The Pressure Vessel Heads article provides you with information about different

types of ASME heads and related points in pressure vessel inspection.

The Ellipsoidal Head, Hemispherical Head and Torispherical Head are three
types of ASME Pressure Vessel Dished Heads.

See the following Fig. for these heads sketches:

Ellipsoidal Head Dimensional Characteristics:

In the same design condition, such as design pressure, design temperature and
material, your calculated wall thickness under internal pressure will be
approximately equal to shell thickness.

For example if you have calculated your shell thickness under internal pressure
and obtained 12 mm, your ellipsoidal head thickness also will be approximately
12 mm.

The inside depth of your ellipsoidal head (h in above fig.) will be one-fourth of
the head inside diameter (h = D/4).

Your ellipsoidal head knuckle radius is 0.17D and the spherical radius is 0.9D.

Torispherical Head Dimensional Characteristics:

In the same design conditions within the same design pressure, design
temperature and material, your calculated wall thickness under internal
pressure will be approximately equal to 1.77 times the shell thickness.
For example, if you have calculated your shell thickness under internal pressure
and obtained 12 mm, your torispherical head thickness will be approximately
21.24mm.

Your torispherical head knuckle radius is 6% of the inside crown radius, and
your crown radius is equal to outside the diameter of the head skirt.

Hemispherical Head Dimensional Characteristics:

With the same same design conditions with the same design pressure, design
temperature and material, your calculated wall thickness under internal
pressure will be approximately half of the shell thickness.

For example, if you have calculated your shell thickness under internal pressure
and obtained 12 mm, your hemispherical head thickness also will be
approximately 6 mm.

The inside depth of your hemispherical head will be one-half of head inside
diameter (h = D/2).

Dimensional Inspection of Pressure Vessel Dished Heads

You need to make a dimensional inspection on the pressure vessel heads for
any effort for the fit-up process. The dimensional inspection is done on the
knuckle radius, crown radius, skirt length, depth and thickness.
Impact test:

Let's say, you have a pressure vessel under design, process and construction
has not started yet.

Based on the ASME impact test requirement, you need to make assessment to
see that either your pressure vessel is exempted from impact testing, or you
need to carry out the test.

There are 4 steps for impact test exemption assessment. You need to know
these steps. You might be exempted in the first, second or third steps and might
not be exempted even in step 4.

So if you are in step 4 and you have not exempted, then you need to carry out
the test. I will explain the process for exemption in this article.

Basic Concept:

You may know carbon steels and low alloy steels exhibit a drastic change in
their room temperature ductility at sub-zero service temperatures. Different
types of materials exhibit different types of transition behavior.

We can see there is a sudden, phenomenal drop in their notch-toughness

properties below the "transition" range of temperature, which should be a
matter of concern for us.

Body centered cubic or Ferritic alloys exhibit a significant transition in behavior

when impact tested over a range of temperatures. Above transition
temperature range, impact specimens fracture in a "ductile" manner,
absorbing relatively large amounts of energy.

At lower temperatures, i.e. below the transition temperature range, the impact
test specimens are found to fracture in a brittle (cleavage) manner, absorbing
less energy.
And within the transition temperature range, the fracture is a mixture of ductile
and brittle nature.

A material would be invulnerable to a sudden drop in notch-toughness at the

lowest specified service (or design) temperature, if it is proved by conducting
Charpy V-notch Impact tests on representative test samples, at reference (the
lowest service) temperature.

Grain refined carbon steel forgings and wrought materials (thoroughly worked
and normalized) generally exhibit good notch toughness.

ASME Code Section VIII Div 1 exemption rules for ASME Impact Test
Requirement:

There are specific rules in ASME Code for exemption from ASME Impact Test
Requirement. This test is very expensive, so pressure vessel manufacturers are
trying to be exempted for this costly test.

You need to follow the following clauses to make exemption assessment for
ASME impact test requirement:

UG-20(f) UCS-66(a) UCS-66(b) UCS-68(c)

First you have to keep your pressure vessel design data available and then refer
to UG-20 (f). If you are exempted from this clause, you do not need proceed
further.

But if you are not exempted by UG-20 (f), you have to proceed to UCS-66(a),
but again if you are exempted, there is no need for more assessment.

But if not, you have to proceed to UCS-66(b). If you are exempted now, there
is no need for more assessment; otherwise, you have to proceed to UCS-68(c),
and again if you are still not exempted, you have to carry out impact testing.

For some cases, You might be exempted from the ASME impact test
requirement in the first stage in UG-20 (f). In others, You might be exempted in
UCS-66(a) or UCS-66(b) or UCS-68(c). If you are not exempted, you must
prepare yourself for doing this costly test.

This test would be more costly out of the US because of Laboratory

Accreditation requirements. Also, there are fewer accredited labs in Europe and
the Middle East, and their price is high as well.

UG-20(f)
We will start with UG-20(f) for the ASME impact test requirement. If your MOC
(Material of Construction) is categorized in P-No. 1 or 2 (Refer to ASME Code
Section IX for P-No Definition) and your MOC thickness has the limited value
defined in this clause, then you might be exempted from impact testing.

But you need to refer to Fig UCS-66 in ASME Code Section VIII Div 1 and see
in which A, B, C or D curves your MOC is listed. All ASME carbon steel and low
alloy steel material is distributed in these 4 groups (Curves) of materials.

