PRESSURE VESSEL DESIGN SAFETY IN GAS

PROCESSING INDUSTRY

1. Introduction

The gas processing is developing in size and diversity of process. As a result

through attention is given towards safety of the plant design, especially pressure
vessels due to its underlying safety requirements due to its high pressure
operations. It is not possible for all safety members to get liability for its design with
respect to safety aspects, at all steps. They regularly checking at plant operation
and periodic testing

2. Objective

 To define the optimization of pressure vessel design that obeys safety

aspect.
 To give you exposure on this matter based on my personnel experience
during my internship program in PT Elnusa Tbk.

3. General definition

 A pressure vessel is a closed container designed to hold gases or liquids at

a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure. In the Oil &
Gas industry, a pressure vessel is used as a recipient in which physical and
chemical processes take place, often at elevated temperatures and
pressures. Columns are similar in construction, albeit used for a different
purpose. Pressure vessels and columns are usually purchased from the
same manufacturers.
  Pressure Vessels are defined in ASME Section VIII, Div 1 introduction:
“ Pressure Vessels are containers for the containment of pressure either
external or internal. The pressure may be obtained from an external source,
or by the application of heat from a direct or indirect source, or any
combination thereof.

Typical Components:

1. Cylindrical or Spherical Shell

2. Formed Heads
3. Blind Flanges, Cover Plates,
Flanges
4. Openings and Nozzles
5. Supports

4. Specification
Pressure Vessel in based on
based on shape
Oil & Gas Location

Pressure
Heat Exchangers Above grounds Undergrounds Cylindrical Spherical
Vessels/Tanks

Separators Gas Exchangers

Towers Preheaters

Steam drums Condensers

Splitters

Storage:
 Storage Container Pressure Vessel
Process:

Separator Vessel
Cylindrical: Underground:

Horizontal:

5. Design codes
 The codes or rules are primarily intended to assure safety in operation and it cover
every aspect of the design criteria with the safety of pressure vessel:
a. Selection of fabrication material and its testing
b. Approval of welder and fabrication work shop
c. Fabrication methodology for the set up, welding and fabrication
d. Testing and quality control through design conventions

 ASME BPVC (Boiler and Pressures Vessel Codes)

Set of standards, specifications, and design rules based on many years of
experience, all applied to the design, fabrication, installation, inspection,
and certification of pressure vessels.

6. Material selection

The choice of material is made considering the various factors like:

 The environmental under which it is intended to give process requirements

 The mechanical strength desired
 The expected life of the equipment
 Workability and weldability of the meal selected
The mechanical strength and process requirements is the crucial factor in selecting
optimum design criteria. The materials to be used in pressure vessels must be
selected from Code-approved material specifications.
  Carbon Steel – Carbon steel provides a number of advantages as a
pressure vessel material. In addition to being highly resistant to corrosion,
shock, and vibration, it possesses a high tensile strength.

a. A-36 and A-283 grade “C” for welded tanks

b. Sheet gauge steels for bottled tanks
c. A-612, A-515, and A-516 mild quality carbon steel for higher
pressure storage products (spheres and bullet)

7. Design Pressure Vessels

I. Select Metric or British system you want to follow for the design & use units
uniformly over design
II. Select Design Temperature
III. Select Design Pressure

 Design pressure is 10% or 0.69 to 1.7 bar (10 to 25 psi) above the maximum
operating pressure.
 For vacuum operations, design pressures are 1 bar(g) (15 psig) to full
vacuum
 Minimum thicknesses for maintaining vessel/tank structure is to be selected
as per code
 For safe Design Practice use 1.1 times operating pressure(min)

IV. Select Corrosion Allowance

The “corrosion allowance” is the additional thickness of metal added to allow for
material lost by corrosion and erosion, or scaling. The allowance to be used should
be agreed between the customer and manufacturer.

Guidelines for corrosion allowances are as follows:

1) For carbon and low‐alloy steels, where severe corrosion is not expected,a
minimum allowance of 2.0 mm should be used
2) where more severe conditions are anticipated this should be increased to 4.0 mm.
3) Most design codes and standards specify a minimum allowance of 1.0 mm
4) Select Based on the Service Life predicted by process engineer.

V. Select Material Properties: To be selected based on Design Temperature and

Pressure.

VI. Select Design Code

VII. Select Test Pressure

𝐹𝑎 𝑡
𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 = 𝑆𝑓 {𝑃𝑑 ( ) × }
𝐹𝑛 (𝑡 − 𝑐)

Where,
Pd = design pressure,N/mm2
Fa = design stress at the test temperature, N/mm2,
fn = design stress at the design temperature, N/mm2,
c = corrosion allowance, mm,
t = actual plate thickness, mm.
Sf = Safety factor (ASME Sec VIII DiV‐1: 1.5, ASME Sec VIII DiV‐2: 1.25, BS1500,
Test Pressure is 1.5 times working pressure)

VIII. Welded joint efficiency

The value of the joint factor used in design will depend on the type of joint
and amount of radiography required by the design code. The factor as 1.0
implies that the joint is equally as strong as the virgin plate; It is achieved
by radiographing the complete weld length, and cutting out/remaking any
defects.

IX. Select Applicable Design Loads

The forces that effect pressure vessel design are internal/external pressure;

 dead loads due to the weight of the vessel and contents;

 external loads from piping and attachments, wind, and earthquakes;
 operating-type loads such as vibration and sloshing of the contents;
 start-up and shutdown loads.

The Code considers design pressure, design temperature, and, to some

extent, the influence of other loads that impact the circumferential (or hoop)
and longitudinal stresses in shells. It is left to the designer to account for the
effect of the remaining loads on the vessel. Various national and local
building codes must be consulted for handling wind and earthquake
loadings.

X. The Design of Vessel under Internal Pressure

 Design Cylindrical Shell under internal Pressure

The Cylindrical shell thickness based on pressure and radius is given by
Minimum practical wall thickness. There will be a minimum wall
 thickness required to ensure that any vessel is sufficiently rigid to
withstand its own weight, and any incidental loads.
 Design of Head & Closure under internal Pressure
The ends of a cylindrical vessel are closed by heads of various shapes
such as Flat plates and formed flat heads, Hemispherical heads,
Ellipsoidal heads, Torispherical heads, Conical heads.

XI. The Design of Vessel & Dish Under External Pressure

The easiest way to design for external pressure is to make the shell thick
enough to make the vessel stable with an acceptable factor of safety (pass
code calculations). The length of the vessel used in the calculations
includes some of the head at each end. The calculations are found in ASME
VIII-1 UG-28. The shell calculations are for a cylinder with supported ends
(the heads at each end). Calculations are also given for the heads which
are treated as spheres.

XII. Calculations of Reinforcement Required for The Openings

The “equal area method” is the simplest method used for calculating the
amount of reinforcement required, and is allowed in most design codes and
standards. The principle used is to provide reinforcement local to the
opening, equal in cross‐sectional area to the area removed in forming the
opening

8. Conclusion
Pressure vessels are an integral part of many manufacturing facilities and
processing plants, enabling the safe storage of pressurized liquids and gases.
From industrial boilers to gasoline tankers, pressure vessels operate in a wide
array of potentially hazardous environments. However, if not properly designed,
constructed and maintained, pressure vessels can be extremely dangerous.