Patent ID: 11971111
Assignee: DRESSER, LLC
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A pressure relief valve comprising:
a housing defining an inlet and an outlet, the housing defining a flow passage between the inlet and the outlet;
a seat defined by the housing, the seat defining a throat flow area;
a plunger configured to rest upon the seat, the plunger blocking the flow passage when in a closed position, the plunger configured to actuate between a fully open position and the closed position, the plunger and the seat at least partially defining a curtain flow area; and
a bias directing the plunger towards the seat,
wherein a ratio of throat flow area to curtain flow area, when the plunger is in the fully open position, is sized to cause sonic or supersonic flow velocities during critical flow conditions and subsonic velocities during subcritical flow conditions.