Periodic Control of Pressure Vessels

Pressure Equipment in General

Pressure equipment with an internal pressure greater than 0.5 bar is defined as pressure vessel. The following are examples of pressure vessels, which are generally used directly or indirectly in production processes and frequently encountered in our daily lives;

• Air tanks
• Boosters
• Boilers (Steam boiler, hot water boiler)
• Fire extinguishers
• Portable gas cylinders
• LPG cylinders
• Cryogenic tanks
• Pipelines

Periodic controls of the pressure vessel we carry out;

• Air Tank Periodic Control
• Compressor Periodic Control
• Hydrophore Periodic Control
• Periodic Control of Expansion Tank
• Periodic Controls of Boilers
• Periodic Control of Hot Water Boiler
• Periodic Control of Heating Boiler
• Steam Boiler Periodic Control
• Autoclave Periodic Control
• Hot Oil Boiler Periodic Control
• Yarn Dye Tank Periodic Control
• Periodic Control of the Boiler Boiler
• Fixed Boiler Periodic Control

In order to minimize the material and moral damages that may occur in a possible accident and the safety of the employees, the periodic controls of such equipment in the workplaces covered by the Labor Law No. 6331 are required by regulations. Periodic control periods of the equipment will be determined by the risk assessment to be made and this period cannot be longer than 1 year unless otherwise stated in the standards and regulations.

Periodic control method of pressure vessels

Hydrostatic testing is essential in pressure vessels as a basic principle. These tests are performed with 1.5 times the operating pressure and for periods not exceeding one year, unless otherwise stated in the standards. However, non-destructive testing methods specified in the standards can be applied instead of hydrostatic testing in pressure vessels that do not have the opportunity to perform hydrostatic testing due to the characteristics of the work equipment and the mandatory conditions arising from the operation. In this case, this issue should be stated together with its justification in the periodic control reports to be issued.

The purpose of the hydrostatic test is to force the pressure vessel with 1.5 times the operating pressure (Operating pressure: The maximum pressure that the tank can operate at is specified by the tank manufacturer) and to ensure that if there is a negative situation in the saddle tank, this situation is revealed during the test. That's why hydrostatic testing is done with water. In the test with water, even if the tank splits and bursts, the volume of the water will not change with pressure, so the biggest damage will be a little wetting around. If the same situation were experienced with a compressible fluid such as air or nitrogen, the material and moral damage that may arise cannot be compared with this.

There are a number of preparations that need to be made before hydrostatics. What to do in general;

• The electrical switches that enable the equipment to operate, if any, must be turned off.
• The fluid in the pressurized tank must be properly evacuated.
• The equipment on the tank must be removed. (Safety valve, processstat etc.)
• The entrances and exits of the tank should be blinded with suitable tools.
• The inside of the tank must be completely filled with water.

The items listed above are the general steps of the hydrostatic test. What needs to be done may vary from equipment to equipment. Our organization will support you in this regard.

After the preparations are completed, the tank is brought to the required pressure with the hydrostatic pressurization pump and kept at this pressure for half an hour. During this period, the tank should be closely monitored and leaks and leaks should be observed. There should be no change in pressure, if any, the cause of the pressure loss should be investigated (such as faulty blanking), if it can be eliminated, it should be rectified and the tank should be brought back to the test pressure. If there is no deformation or structural defect in the tank at the end of the period, the tank is deemed to have completed the test successfully.

During the periodic control, not only the tank, but also the valve, processstat, valves, plumbing, manometer, level indicators, safety devices etc. working connected to the tank. The hardware is controlled, these elements must be at the correct values and work smoothly.

After the hydrostatic test and controls of the tank are done, the periodic control process is completed and the report stating the status of the equipment is delivered to you.