Pressure-Relief Valves

Pressure-relief valves
lways use a relief valve with fixed-displacement hydraulic pumps. Pressure-

compensated pump circuits also may use a relief valve for certain applications.
Think of a relief valve in a hydraulic system as a fuse or circuit breaker in an

electric circuit. An electric circuit never blows a fuse unless it overloads. When an
electric circuit overloads, it is inoperable until reset. Usually the person responsible
for resetting the fuse looks for the reason it blew and fixes the problem before
restarting the machine. Many hydraulic circuits allow the relief valve to dump
some or all pump flow to tank all or part of the time. The extra power to produce
that unused flow is expensive. Also, heat generation from excess flow requires
larger heat exchangers that are expensive to buy and operate.
Protecting the pump and the system from excess pressure is the only valid function
for a relief valve. At no time should the relief valve be used to pass excess pressure
fluid to tank. When excess pump flow goes to tank, it generates heat. The relief
valve in a well-designed hydraulic circuit never relieves oil to tank — unless there
is a circuit or control malfunction.
Fig. 18-1. Direct-acting relief valve.
Figure 18-1 pictures the symbol for a direct-acting relief valve. A direct-acting
relief valve responds quickly when pressure tries to go above the valve’s setting. It
can be use it on circuits with pressure-compensated pumps to reduce pressure
spikes. On a hydraulic circuit with a fixed-displacement pump, a direct-acting
relief valve opens partially early and thus wastes energy. When the system must
operate near maximum pressure without any fluid bypass, use a pilot-operated
relief valve.
Fig 18-2. Simplified symbol for a pilot-operated relief valve.
Figures 18-2 and -3 show the simple and complete symbols for a pilot-operated (or
compound ) relief valve. This type relief valve has two sections. The pilot operator
on top is a small, poppet-type direct-acting relief valve. The main flow section of
the valve is a poppet- or piston-type, normally closed 2-way valve. Through
internal porting, a small direct-acting relief poppet controls a large poppet or
piston. A pilot-operated relief valve responds more slowly, but does not even
partially open until system pressure reaches approximately 95% of set pressure.
Pilot-operated relief valves are suitable for remote operation, they open to unload
pumps at pressures below 50 psi, and they act as large 2-way valves in some
circuits.
Examples of relief-valve circuits

Always locate the relief valve as close as possible to the outlet of a fixed-
displacement pump. A pilot-operated relief works best because it does not pass any
fluid until system pressure is very near the valve’s set pressure.
Fig. 18-4. Fixed-displacement pump circuit with relief valve.

Figure 18-4 shows a typical fixed-displacement pump circuit. Except in the event
of a control circuit malfunction or if it is used to hold the cylinder at pressure, the
relief valve never opens. Heat generation is minimal and the circuit usually can run
without a heat exchanger.
Fig. 18-4. Fixed-displacement pump circuit with relief valve.
Figure 18-5 shows a pressure-compensated pump with a direct-acting relief valve

