Table Of ContentPressure Vessels Field Manual
Common Operating Problems
and Practical Solutions
Maurice Stewart
Oran T. Lewis
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Stewart,Maurice.
Pressurevesselsfieldmanual:commonoperatingproblemsandpracticalsolutions/MauriceStewartand
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ISBN978-0-12-397015-2
1.Pressurevessels–Maintenanceandrepair–Handbooks,manuals,etc.2.Pressurevessels–Maintenance
andrepair–Standards–UnitedStates–Handbooks,manuals,etc.3.Pressurevessels–Inspection–Handbooks,
manuals,etc.4.Pressurevessels–Inspection–UnitedStates–Handbooks,manuals,etc.5.Boilers–Maintenance
andrepair–Handbooks,manuals,etc.6.Boilers–Maintenanceandrepair–Standards–UnitedStates–
Handbooks,manuals,etc.7.Boilers–Inspection–Handbooks,manuals,etc.8.Boilers–Inspection–United
States–Handbooks,manuals,etc.9.ASMEboiler&pressurevesselcode.I.Lewis,OranT.II.Title.
TS283.S742012
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2012026721
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1
History and
Organization of Codes
< OVERVIEW
This chapter discusses the following topics:
Use of pressure vessels and equipment
History of pressure vessel codes in the United States
Organization of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Updating and interpreting the code
ASME Code stamps
Organization of the American National Standards Associ-
ation (ANSI)/ASME B31 Code for Pressure Piping
Some other pressure vessel codes and standards in the
United States
Worldwide pressure vessel codes
ASMECode,SectionVIII,Division1versusDivision2and
Division 3
Design criteria, ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 1
Design Criteria, ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 2
Welding criteria, ASME Code, Section IX
ASME Code, Section I, Power Boilers
Additional requirements employed by users in critical
services
< USE OF PRESSURE VESSELS AND EQUIPMENT
Processvesselsareusedatallstagesofprocessingoilandgas
Initial separation
Processing, conditioning, and treating
Storage
Pressure vessels are made in all sizes and shapes
PressureVesselsFieldManual:CommonOperatingProblemsand
PracticalSolutionse(cid:1)2013ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved. 1
2 PRESSUREVESSELSFIELD MANUAL
Less than an inch and greater than 150 feet in diameter
Buried in the ground or deep in the ocean
Most are positioned on the ground or supported on
platforms
Internal pressures
Less than 1 inch water gauge pressure or greater than
300,000 psi
Normalrangeformonoblockconstructionisbetween15
to 5000 psi
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Specifies a minimum internal pressure from 15 psi
May require special design requirements at internal
pressures above 3000 psi
Anypressurevesselthatmeetsalltherequirementsofthe
ASME Code, regardless of the internal or external
designpressure,maystillbeacceptedbytheauthorized
inspector and stamped by the manufacturer with the
ASME Code symbol
American Petroleum Institute (API) storage tanks
May be designed for and contain no more internal pres-
sure than that generated by the static head of fluid
contained in the tank
< HISTORY OF PRESSURE VESSEL CODES IN THE UNITED STATES
Inthelate1800sandearly1900s,explosionsinboilersand
pressure vessels were frequent
Firetube boiler explosion on the Mississippi River
steamboat Sultana on April 27, 1865, resulted in the
boatsinkingwithin20minutesandkilling1500people
Firetube boiler explosion in a shoe factory in Brockton,
Massachusetts, in1905killed58,injured117,anddid
$400,000 in property damage
·
Chapter1 Historyand Organization ofCodes 3
Another explosion in a shoe factory in Lynn, Massa-
chusetts, in 1906 resulted in death, injury, and exten-
sive property damage
Massachusetts governor directed the formation of
a Board of Boiler Rules
First set of rules approved in 1907
The code was three pages long!
In 1911, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Committee was established to perform the following
functions:
Formulate minimum rules for the construction of boilers
Interpret the rules when requested
Develop revisions and additional rules as needed
In 1915, the first ASME Boiler Code was issued:
Titled “Boiler Construction Code, 1914 Edition”
Beginning of the various sections of the code, which
ultimately became Section I, “Power Boilers”
In 1925, the first ASME Code of Pressure Vessels was
issued:
Titled “Rules for the Construction of Unfired Pressure
Vessels,” Section VIII
Appliedtovesselsover6inchesindiameter,volumeover
1.5 ft3, and pressure over 30 psi
In 1931, a joint API-ASME committee was formed to
developanunfiredpressurevesselcodeforthepetroleum
industry
In 1934, the first pressure vessel code for the petroleum
industry was issued, and for the next 17 years, two
separate unfired pressure vessel codes existed
In 1952, the two codes were consolidated into one, titled
“ASME Unfired Pressure Vessel Code,” Section VIII
In 1968, the original code became Section VIII, Division 1,
“Pressure Vessels,” and another part was issued, which
4 PRESSUREVESSELSFIELD MANUAL
was Section VIII, Division 2, “Alternate Rules for Pres-
sure Vessels”
ANSI/ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is issued by
the ASME with the approval by the ANSI as an ANSI/
ASME document
ANSI/ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code has been
established as the set of legal requirements in many
countries of the world
Most pipingsystems arebuilt to theANSI/ASMECodefor
Pressure Piping B31; there are a number of different
piping code sections for different types of systems
Section I uses B31.1
Section VIII uses B31.3
< ORGANIZATION OF THE ASME BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL CODE
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is divided into
Sections
Divisions
Parts
Subparts
Some of these sections relate to
A specific kind of equipment and application
Specific materials and methods for application and
control of equipment
Care and inspection of installed equipment
Atthepresenttime,thecodeincludesthefollowingsections.
