Pressure vessels in this context are pressure retaining equipments used in the oil and gas industry for different processes like distillation, heat transfer, storage etc. Pressure vessels are always designed, fabricated and tested to adhere to certain codes and standards as specified by the law of the land or considering some safety specifications by the licensor or inspecting authority for its use. If the pressure vessel adheres to all the requirements specified by the code, the vessel is stamped as fit for the operating requirements it was designed for by the inspecting authority.
This stamp of approval is often visible on the vessels nameplate e.g. pressure vessels inspected and approved by the inspecting authority for ASME Section VIII Div 1 is “U” Stamped.
(Figure above has its reference for ASME Section VIII Div 1, Fig. UG-118)
The different codes and standards followed for some countries are as mentioned below.
ASME Section VIII Div 1, 2 & 3 (Rules for construction of pressure vessels) – USA & Canada
AS 1210, Unfired Pressure Vessels and Class 1 H – Australia
Italian Pressure Vessel Code (ANCC) – Italy
PD 5500, formerly known as BS 5500 (Specifications for unfired fusion welded pressure vessel) – United Kingdom, presently replaced by EN13445 (European pressure equipment directive)
IS 2825, Code for unfired pressure vessel – India
The mostly widely recognized and used code is the ASME boiler & pressure vessel codes (BPVC) which is an ASME (American society of mechanical engineers) standard for design, fabrication and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels.
Pressure Vessel guide 