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About Pressure Vessels

Pressure vessels most often contain fluids, vapors or gases at pressure levels greater than that of atmospheric pressure. Pressure vessels contain a wide variety of substances used for various industrial applications including the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, oil and fuel and plastic industries. The substance contained and the industrial application of the pressure vessels determines such design components as vessel material, size, shape, temperature and pressure level. Vessel creation and maintenance consist of structured steps in which the above factors are determined. When a substance is stored under pressure, the potential for rupture and leakage exists. Improper vessel design and maintenance increase the risk of pressure vessel failure, posing a serious safety hazard. This risk increases when vessel contents are toxic or gaseous substances. Engineers take precautions when creating a pressure vessel to limit the occurrence of vessel failure. The division of vessel creation into steps, which include design, construction, testing and inspection, keeps safety hazards to a minimum.

In the design process, engineers determine the logistics of how pressure vessel manufacturers will create the vessels. Engineers must determine the pressure level, temperature, material components, size and shape. Engineers also consider the corrosion and abrasion potential of the vessel before deciding these factors. Pressure levels are also taken into account before deciding upon a material and shape. Pressure vessel manufacturers fabricate a range of pressure vessels; from a few hundred pounds per square inch (psi) to measuring up to 150,000 psi. Temperature must also be considered before deciding on a material, as materials like steel are susceptible to damage from exposure to extreme temperatures. Materials can include carbon alloy steel, stainless steel, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, nickel alloys and niobium. Sizes range from small vessels holding only a few ounces of a substance to very large vessels with up to a 95,000-gallon capacity. Most pressure vessels are cylindrical; however, contents under extremely high pressure are often placed in stronger spherical vessels.

Because of the above factors and the fact that pressure vessels can have a temperature range that exceeds 750°F, safety is of large importance. There are standard regulations and formulas to which the pressure vessel manufacturers’ designs adhere in order to avoid potential hazards associated with pressure containment. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides a Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code on which engineers base pressure vessel design. Although the ASME Code remains the most common standard, engineers also follow other codes, such as that of the American Petroleum Institute (API). Rigorous analyses for complex pressure vessels are created when standard design rules do not apply. In such instances, engineers conduct intensive mathematical and scientific analyses to ensure design and construction methods meet the stringent requirements of pressure vessels: material, size, shape, temperature and pressure level of the pressure vessel, as well as personal preferences.

Engineers usually create vessels using one of three processes. Forging involves the formation of metal parts through the application of heat and pressure. Welding involves melting two similar metals together. Brazing involves the joining of metals by filling the space between them with a nonferrous metal. Testing of the pressure vessel ensures design technique success, proper vessel operation and certification approval. Regular inspection remains necessary to ensure that the vessel continues to meet industrial standards and safety requirements. The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors remains the worldwide standard for pressure vessel inspection, alteration and repair.

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Featured Articles

"Embrittlement of Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessels"
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Types of Pressure Vessels

• ASME tanks are pressure vessels that meet the standards set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
  
• Autoclaves are closed pressure vessels that use steam and high pressure to sterilize instruments.
  
• Cookers are a type of pressure vessel that are used to bring about a physical change in their contents. Examples of this are digesters, vulcanizers and rendering tanks.
  
• Fired pressure vessels utilize fuel combustion to generate heat. Examples include boilers, furnaces, gas water heaters and autoclaves.
  
• Heat exchangers include a variety of configurations of vessel equipment in which heating or cooling is performed on one side of the vessel and the opposite conversion on the other side. (http://www.heatexchangers.org)
  
• Kettles are pressure vessels that use steam to heat fluids.
  
• Pressure tanks are vessels that hold contents at pressure levels greater than atmospheric pressure.
  
• Rotating pressure vessels usually contain steam, which is then used to dry articles such as paper, fabric or plastics. The materials are passed over the rotating vessel via rollers to come into direct contact with the emitting steam.
  
• Steam jacketed vessels are used to heat liquid to a moderate degree. Steam is distributed between the inner and outer shells of the vessel and is used in the commercial preparation of foods such as candy.
  
• Storage vessels include air tanks, hot water tanks, propane or other gas tanks, which contain contents under pressure when needed.
  
• Thick walled pressure vessels are the least common. They are any cylinder [shell] ratio that is 10% or more the ratio of the thickness to the inside diameter.
  
• Thin walled pressure vessels are one of the most common of the vessels. They are any cylinder [shell] ratio which is 10% or less of the ratio of the thickness to the diameter, or a pressure vessel is thinned walled if the diameter is 10-times or more of the thickness.
  
• Transportable vessels are in contrast to those that are stationary. Examples of such are those are road or rail tankers; propane and gas tanks are considered to be in this category.
  
• Unfired pressure vessels are not exposed to direct heat. Generated heat, if any, is produced through electric heat or steam, and sometimes through the chemical reactions of vessel contents.
  
• Water pressure tanks hold water at levels exceeding atmospheric pressure.