Enclosed containers known as pressure vessels are used to store liquids, vapours, and gases at pressures that are either much greater or lower than the surrounding air. They are widely utilised in many different industries, including the food processing, petrochemical, oil and gas, and chemical industries. Pressure vessel equipment includes things like heat exchangers, separators, reactors, and flash drums.
Every facet of pressure vessels is governed by a number of standards and laws. The most widely used collection of internationally recognised standards for the design, manufacture, installation, testing, inspection, and certification of pressure vessels, boilers, and nuclear power plant components is the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC).
The pressure vessel code, ASME BPVC Section VIII, is divided into three sections:
Division I : All pressure vessels designed to function at internal or exterior pressures more than 15 psig fall under Division I. These containers have the option to be burnt or unfired, and the pressure can be produced through direct or indirect heating or by an outside source. The engineers adopt a design-by-rule methodology. Normal stress theory serves as the foundation for Division I.
Division II : All pressure containers designed to function at internal or exterior pressures up to 10,000 psig are covered under Division II. The non-destructive examination, design, and material criteria of Division II are stricter than those of Division I. More precise computations are needed. On the other hand, it permits greater strains to be applied to pressure vessels. The engineers have adopted design-by-analysis. It is based on maximum distortion energy theory, unlike Division I.
Division III : specifies the required conditions and limitations that apply to pressure vessels meant to operate at pressures higher than 10,000 psig.
