Vent design

The size of a vent stack must consider radiation, velocity, and dispersion.

Radiation

The vent should be located so that radiation levels from ignition are acceptable.

Velocity

The vent must have sufficient velocity to mix air with gas to maintain the mixed concentration below the flammable
limit within the jet-dominated portion of the release. The vent should be sized for an exit velocity of at least 500 ft/s
(100 ft/s minimum). Studies indicate that gases with velocities of 500 ft/s or more have sufficient energy in the jet to
cause turbulent mixing with air and will disburse gas in accordance with the following equation.

(Eq. 8)

W/Wo = 0.264 (Y/Dt)

where

W = weight flow rate of the vapor/air mixture at distance Y from the end of the tailpipe;

Wo = weight flow rate of the relief-device discharge, in the same units as W ;

Y = distance along the tailpipe axis at which W is calculated;

Dt = tailpipe diameter, in the same units as Y.

Eq. 8 indicates that the distance Y from the exit point at which typical hydrocarbon relief streams are diluted to their
lower flammable limit occurs approximately 120 diameters from the end of the discharge pipe. As long as a jet is
formed, there is no fear of large clouds of flammable gases existing below the level of the stack. The distance to the
lean flammability concentration limits can be determined from API RP 521[2] and API RP 14C.[5] The horizontal limit is
approximately 30 times the tailpipe diameter.

Industry practice is to locate vent stacks 50 ft horizontally from any structure running to a higher elevation than the
discharge point. The stacks must vent at least 10 ft above any equipment or structure within 25 to 50 ft above a
potential ignition source. Because the flame can be ignited, the height of the stack must be designed or the pit located
so that the radiation levels do not violate emergency conditions.

Dispersion

The vent must be located so that dispersion is adequate to avoid potential ignition sources. The dispersion calculation
of low-velocity vents is much more difficult and should be modeled by experts familiar with the latest computer
programs. Location of these vents is very critical if the gas contains H2S because even low concentrations at levels
accessible by personnel could be hazardous. The location of low-velocity vents should be checked for radiation in the
event of accidental ignition.