to protect it against overpressure. Pressure spikes often occur in pressure-
compensated pump circuits with high flow or fast cycling. When the pump must
compensate rapidly or often from full flow to no flow, the resulting overpressure
drastically shortens pump life.
In Figure 18-5, the pump would be at low pressure and full flow when cylinder
<I>CYL3 </I> extends rapidly. When the cylinder stops, fluid requirement is zero,
but pump flow is still 40 gpm. As pressure builds, the pump finally starts
compensating at about 1900 or 1950 psi. It is still producing 40 gpm — with no
place for the oil to go. Without a relief valve in the circuit, system pressure spikes
during each cycle can reach four to ten times the compensator setting. Pressure
spikes damage the pump and piping after a few hours of operation. The faster the
cycle, the more quickly shock damage from pressure spikes causes problems.
A relief valve, installed in Figure 18-5, reduces pressure spikes to protect the
system. When the pump shifts to no flow, excess flow goes to tank through the
relief valve. When the pump reaches compensator pressure, the relief valve closes.
(For another and better way to reduce pressure spikes and protect a pressure-
compensated pump from rapid cycling, see Chapter 1, Figures 17-19.)
Set the relief valve in a pressure-compensated pump circuit at 150 to 200 psi
higher than the pump compensator. With relief pressure below compensator
setting, pump flow goes to tank and makes heat. With relief pressure set at
compensator pressure, the relief valve starts dumping when the pump starts
compensating. When the relief valve passes fluid, the pump sees a pressure drop,
and starts flowing again. The resultant pressure drop allows the relief valve to
close and the dump/flow cycle starts again. After a few hours of this erratic
operation, the pump fails.
Adding a solenoid valve to the vent port of a pilot-operated relief valve makes an
effective unloading valve. Figure 18-6 shows a fixed-displacement pump
supplying three cylinders. There is no power to the solenoid on the relief valve
with the cylinders idle, so pump flow goes to tank at low pressure. Energizing a
solenoid on the relief valve and one cylinder’s directional valve causes an action.
Energizing both solenoids at the same time sends pump flow to the cylinder until
reaching maximum relief pressure. A solenoid relief valve always has a slight
delay before blocking flow to tank after energizing the solenoid. The delay is in
milliseconds so it usually is only noticeable on very fast cycles.
Fig. 18-6. Fixed-displacement pump unloading circuit using a normally open

solenoid relief valve.

The circuit in Figure 18-7 uses a solenoid-operated relief valve to unload the high-
volume pump in a hi-lo circuit. Instead of waiting for pressure to build before the
high-volume pump dumps to tank, the solenoid relief dumps oil on demand. The
demand signal could come from a pressure switch, a limit switch, or an electric eye
that senses cylinder position
ommon valves used in hydraulic industries for performing two important functions
as mentioned here.
1. Protection against overload for various circuit components

2. Limiting the force or torque applied by actuators.
Pressure relief valve: Simple type

Pressure relief valve will have two sections i.e. Body section and pilot valve
section. Body section of relief valve will have a piston which will be retained to its
position or seat due to the action of spring force. Pilot valve section will control the
piston movement with the help of hydraulic force.
We can see one simple type of pressure relief valve in following figure. One port
of pressure relief valve will be connected with pump delivery line or pressure line
and other port will be connected with hydraulic reservoir.
Poppet will be positioned to its seat due to the spring force, one adjusting screw is
provided to change the setting pressure of relief valve.
If pressure at the inlet of relief valve is not enough to overcome the spring force, in
that situation poppet will be remain seated over its seat and will not allow the flow
of fluid through it and therefore relief valve will be closed and will not allow flow
through it.
When pressure at the inlet of relief valve increases and overcomes the spring force
which was adjusted with the help of pressure adjusting screw displayed at the top
of relief valve, in that situation poppet will leave the seat and will permit the flow
of fluid through relief valve. Hence, if pressure at inlet of relief valve overcomes
the setting pressure of relief valve then fluid will flow to hydraulic reservoir
through relief valve and therefore further increment in pressure in pressure line
will be avoided.
When pressure at inlet of relief valve falls below the setting pressure, poppet will
again positioned to its seat due to the action of spring force and relief valve will be
closed and will not allow the flow through it.
Cracking pressure in relief valve operation is defined as the pressure at which relief
valve first permit the flow through it. Pressure at which relief valve allows to flow
the full rated capacity will be termed as valve full flow pressure.
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Pressure-Relief Valves

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Pressure-relief valves

lways use a relief valve with fixed-displacement hydraulic pumps. Pressure-

Think of a relief valve in a hydraulic system as a fuse or circuit breaker in an

Examples of relief-valve circuits

Fig. 18-4. Fixed-displacement pump circuit with relief valve.

Figure 18-5 shows a pressure-compensated pump with a direct-acting relief valve

Fig. 18-6. Fixed-displacement pump unloading circuit using a normally open

1. Protection against overload for various circuit components

Pressure relief valve: Simple type

- See more at: http://www.hkdivedi.com/2016/03/pressure-relief-valve-working-

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