HIPPS CONCEPT
Definition & HIPPS Philosophy
HIPPS is the acronym for High Integrity Pressure Protection System. Main function of HIPPS is an independently instrumented system whose function is to protect an installation from the overpressure produced in the high pressure part of the same, isolating the low pressure part from it.
Idea of HIPPS is to be used instead of traditional safety systems such as relief devices with four main advantages:
- Environment protection: relief systems release the service fluid to the atmosphere which while HIPPS avoid fluid to be released out of the system keeping the environment free of emissions
- HIPPS have to be a safety level equal or higher than the traditional relief methods; calculated safety levels shown the HIPPS to be ten times more reliable than traditional methods.
- Creating a frontier between two parts of the installation allows the downstream part of the valves of the HIPPS to have lower pressure and therefore, to reduce the cost of pipes and related pressure equipments installed on that part.
HIPPS Scheme
The complete HIPPS consist of several elements that are detailed below:
- Initiators (Pressure Transmitters). HIPPS are typically supplied with three pressure transmitters that monitor the pressure in the line and provide the information to the next element.
- Logic Solver: it receives the information from Pressure Transmitters and it is configured to send the signal to operate the final elements, when the received input is above the preconfigured pressure value.
- Final elements: Final elements have the function of isolating the downstream part of the installation from the overpressure. Typically, final elements consist of two valves with their related actuators installed in serial to be closed when the signal is received from the logic solver.
