3D Dynamic Simulation of a Flow Force Compensated Pressure Relief Valve

The paper deals with the 3D and 0D simulation of a conical popped pressure relief valve with flow force compensation. The commercial CFD code PumpLinx® was used to create a dynamic model of the valve and the interaction between the poppet dynamics and pressure field was taken into account. The model is able to determine the equilibrium position of the poppet in order to estimate the regulated pressure as function of the flow rate. A good agreement with the experimental data was found in the evaluation of the effect of the flow force compensation. Once validated, the CFD code was used to study the influence of the deflector geometry on the opening force. Moreover it was also used for determining some proper data to be supplied as input to a lumped parameters model of the valve. The tuning of the 0D model involved the discharge coefficient and the flow force. For the evaluation of the flow force compensation, a lookup table was calculated by the CFD code and then interpolated in the 0D model as function of the poppet displacement and of the flow rate.