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Environmental Management
other accessories. After that, fabrication begins, and all subsequent work focuses on the mechanical integrity of the vessel.
The design process usually starts with the vessel manufacturers engineering staff reviewing performance requirements
with the customer. The manufacturer performs preliminary
calculations based on the application requirements and appropriate code standards, and generates drawings for the customers approval. The drawings are then further evaluated to
determine practicality and cost effectiveness, and to ensure
that critical issues such as reinforcement pads, wall thicknesses, accessories, operating conditions, and other factors are
resolved prior to construction. If the vessel user has developed
its own specifications for a particular vessel, the manufacturer
must review those in the context of applicable standards.
Materials of construction
The construction material selected for a particular vessel
will depend on operating pressure, temperature, and the
process and/or material for which the vessel is being used.
The process itself must be given prime consideration. Will
corrosion be a factor? Is the process carried out at high temperatures? These are critical issues, because the vessels useful
life will be affected by the corrosive nature of the process. At
higher temperatures, corrosion rates increase, further affecting
the life of the vessel and the need for corrosion protection.
Typical plate materials (Table) include stainless steel,
Hastalloy, Monel, Inconel, and Code-quality carbon steel (e.g.,
SA-516-70 or SA-285C). Section II of BPVC addresses this
subject in detail. Tables and charts in Section II give design
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October 2005
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Process
Recommended
Material
Comments
Exhaust gas
from a
pharmaceutical
spray dryer
Type 316
stainless steel
Sanitary application
Process
manufacturing
pool chemicals
Hastalloy C276
Corrosion resistance
to chlorine
Hastalloy C276
Corrosion resistance
to HCl
Fluid-bed
PVC powder
drying systems
Type 317
stainless steel
Corrosive
environment
Waste incineration
Inconel
High temperature
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Environmental Management
to 500 psi are also allowed, even though they are not specifically mentioned in the Code. This is another area in which an
experienced and knowledgeable code vessel manufacturer can
help make cost-effective design choices.
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October 2005
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Board of Inspection Code (NBIC) and post-construction standards of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the R stamp
is essentially a repair authorization. It allows an organization to
access the appropriate formal specifications and standards from
the ASME and to facilitate the appropriate repair.
For example, a facility may require a new nozzle for a
code vessel to accommodate a process revamp. The plant
engineering/maintenance staff and ordinary maintenance contractors are prohibited from simply cutting an opening in the
vessel and welding or bolting on new hardware. The upgrade
or repair must be done by a licensed ASME Code shop (R
stamp), which may or may not be a manufacturer permitted to
build ASME Code vessels (U stamp).
A completed code vessel undergoes stringent hydro-testing
procedures to assure its integrity and determine its performance
parameters with regard to Code compliance. The hydrostatic
pressure to be used for this test is calculated by multiplying the
maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) by the ratio of
allowable stress at the test temperature to allowable stress at
the design temperature, and increasing that by one-third.
If the actual test pressure exceeds the calculated pressure
and distortion is observed at that higher pressure, the inspector
may reject the vessel. However, the inspector is not required
to reject the vessel, and in fact, the manufacturer may apply
the stamp if the inspector concurs.
Final thoughts
ASME Code requirements may determine that a particular
application requires a certain construction material, that all
seams must be welded and tested to a particular standard, that
flanges must be a certain diameter and/or thickness, that the
vessel walls must be a precise thickness, and so on. But while
this information is critical, it may not tell the whole story.
Code calculations may not automatically lead to the conclusion that at this pressure rating, for this process, at this temperature, in this configuration, this material must be used.
Thats why it is important to work closely with a knowledgeable manufacturer at the early stages of the code vessel
design cycle. While the fundamentals of capturing dust or particulate fines under high pressure may not be the most esoteric
subject, there is still much science, knowledge, experience and
expertise that goes into designing and producing safe, reliable
and long-lasting dust collector code vessels.
A Code-stamped vessel provides a safety net with
regard to possible future liability for its manufacturer, owner
and virtually everyone else associated with it. In todays litigious environment, indemnifying those involved with the vessel becomes important.
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TODD RUSSELBURG, P.E., is the engineering manager at Flex-Kleen Div., MetPro Corp. (Itasca, IL; Phone: 1-800-621-0734; E-mail: trusselburg@metpro.com). He has 10 years of experience in pressure vessel and dust
collector design. He earned a BS in mechanical engineering from the Univ.
of Louisville (KY), is a registered professional engineer, and is a member
of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Fire
Protection Association.