Guide to European Pressure Equipment

1 General 1 1.1 Explanation of terms 3 1.1.1 General definitions 3 Pressure equipment 3 Pressure vessel 3 Piping 3 Pipelines 3 Pressure accessories 3 Safety accessories 3 Assembly 3 Fluids 3 1.1.2 Organisations 3 Manufacturer 3 Base material manufacturer 3 Material supplier 3 First party 3 Second party 3 Third party 3 User and/or operator 3 Purchaser 3 Inspector 3 Authorised inspection body 3 Notified body 3 Recognised third party organisation 3 User inspectorate 3 1.1.3 Codes and standards 4 Design codes and standards 4 EC Directives 4 Harmonised standards 4 1.1.4 Mathematical notation 4 1.1.5 Materials 4 European Approvals for Materials (EAM) 4 European Material Data Sheet (EMDS) 4 Particular Material Appraisal (PMA) 4 1.2 What is a pressure vessel? 4 1.2.1 Common types of pressure vessel 4 1.2.2 Proprietary types of pressure vessel 6 1.2.3 Heat exchangers 6 1.2.4 Steam boilers 7 1.2.5 Vessels for the nuclear power industry 7 1.3 Components of a pressure vessel 7 1.3.1 Shells 7 1.3.2 Heads or ends 7 1.3.2.1 Flat heads 7 1.3.2.2 Dished heads 8 1.3.2.3 Hemispherical heads 8 1.3.3 Cones 8 1.3.4 Flanges 9 1.3.5 Nozzles 9 1.3.6 Manways and inspection openings 10 1.3.7 Tubesheets 10 1.3.7.1 U-tube 10 1.3.7.2 Floating head 10 1.3.7.3 Fixed tubesheet 10 1.3.8 Jackets and limpet coils 10 1.3.9 Supports 11 1.3.9.1 Horizontal vessels 11 1.3.9.2 Vertical vessels 11 1.3.10 Stiffening rings 12 1.3.11 Internals 12 1.3.12 External attachments 12 1.4 Internals 12 1.4.1 Vortex breakers 12 1.4.2 Demisters 12 1.4.3 Baffles and weirs 13 1.4.4 Filter elements 13 1.4.5 Catalysts 13 1.4.6 Trays 13 1.4.7 Packing 14 1.4.8 Separation devices 14 1.4.9 Mixers and agitators 14 1.5 Accessories 14 1.5.1 Manways 14 1.5.2 Davits 15 1.5.3 Platforms and ladders 15 1.5.4 Relief valves and bursting discs 15 1.5.5 Instruments 15 2 Legislation and standards 17 2.1 Legislation 18 2.2 EC Directives 18 2.2.1 General Directive on Pressure Vessels 76/767/EEC 18 2.2.2 Gas Cylinders Directives 18 2.2.2.1 Marking 19 2.2.2.2 Seamless Steel Gas Cylinders Directive 84/525/EEC 19 2.2.2.3 Seamless Aluminium Alloy Gas Cylinders Directive 84/526/EEC 19 2.2.2.4 Welded Unalloyed Steel Gas Cylinders Directive 84/527/EEC 19 2.2.3 The Simple Pressure Vessels Directive 87/404/EEC 19 2.2.3.1 Marking 19 2.2.3.2 EN 286 19 2.2.3.3 The Simple Pressure Vessels (Safety) Regulations 1991 (SI 2749) 19 2.2.4 The Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC 20 2.2.4.1 Classification of pressure equipment (ARTICLE 10) 20 2.2.4.2 Essential Safety Requirements (ESRs) (ANNEX I) 21 2.2.4.3 Summary of ESRs (Essential Safety Requirements): 21 ESR 1 - General 21 ESR 2 - Design 21 ESR 3 - Manufacture 21 ESR 4 - Materials 21 ESR 5 - Fired or otherwise heated pressure equipment with a risk of overheating 22 ESR 6 - Piping 22 ESR 7 - Specific quantitative requirements for certain pressure equipment 22 2.2.4.4 Conformity assessment (ARTICLE 10) 22 2.2.4.5 CE marking (ARTICLE 10) 22 2.2.4.6 Notified bodies (ARTICLE 12) 22 2.2.4.7 European approval of materials (ARTICLE 11) 23 2.2.4.8 CEN harmonised standards 23 2.2.4.9 Exclusions 23 2.2.4.10 The UK scene 23 2.3 Standards 24 2.3.1 Pressure vessel standards 24 2.3.1.1 CEN standards 24 EN 286 Simple unfired pressure vessels designed to contain air or nitrogen 25 EN 13445 Standard for unfired pressure vessels 26 2.3.1.2 BSI standards 28 2.3.1.3 European standards 28 2.3.1.4 ASME standards 28 2.3.2 Associated standards 28 2.3.2.1 CEN standards 28 2.3.2.2 ISO standards 30 2.3.2.3 BSI standards 30 2.3.2.4 ASME, ANSI and ASTM standards 31 2.3.2.5 TEMA standards 32 3 Specification of pressure vessels 33 3.1 Design data 35 3.1.1 Pressure 35 3.1.2 Temperature 36 3.1.3 Cyclic loading 36 3.1.4 Non-pressure loadings 36 3.1.4.1 Dead weight 36 3.1.4.2 Wind loading 36 3.1.4.3 Seismic loading 37 3.1.4.4 Blast loading 37 3.1.4.5 Transport loading 37 3.1.4.6 Wave motion loading 37 3.1.4.7 Piping and equipment loads 37 3.1.4.8 Piping loads on nozzles 37 3.2 Fluid classification 37 3.2.1 The state of the fluid contents 37 3.2.2 The fluid group 37 3.3 Size and configuration 38 3.3.1 Size 38 3.3.2 Configuration 38 3.3.3 Nozzles and inspection openings 38 3.3.3.1 Nozzle size 38 3.3.3.2 Connection type 39 PN designated flanges 39 3.4 Materials and corrosion 40 3.4.1 Explanation of terms 40 Standard abbreviations for chemical elements 40 3.4.2 Selection of materials 40 3.4.2.1 Process chemistry 40 3.4.2.2 Process conditions 41 3.4.2.3 Fluid velocity 41 3.4.2.4 Compatibility 41 3.4.2.5 Cost 41 3.4.2.6 Availability 41 3.4.2.7 Weight 41 3.4.3 Typical materials 41 3.4.3.1 Ferrous metals 41 Carbon steel and low alloy steels 41 3.4.3.2 Non-ferrous metals 42 Nickel rich alloys 42 Nickel alloys 43 Copper alloys 43 Aluminium alloys 43 Reactive metals 44 3.4.3.3 Non-metallic materials 45 Composites 45 Glass 45 Graphite 45 Plastics 45 ETC.