Introduction to

Pressure Vessel
Take Away
 Common Pressure Vessels in
Oil & Gas
 Typical Parts of Pressure
Vessel
 Design Code & Standards
 Thickness Calculation
 Important PV Design Topics
 Joint Efficiency
 Weld Type
 Weld Category
 Radiography
 PWHT
 Impact Test
 Hydro & Pneumatic Test
What is a Pressure Vessel

 A Pressure Vessel is considered as any closed vessel that is capable of

storing a pressurized fluid, either internal or external, regardless of
their shape and dimensions.
Storage tanks

Ex: Heat exchanger, Reactors, Fractionating

towers, Distillation towers, etc
Pressure Vessels in Oil and Gas

Gas Scrubber
Test Separator

Column
Pig Trap
Typical parts in a Pressure Vessel
Typical parts in a Pressure Vessel
 • Cheaper than
Head (Closure) hemispherical and less
internal volume
• Same thickness as shell
• Depth is 1/4th of diameter

Ellipsoidal Head
Height of the head is quarter of the diameter of vessel
 Head (Closure)
Hemispherical Head

Torishpherical Head
Ellipsoidal Head
Height of the head is quarter of the diameter of vessel

• Cheaper than • Good for high pressures • Similar to elliptical, but

hemispherical and less • Higher internal volume cheaper to fabricate
internal volume • Most expensive to form & join to shell • Cheapest for pressures
• Half the thickness of the shell less than 15 bar
• Same thickness as shell
• Depth is 1/4th of diameter
Tangent and Weld Lines
Weld Line: point at which the head and shell are
welded.

Tangent Line (T/L): point at which the curvature

of the heads begins

Tangent line
Weld line
Nozzles
• Vessel needs nozzles for
• Feeds
• Drains
• Instruments
• Manways

• More nozzles = more cost

• Nozzles are usually on side of vessel, away from weld lines, usually
perpendicular to Shell
• The number & location of nozzles are usually specified by the process
engineer
nozzle

• Shell is weakened around nozzles, and

must also support eccentric loads from
pipes.
• Usually weld reinforcing pads to thicken
the shell near the nozzle. Area of
reinforcement = or > area of nozzle
Nozzles cont..
Stresses in Pressure Vessel

Most common stresses in PV

Hoop Stress = PD/2T

Circumferential Stress = PD/4T

Inference: Longitudinal Stress (Hoop Stress) is twice the Circumferential Stress

Rolling of Pressure Vessel Shell
Forming of Head/Closure
Pressure Vessel Code
 Purpose of Design Code: is to avoid disasters that can affect human,
environment and community. Code comprise range of experiences and good
practices.
 ASME Sec VIII is the most internationally recognized and most use code.
 ASME Sec VIII is part of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) of ASME
 Pressure Vessel in most of the plant are designed as per ASME Sec 8 Div 1 or 2
 Other popular pressure vessel codes
 Europe: EN 13445
 Germany: AD Merkblatt code
 UK: BS 5500
 France: CODAP
 China: GB150
How did PV code came into existence
 Many boiler explosions in late 1800 and early 1900 which lead to thousands of
casualties
 Capsizing of steamboat Sultana in USA in 1865 – 1500 deaths
 Firetube Boiler explosion in Massachussets in 1905 – 58 killed

Before After
 Solution:
 1906 - Massachussets Governor
directed formation of Board of
Boiler Rules.
 1907 - First set of rules was
approved in 1907 (3 pages long!!!).
 1911 – ASME Boiler & Pressure
Vessel Code committee was
formed
 1915 – First Boiler Code was issued
 1925 – ASME Code of Pressure
Vessel issued (unfired), titled
“Rules for Construction of Unfired
Pressure Vessels” Section VIII.
Organization of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC)

• To Design a Pressure Vessel it is necessary

to understand Section II, V and IX apart
from VIII
• ASME BPVC can be grouped as below
• Construction Code: Sections I, III, IV,
VIII, X & XII
• Reference Code: Section II, V, IX
• Rules for operating, inspection and in-
service maintenance: Section VI & VII
ASME Sec 8 doesn’t provide any rules or
guidance for determination of required
material of construction
Pressure Vessel as per ASME Sec 8 code Div 1
 Vessels having internal pressure less than 15 psig (100 kPag) or greater than 3000
psi (20 MPa).
 Vessels of internal diameter or height less than 6 inches (152 mm).
 Pressure vessels for human occupancy.
 Piping systems (which are covered by ASME B31.3)
 Piping components and accessories such as valves, strainers, in-line mixers and
spargers
 Vessels within the scope of other sections of the BPV code. For example, power
boilers (Sec. I), fiber-reinforced plastic vessels (Sec. X) and transport tanks (Sec.
XIII).
 Fired process tubular heaters
 Pressure containers that are integral parts of rotating or reciprocating devices such
as pumps, compressors, turbines or engines.
 Vessels containing water at less than 300 psi (2 MPa) and less than 210oF (99oC).
 Hot water storage tanks heated by steam with heat rate less than 0.2 MMBTU/hr
(58.6 kW), water temperature less than 210oF (99oC) and volume less than 120 gal
(450 liters).
Other related codes
 Storage tanks are usually not designed to BPV Code
 API Standard 620, Large low pressure storage tanks, Pressure 0.5 to 15 psig
 API Standard 650, Welded storage tanks, Pressures up to 0.5 psig

Fittings are covered by other ASME codes

 ASME B16.5, Pipe flanges and flanged fittings
 ASME B16.9, Factory-made wrought buttwelding fittings
 ASME B16.11 Forged fittings, socket welding and threaded
 ASME B16.47, Large diameter steel flanges NPS26 Through NPS60

 Piping is covered by a different ASME code

 ASME B31.3, Process piping

 Heat exchangers have additional codes set by TEMA

Difference between ASME Sec 8 Div 1, 2 & 3
 There are 3-divisions in ASME Sec VIII: Div 1, 2 & 3
 ASME Sec VIII Div 3 is used for design of high pressure equipment (more than 10,000
psi). Div 1 & 2 are used for rest of the cases.

