I'm attempting to understand the difference between a pressure relief valve and a pressure regulating valve. From my research far, I've come to the following conclusion:
Pressure relief valves are primarily used for limiting pressure build ups and are often safety related. Pressure relief valves vent the fluid when the pressure exceed some setpoint.
Pressure regulator valves on the other hand are used to regulate a pressure via step-down. These regulator are typically non-venting.
So I'm somewhat confused as to whether or not I should be using a pressure relief valve or pressure regulator in my application. It seems like a pressure relief valve would do the same exact thing as a regulator except it would vent the gas. Do pressure regulator offer better regulation than a relief valve?