Pressure Vessels

Pressure vessels are enclosed containers that hold liquids, vapors, and gases at a pressure significantly higher or lower than the ambient pressure. They are widely used in various industries such as petrochemical, oil and gas, chemical, and food processing industries. Equipment such as reactors, flash drums, separators, and heat exchangers are examples of pressure vessels.

Several standards and regulations governing every aspect of pressure vessels. The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) is the most popular set of universally acknowledged standards governing the design, construction, installation, testing, inspection, and certification of boilers, pressure vessels, and nuclear power plant components.

A pressure vessel must be operated below the maximum allowable working temperature and pressure, the pressure vessel’s safety limits. All activities involving pressure vessels must be carried out by qualified personnel because the accidental release or leakage of its contents poses a threat to the pressure vessel’s surrounding environment.