Pressure vessels and piping systems: general requirements and documentation for testing
Pressure vessel and piping systems are widely used throughout industry and research laboratories and contain a very large concentration of energy, and yet, despite the fact that their design and installation comply with federal, state and local regulations and recognized industrial standards, there continue to be serious pressure equipment failures. There are many reasons for pressure equipment failure: degradation and thinning of materials with usage, aging, hidden flaws during fabrication, etc. Fortunately, periodic testing and internal and external inspections significantly improve the safety of a pressure vessel or facility. A good testing and inspection program is based on development of procedures for specific industries or types of vessels. This paper describes the elements that should be a part of a pressure testing safety program and the requirements that it should address. The program should comply with pressure safety standards and include the requirements for inspecting pressure vessels, establishing and implementing a written pressure system test work permit, maintaining safety in the testing area, developing in-place pressure testing procedures, keeping records for pressure test calculations and results, and evaluating the system's internal and external integrity.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 9379
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-133290; YN0100000; YN0100000; TRN: AH200122%%294
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1999 American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference, Boston, MA (US), 07/21/1999--07/26/1999; Other Information: PBD: 25 Feb 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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