The dynamic response of pressure relief valves in vapor or gas service. Part III: Model validation

•The measured dynamic response of various pressure relief valves is compared with predictions from a mathematical model.•Disk vs. time response depends upon operating and installation conditions in addition to valve's design characteristics.•The model predicts stable and unstable operation by adjusting the damping factor and effective path discharge angle.•The effective path discharge angle was found to correlate with the change in mass flow through the valve.

Part I of this series described a mathematical model for predicting the dynamic response and stability characteristics of a pressure relief valve in gas/vapor service, and Part II described an experimental investigation to obtain dynamic response data for various valve sizes from various manufacturers to identify conditions under which instability (chatter) could occur. This paper presents the results of the program, and shows a comparison of the model predictions with the measured dynamic response data, and discusses the information required to implement the model.