oil and gas production facility, whether
onshore or offshore.
Gives design recommendations for overfill protection:
the knockout drum surge capacity may be based on 1 min to 2 min of
continued flow starting once the point is reached where the automatic shutdown
is initiated by the flare knockout drum instrumentation.
In addition to the emergency case described above, the flare knockout drum
should have sufficient surge capacity (e.g. 20 min between the normal level and
the LAHH (high-high liquid level alarm)) to avoid spurious trips during normal
flaring.
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Classification: Internal

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New Annex 1: Fire depressurisation (1)

API521 has for several years required fire rupture calculation to be done,

API521, rev 4 1997:

The required depressuring rate depends on the metallurgy of the vessel, the
thickness and the initial temperature of the vessel wall, and the rate of heat input

API521, rev 5, 2007:

If a depressurization system is installed to protect vessels and/or piping against
fire, the need for passive fire protection is determined by the capacity of the
depressurization device, the type, size and intensity of the fire, the availability of
firewater and fire fighting equipment, the type and layout of the drain system. The
need for passive fire protection also depends on wall thickness, the vessel/pipe
material and the prevailing acceptance criteria for the specific installation

Reference to Scandpower Report 27.207.291/R1, Version 2, Guidelines

for the protection of pressurised systems exposed to fire, March 31, 2004
In other words:
Both the 1997 and 2007 revisions say: Do the work! .but not how to do it.
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New Annex 1: Fire depressurisation (2)

A How to do it is now included in the API521 6th edition, Appendix A
This is a short version of Statoils TR3003 and Scandpower guideline, and
includes e.g.
The fire equation + typical input data to this equation
The need for criteria for unacceptable ruptures (included in the 2005
version)

The stress equations

The work flow chart including guidance

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Other changes in API STD 521 6th ed.

Substantial changes in structure and organization
Change in section 4.4.7 Overfilling
New section 4.4.16 Overpressure Prevention During Maintenance
New section 5.2.2 (Disposal system) Temperature
New section 5.7.2.4 Flame Stability
New sec. 5.7.3.2.11 Noise Caused by Smokeless Flaring

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Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

Summary changes in API STD 521 6th edition

Substantial changes in structure and organization
Terms and definitions updated
A number of technical changes
API STD 521 have increased from 196 (5th ed.) 248 (6th ed.) pages

Disclaimer:
There may be errors in this presentation or important changes made to API STD
521 6th ed. that are missed
It has not been possible to either identify or list all changes

Therefore please familiarize yourself with API STD 521 6th ed.

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Classification: Internal

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API pressure relief systems

API Pressure Relieving Systems
API STD 521 Pressure-relieving and Depressuring Systems -2014
API STD 520 part 1 Sizing and Selection of Pressure-relieving Devices -2014
API STD 520 part 2 Installation of Pressure-relieving Devices -2014 (?)
API STD 2000 Venting Atmospheric and Low-pressure Storage Tanks -2014
API Heat Transfer Equipment
API STD 537 Flare Details
Inspection
API RP 576 Inspection of Pressure-Relieving device

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Classification: Internal

2014-11-07

Presentation title:
Whats Changed in API STD 521 6th ed.
Eli Vatland Johansen
E-mail eliv@statoil.com
Tel: +4748072946
www.statoil.com

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Classification: Internal

2014-11-07