Section I: Power Boilers
This section provides requirements for all methods of
construction of power, electric, and miniature boilers;
·
Chapter1 Historyand Organization ofCodes 5
high-temperature water boilers used in stationary service;
and power boilers used in locomotive, portable, and trac-
tion service.
Rules pertaining to the use of the V, A, M, PP, S, and E
Code symbol stamps are also included. The rules are
applicable to boilers in which steam or other vapor is
generated at a pressure exceeding 15 psig and high-
temperature water boilers intended for operation at pres-
suresexceeding160psigortemperaturesexceeding250oF.
Superheaters, economizers, and other pressure parts
connected directly to the boiler without intervening valves
are considered as part of the scope of Section 1.
This section is briefly reviewed in this text.
Section II: Materials
Part A: Ferrous Materials Specifications
This part is a service book to the other code sections,
providing material specifications for ferrous materials
adequateforsafetyinthefieldofpressureequipment.These
specifications contain requirements and mechanical prop-
erties, test specimens, and methods of testing. They are
designated by SA numbers and are derived from American
Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) “A” specifications.
Part B: Nonferrous Material Specifications
This part is a service book to the other code sections,
providing material specifications for nonferrous materials
adequateforsafetyinthefieldofpressureequipment.These
specifications contain requirements for heat treatment,
manufacture, chemical composition, heat and product
analyses, mechanical test requirements and mechanical
properties,testspecimens,andmethodsoftesting.Theyare
6 PRESSUREVESSELSFIELD MANUAL
designatedbySBnumbersandarederivedfromASTM“B”
specifications.
Part C: Specifications for Welding Rods, Electrodes, and Filler Metals
This is a service book to the other code sections, providing
material specifications for the manufacture, acceptability,
chemical composition, mechanical usability, surfacing,
testing requirements and procedures, operating character-
istics, and intended uses for welding rods, electrodes, and
filler metals. These specifications are designed by SFA
numbers and are derived from American Welding Society
(ANS) specifications.
Section III: Rules for Construction of Nuclear Power Plant
Components
Thissectionprovidesrequirementsforthematerials,design,
fabrication, examination, testing, inspection, installation,
certification, stamping, and overpressure protection of
nuclear power plant components and component and
piping supports. Components include metal vessels and
systems, pumps, valves, and core support structures. The
components and supports covered by this section are
intended to be installed in a nuclear power system that
produces and controls the output of thermal energy from
nuclear fuel and those associated systems essential to the
functions and overall safety of the nuclear power system.
This section also provides requirements for (1)
containmentsystemsandtransportpackagingforspentfuel
and high-level radioactive waste and (2) concrete reactor
vessels and containments.
Section IV: Heating Boilers
This section provides requirements for design, fabrication,
installation,andinspectionofsteamgeneratingboilersand
·
Chapter1 Historyand Organization ofCodes 7
hotwaterboilers intendedforlow-pressureservice thatare
directly fired by oil, gas, electricity, or coal.
It contains appendices that cover approval of new
material, methods of checking safety valve and safety
relief valve capacity, examples of methods of checking
safety valve and safety relief valve capacity, examples of
methods of calculation and computation, definitions
relating to boiler design and welding and quality control
systems.
Rules pertaining to use of the H, HV, and HLW Code
symbol stamps are also included.
Section V: Nondestructive Examination
This section contains requirements and methods for
nondestructiveexaminationthatarerequiredbyothercode
sections. It also includes manufacturer’s examination
responsibilities, duties of authorized inspectors, and
requirementsforqualificationofpersonnel,inspection,and
examination.
Examinationmethodsareintendedtodetectsurfaceand
internal discontinuities in materials, welds, and fabrication
parts and components. A glossary of related terms is
included.
Section VI: Recommended Rules for the Care and Operation of
Heating Boilers
This section covers general descriptions, terminology, and
operationapplicabletosteelandcastironboilerslimitedto
the operating ranges of Section IV: Heating Boilers. It
includes guidelines for associated controls and automatic
fuel-burning equipment.
8 PRESSUREVESSELSFIELD MANUAL
SectionVII: RecommendedGuidelinesfortheCareofPowerBoilers
The purpose of these guidelines is to promote safety in the
use of stationary, portable, and traction type heating
boilers. This section provides such guidelines to assist
operators of power boilers in maintaining their plants.
Emphasis has been placed on individual-type boilers
because of their extensive use.
Section VIII
Division 1: Pressure Vessels
This division of Section VIII provides requirements appli-
cable to the design, fabrication, inspection, testing, and
certification of pressure vessels operating at either internal
or external pressures exceeding 15 psig.
Such pressure vessels may be fired or unfired. Specific
requirements apply to several classes of material used in
pressure vessel construction and also to fabrication
methods such as welding, forging, and brazing.
It contains mandatory and nonmandatory appendices
detailing supplementary design criteria, nondestructive
examination, and inspection acceptance standards. Rules
pertaining to the use of the U, UM, and UV Code symbol
stamps are also included.
Division 2: Alternate Rules
This division of Section VIII provides requirements appli-
cable to the design, fabrication, inspection, testing, and
certification of pressure vessels operating at either internal
orexternalpressuresexceeding15psig.Suchvesselsmaybe
fired or unfired. This pressure may be obtained from an
external source or by the application of heat from a direct
source, an indirect source, or any combination thereof.
