Breather Valves are used to prevent excessive pressure/vacuum build up within sealed enclosures.
A large, sealed container experiencing quite small changes in temperature or altitude can exert massive forces across its entire surface area. A suitably sized Breather Valve can limit these forces thus preventing potentially damaging effects.
Incorporating a breather valve within a container at the design stage, can help in producing a lighter container which can ultimately result in a smaller footprint.
Typically, containers will be more susceptible to the effects of vacuum, so selecting a valve with the correct characteristics for their intended application is vital.
Breather Valves are typically available from 12.5mm (1/2”) to 125mm (5”), with opening pressures 10-200mbar.
When selecting a valve for a specific application the flow rate of valve is an essential parameter. When calculating the volume to be exchanged always work with the empty volume of the container. This then has to be factored against the change in pressure versus time. These parameters could be specified from IATA, Def-Stan or Mil-Spec specifications.
For a detailed calculation and breather valve suggestion please contact us directly.