Valves and leakages

A concise guide to valves leak rates and standards

 Valves and leakages
Two types of leakage from a valve:
 Valves and leakages
Two types of leakage from a valve:
1. (fugitive) emissions from the valve to atmosphere;
 Valves and leakages
Two types of leakage from a valve:
1. (fugitive) emissions from the valve to atmosphere;
2. leakage through the valve but contained within the
piping system, namely thru-the-pipe leakage.
 Valves and leakages
Two types of leakage from a valve:
1. (fugitive) emissions from the valve to atmosphere;
2. leakage through the valve but contained within the
piping system, namely thru-the-pipe leakage.
 Valves and leakages
Industrial Valves

Industrial-Process Control Valves

 Valves and leakages
Industrial Valves = ball, butterfly, check, gate, globe, …, safety relief
API 6D ISO 5208
Pipeline valves Pressure testing of valves

various API standards API 598

Steel valves Valve inspection and testing

API 520 API 527

Pressure-relieving devices… Seat tightness of pressure
relief valves
 Valves and leakages
Industrial Valves (other standards)
BS 6755-1 EN 12266-1
superseded by
Testing of valves Industrial valves – Testing of valves
 Valves and leakages
Industrial-Process Control Valves
IEC 60534-2 IEC 60534-4
Control valves Inspection and routine testing

ANSI/FCI 70-2 (ASME B16.104)

Control valve seat leakage
 Valves and leakages
Terminology used
API 598: ISO 5208:
“Closure Test” “Obturator Tightness Test”

“THRU-THE-PIPE TIGHTNESS”

ANSI FCI 70-2 & IEC 60534-4: API 527:

“Seat Leakage Test” “Seat Tightness Test”
 Valves and leakages
Pipeline (on-off) valves
ISO 5208
referred to in API 6D

Maximum Allowable Obturator Tightness Test Leakage

Rate A Rate B Rate C Rate D test medium

No visible
0.01 mm3/s x DN 0.03 mm3/s x DN 0.1 mm3/s x DN liquid
leakage 0.3 mm3/s x DN 3 mm3/s x DN 30 mm3/s x DN gas
 Valves and leakages
Safety relief valves
API 527 Set pressure Effective Orifice Sizes
applies to API 520 valves ≤ 0.307 Inch ≥ 0.307 Inch
(MPa) Maximum Seat Leakage Rates
(bubbles per minute)
0.103-6.896 40 20
10.3 60 30
13.0 80 40
17.2 100 50
20.7 100 60
27.6 100 80
38.5 100 100
41.4 100 100
 Valves and leakages
Safety relief valves
API 527 Set pressure Effective Orifice Sizes
applies to API 520 valves ≤ 0.307 Inch ≥ 0.307 Inch
(MPa) Maximum Seat Leakage Rates
(bubbles per minute)
0.103-6.896 0 0
10.3 0 0
13.0 0 0
17.2 0 0
No leakage! 20.7 0 0
27.6 0 0
38.5 0 0
41.4 0 0
 Valves and leakages
Control valves
ANSI FCI 70-2 & IEC 60534-4
apply to all types of control valves

six classes of leakage:

from no testing required (class I), a.k.a. dust tight,
through very tight metal seat (class V),
and soft seat (class VI).
 Valves and leakages
Steel valves
API 598

Maximum Allowable Leakage Rates for Closure Tests

All Metal-Seated Valves
All Resilient (except Check)
Valve Size NPS
Seated Valves
Liquid Test Gas Test
(drops/minute) (bubbles/minute)
≤2 0 0 0
2½-6 0 12 24
8 – 12 0 20 40
≥ 14 0 2 x NPS 4 x NPS