PRV Testing Qualifications
PRV Testing Qualifications
(OP)
I'm at a hydroelectric plant in Canada. We typically send our PRV's off to be tested and recalibrated if required.
What training would be required for my mechanics so that they could test and recalibrate the PRV's themselves?
Thanks!
What training would be required for my mechanics so that they could test and recalibrate the PRV's themselves?
Thanks!





RE: PRV Testing Qualifications
RE: PRV Testing Qualifications
If you need to be able to requalify Safety Relief Valves, contact the National Board in Columbus Ohio before you expend money on training...The test environment investment may make the whole thing a moot point.
RE: PRV Testing Qualifications
As mentioned the investment is pretty heavy on the front end. For routine relief valves it is pretty straight forward, its when you get into the higher pressure steam or special process fluids that can present problems.
We test all our Steam valves that are less than 650 psig using the 650 psig steam as a test media. This requires a separate test stand due to the fact that our 650 steam at this point has about 250°F superheat.
The 650 RV's are sent out to a valve company that has steam generator that can test at the proper temperature and pressure.
We have an enormous number of RV's in vaporized Therminol service that really present a problem due to the vapor temperature of the Therminol at 70 psig. We did test with superheated steam but the AI had problems with our procedure. We went back using a cold test with temperature compensation and ended up with a lot of inservice weepers. The larger valves are now sent off to be test hot. The smaller valves are tested off the primary header into a vacuum header, normal operation. This took several meetings to resolve this problem.
The trend with the corporation now is outsourcing this type work as the experience leaves. My understanding is this is presenting some problems.
Here is one type tester we had. We had another one with multiple stations made by a company no longer in business.
http://www.caldertesters.com/products/900_2.html
RE: PRV Testing Qualifications
J. Alton Cox
www.delucatest.com