ASTM E1419-91 for seamless gas filled pressure vessels
- Blackburn (Philip R.), Buffalo, NY (United States)
Sometimes industrial gases are transported in steel cylinders which are assembled on truck trailers. Federal regulations require that these cylinders be re-tested every five years. In 1983 the US Department of Transportation issued the first exemption to allow some retesters to use acoustic emission examination in lieu of hydrostatic tests. Nowadays use of acoustic emission retests is widespread; approximately 90% of the US jumbo tube trailer fleet is routinely retested with this method; the DOT has issued exemptions from the hydrostatic retest requirement to several companies; also, other exemptions which extend this practice to more tube specifications now exist. ASTM E1419 specifies the method used for such retests. Longitudinal locations of emission sites are determined from acoustic emission data; sites which produce a prescribed acoustic emission event count are inspected with ultrasonic angle beams; existence of flaws is verified and flaw depth is measured. The manufacturing process for large seamless alloy steel cylinders is reviewed for the purpose of understanding the nature of flaws which commonly exist. Characteristic acoustic emission from such flaws are described. Experience with the method is reviewed for the purpose of explaining why the method provides extremely accurate flaw locations, why it is inherently conservative with regard to flaw depth, and how the current generation of commercially available instrumentation should be adjusted to provide operating efficiency which is equal or superior to what was realized when the method was first used.
- OSTI ID:
- 207967
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9510265--; ISBN 1-57117-013-8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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