Overpressure Protection in the Process Industry

Marc Hellemans holds a masters degree in electro mechanics and started end of the 70-ies working in the Flow Control business. More particular he specialized in Pressure Relief Devices in the process industry. He ended his long corporate career with Tyco Flow Control in 2008, where he held various senior management positions: Vice President Sales & Marketing for the Engineered Products group (Flow Control & Automation). Managing Director for a manufacturing plant of a major brand pressure relief devices (Anderson Greenwood Crosby). He was part of the M&A team of Tyco Flow Control and realized various mergers & acquisitions and managed the restructurings. Since 2008 he is managing partner at Vh Consult where he is working as a senior consultant in the field of overpressure protection in the process industry and where he is active worldwide in consulting both end users and pressure relief device manufacturers on overpressure protection. Conducting many trainings and lectures all over the world in particular the Middle East and South East Asia. Author of the book: “The Safety Relief Valve Handbook” published by Elsevier and various articles on Flow Control, Pressure Relief and Marketing published by Kluwer.

1. Background to pressure relief design
2. Studies on overpressure relief systems
3. Critical view on designing pressure safety devices according to PED, EN/ISO, ASME, API
4. Keeping overpressure protection up to date
5. Management of change and pressure relief analysis
6. Code recommendations and sizing methods
7. Emergency depressurization valves versus pressure relief devices
8. Process pressures
9. Effects of backpressure on pressure relief devices
10. Chatter in safety relief valves – 3% rule
11. Installation of pressure relief devices
12. Overpressure scenario’s
13. RAGAGEP – recommended and generally accepted good engineering practices
14. Overpressure protection of low-pressure storage tank protection
15. Tank blanketing
16. Accidents analysis and case studies