ASME Sec VIII Div 1 ASME Sec VIII Div 2

Used when design pressure is < 3000 psi Design pressure 3000 to 10000 psi
Adopts conservative approach, results in Adopts better design, using stress close
thicker parts (shell, head, etc) to real one with stringent NDE, this
results in economically more efficient
design
DiV 1 is based on “Normal Stress Based on Maximum Distortion Theory
Theory” ( a type of Failure Theory)
Calculation Approach: Design by Rules Design by Analysis
Factor of safety: 3.5 Factor of safety: 2.4
Structure of ASME Sec VIII
ASME Sec 8 Div1 has 3 main subsection. Subsection A, B & C
Subsections
 Subsection A (General Requirements): UG1 to UG137
 Subsection B (Fabrication Requirement):
 UW1 to UW165
 We usually don’t come across fully forged Pressure Vessels (UF-1 to
UF-125)
 Subsection C (material requirement): UCS1 to UCS160
 90% of the pressure vessels are carbon steel and low-alloy carbon
steel, so UCS section is important.
Appendices
 Appendices can be seen end of the code book. Appendices contains set of
guidelines which are less frequently used than other paraghaps of the code
 There are two kinds of Appendices
 Mandatory Appendices: There are 40 guidelines which are as
important as the code itself
 Non-Mandatory Appendices: These are set of guidelines and good
engineering practices
Thickness Calculation
 Design Thickness = Required Thickness + Corrosion Allowance
Design Thickness is the final thickness
UG-27
PR
t=
SE −0.6 P

P = design pressure
R = internal radius
S = allowable stress
E = joint efficiency
t = required thickness
Material Behavior
 ASME Sec 8 code doesn’t recommend or
suggest any material for particular
application
 Allowable stress is considered for design of
pressure vessel
 Factor of Safety is used to arrive at
Allowable Stress
 Allowable Stress for a material at a given
temperature can be found in Table 1A, Part
D of ASME Sec II
 ASTM: A516 Gr.70
 ASME: SA516 Gr.70
Weld Category

 Weld category A, B, C & D are the

location of the weld joint and not
the type of weld

Category A
• All longitudinal welds in shell and nozzles
• All welds in heads, Hemisph-head to shell weld joint

Category B
• All circumferential welds in shell and nozzles
• Head to shell joint (other than Hemisph.)

Category C and D
Weld Types
Radiography
Joint Efficiency (E)
UW12

The strength of the plate depends on how good the weld is.

E (joint efficiency) indicates whether the strength of the weld is same as that of the parent material

E = strength of weld / strength of parent material

E = 1, if strength of weld is same as parent material

E < 1, if strength of weld is less than parent material
PR
Full Radiography of the joint, E=1 t=
Spot Radiography of the joint, E=0.85
SE −0.6 P
No Radiography of the joint, E=0.7

As per UW12, JE is linked to degree of radiography and weld type

PWHT (Post Weld Heat Treatment)
Why PWHT is done?
 Welding results in residual stress in welded
area.
 Post weld heat treatment is done to relieve
post welding stresses.

What if residual stress exists?

 Residual stress makes the material brittle.
 Residual stresses leads up to cracking (stress
corrosion cracking),
with presence of H2 the cracking is more
severe (HIC).
PWHT (Post Weld Heat Treatment)
Typical Steps Involved in PWHT
 Pressure Vessel is heated at a particular rate (ex. 400F/hr/inch thick)
 After reaching a particular temperature, the temperature is held for few hours (soaking
temp)
 Lastly the vessel is cooled at a particular rate.
Design Code being followed is referred for knowing exact heating/cooling rate, soaking time.

As per ASME Sec VIII code, PWHT is mandatory for vessels in sour service
Impact Testing
Toughness of a Material: How well the material
can resist fracturing when force is applied
If the material is tough, then it can absorb bigger
blows. A PV will be subjected to lot of
fluctuations in loads.

Notch toughness is the ability that a material

possesses to absorb energy in the presence of a
flaw/crack

Carbon steels and low alloy steels exhibit a

drastic change in ductility at sub-zero service
temperatures.

Brittle Fracture is a low probability high

consequence event
Hydrotest & Pneumatic Test
 UG-99 and UG-100

 Hydrotest Pressure: 1.3 x MAWP x Stress Ratio

 Pneumatic Test: 1.25 x MAWP x Stress Ratio

Stress Ratio = Allowable Stress @ test temp / Allw stress @ design temp

1. Only cleaning and painting is allowed after the test

2. HT is the preferred test. Only in cases where HT is not possible because of design and process
conditions, we will opt PT.
 ASME Code Stamp

The code stamp must be clearly visible on the vessel.

Can only be used if vessel is designed, inspected and tested under the supervision of a
Certified Individual employed by the manufacturer.
 Quiz

 Most common type of head seen for a pressure vessel…..

 Allowable Stresses can be found in ………….
 Most chemical plant vessels are designed as per the code ………..
 Which welds are under more stress, longitudinal or circumferential welds?
 Which code do we refer for designing pressure vessel.
 ASME Sec 8 Div 1 is used for maximum internal pressure of …..psi
 Why PWHT is required
 Which test is preferred, Hydrotest or Pneumatic Test and why?