Influence of Moulding Pressure on the Burst Pressure of Reverse-Acting Rupture Discs

Abstract

Rupture discs, also called bursting discs, are widely used in pressure vessels, pressure equipment, and pressure piping in process industries, such as nuclear power, fire protection, and petrochemical industries. To explore the relationship between the burst pressure of reverse-acting rupture discs and their production, two common manufacturing methods, air pressure moulding and hydraulic moulding, were compared in this study. Reverse-acting rupture discs that complied with the form recommended by API 520-2014 were prepared with four release diameters, and burst pressure tests were carried out. These results showed an obvious negative correlation between the forming pressure of rupture discs and their actual burst pressure for all experimental samples. Further study showed that the main reason for this correlation was a reduction in thickness at the top of the rupture disc caused by large plastic deformation during compression moulding. To explore the relationship between the thickness reduction effect and moulding method, this study defined the “relative ratio of thickness reduction” and concluded that the effect of decreasing the thickness of the rupture disc was more obvious for rupture disc substrates with less flexural rigidity. The above conclusions have important significance for guiding the control of the burst pressure of rupture discs.