Silo safety surges ahead with test rig
October 1st 2005

Portasilo has developed an independently vetted test rig to evaluate the effectiveness of pneumatic pressure relief valves used in pressure relief valves employed in pressurised tanker filling from silos. The rig has confirmed the effectiveness of the recently announced Portasilo PRV350 combined pressure and vacuum relief valve in avoiding damaging over and under pressurisation during powder filling and emptying.

The potential hazards of inadequate pressure and vacuum relief provision have been tackled by the Health and Safety Executive, which has issued guidance on sizing of filters and pressure relief valves as a result of a number of serious accidents during pneumatic filling of and from silos.

The HSE guide identifies that a significant air surge could occur at the end of a filling operation. The PRV350 valve will handle these large air flows with minimal pressure accumulation, making it possible to maximise the set pressure and so reduce the chance of atmospheric pollution through dust release.

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