Design and Evaluation of a Crankcase Relief Valve Spring for LNG-Fueled Ships

Growing concerns regarding air pollution have recently increased the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled ships. LNG-fueled ships are equipped with an explosion relief valve in the crankcase to relieve excessive pressure and stop flames from emitting from the crankcase. In this study, a finite element analysis was conducted to evaluate the crankcase relief valve disk spring design using an ANSYS Workbench, v.15. The setting pressure, leak and explosion test performed by european standard EN14797 to evaluate function and mechanical integrity of crankcase relief valve. The tests results indicate that the pressure of the crankcase relief valve is 3.05 bar, with no air leakage at 2.97 bar. Finally, the mechanical integrity of the crankcase relief valve was confirmed through an explosion test in which the valve plate assembly, flame arrester, and other parts were safe from fracturing.