The Dead Weight safety valve consists of a
valve V which is made of gun metal to prevent rusting. It
rests on the gun metal seat S and is fixed to the top of a
vertical steam pipe P. The pipe has a flange F at the bottom for
fixing at the top of the boiler shell.
A weight carrier C is
suspended from the top of the boiler. It carries cast iron rings (i.e.,
weight W). the total weight must
be sufficient to the keep the valve on its seat against the normal working
pressure.
When the steam pressure in the boiler
exceeds the normal working pressure, it lifts the valve with its weight. The
excess steam therefore escapes through the pipe to the atmosphere, until the
pressure reaches its normal value.
It is the simplest type of safety valve; it
is suitable for stationary boilers only, because it cannot withstand the jerks
and vibration of mobile (marine) boilers. Another disadvantage of this valve is
the heavy weight required to balance the steam pressure. Hence, it is not suitable
for high pressure boilers.