You need to know that the materials listed in curve D have the best toughness
property, better than the materials listed in curve C. Similarly materials listed in
curve C have better toughness properties compared to materials listed in curve
B and materials listed in Curve B have better toughness than materials listed in
Curve A .

See Following Fig UCS-66(a):

When you determine your MOC curve, then you have to review UG-20(f) and
look for the possibility of exemption from the ASME impact test requirement.
There are some other conditions in this clause, which you should consider for
exemption.

For instance, the vessel should be hydrostatically tested after completion, and
the thermal and mechanical loading can not be a design controlling factor.

For example, if your MOC is a normalized SA 516 Gr.70 with 0.75 inch thickness
you will be exempted from ASME impact test requirement.
Your thickness, in this example, is 0.75 of an inch, and is listed in curve D which
is up to 1 inch, you are exempted by this clause. Of course, you will be carry
out hydro-static test and ensure that the mentioned loadings are not a design
controlling factor in your considered pressure vessel.

UCS-66(a)

So assume that in the above example, your MOC thickness is 1.125 inch
instead of 1 inch, you will not be exempted by UG-20(f) and you have to refer
to UCS-66(a);

But for assessment, based on this clause, you need to know your pressure
vessel MDMT (Minimum Design Metal Temperature). Assume that is -20
degree F, so you should now go to Fig. UCS-66 and locate 1.125 inch in the
horizontal axis and draw a vertical line.

In a similar way, locate -20 degree F in the vertical axes and draw a horizontal
line. These two lines will cross each other.

See above Figure, the lines are identified in red.

If the cross point falls above the curve D (because your MOC is listed in curve
D) you are exempted. Otherwise you are not, but for the current example, you
are above the curve D so you are exempted from impact testing.

To simplify your assessment for the ASME impact test requirement, the Fig-66
has been converted to the table(table UCS-66). For any MOC with specific
thickness you can go to this table and see what is the minimum permissible
temperature without impact testing.

See following UCS-66(a) Table:

In the above example (normalized SA 516 Gr.70, Curve D, 1.125 inch
thickness), the minimum permissible temperature without impact test is -26
degree F. This means that, if in the above example your MDMT changes from
-20 degree F to -27 degree F, then you cannot be exempted from the ASME
impact test requirement by UCS-66(a), and you have to proceed to UCS-66(b)

UCS-66(b)

Let us explain this clause with the above example. Your MDMT from above is -
27 degree F, nominal thickness is 1.125 inch, normalized SA 516 Gr.70 listed
in curve D and you are not exempted by UCS-66(a)

So you are here to continue your assessment to find a chance for exemption.
You have to refer to Fig UCS-66.1 and calculate the following formula:

Ratio= tr E / (tn c)

tr is the required design thickness for all applicable loading. We assume for the
above example that is 0.95 inch. E is your joint efficiency, and we assume for
this vessel it is 1. This means your vessel is RT2, tn is your nominal thinness,
which in the example from above it is 1.125 inches, and C is corrosion
allowance, and we assume it is 0.125 inches; so let calculate:

Ratio = 0.95x1/(1.125 0.125) Ratio= 0.95

See following Fig UCS-66(b):

Then go to the Figure UCS-66(b) and in the vertical axes locate Ratio and draw
a horizontal line. Then locate the cross point with the graph and draw a vertical
line to cross the horizontal axis.

You will be able to reach a value of 8 in the horizontal axes. This 8, is your 8
degree F bonus from table UCS-66, which you can reduce by 8 degrees F
minimum permissible temperature in table without impact testing.

In the above example, your MDMT is -27 degree F, and in the UCS 66 table,
the minimum permissible temperature without impact testing designated -26
degree F. So with this clause you can reduce it to -36 degree F(-26 -8 = -34).
Your MDMT is -27 degree F, so you are exempted from impact testing with this
clause.

UCS-68(c)

Let us change one variable in the above example. Let's assume you need to
have -45 degree F for your MDMT. Other variable are the same; it means
normalized SA 516 Gr.70 listed in curve D, thickness 1.125, so you can see you
are not exempted by UCS-66(b);

This is because the minimum permissible temperature is -36 degree F, but your
MDMT is -45 degree F, so UCS-68(c) might be helpful.
It says that if post weld heat treatment is not a code requirement and your P-No
is 1 and you carry out post weld heat treatment, a 30 degree F bonus will be
granted to you to reduce the minimum permissible temperature in table UCS-
66.

So when post weld heat treatment is code requirement?

It is code requirement when your service is lethal and when your thickness for
P-No. 1 is greater than 1.5 inch;

So, for our example, our service is not lethal and our P-No. is 1 and thickness
is 1.125 and it is less than 1.5 inch: therefore, post weld heat treatment is not
code requirement.

It means if you carry out post heat treatment, a 30 degree F bonus will be
granted by this clause. For this example our minimum permissible temperature
would be -36-30=-66 degree F, and your MDMT is -45 degree F, so you are
exempted from impact testing.

Now the worst case: in the above, assume you need to have -70 degree F for
your MDMT; you can see with this new condition you cannot be exempted even
by UCS-68(c) and you have to carry out impact testing.

Hydrotest:

The Vessel Pressure Testing article provides you with information about
pressure vessel hydro-static testing requirements and related item in pressure
vessel inspection.

The requirements have been described based on ASME Code Section VIII. You
need to do this test after completion of the construction process, but before the
internal parts assembly and also before painting process.

This content covers all major requirements and provides you with guidelines for
test performance.

Please note that performing the pneumatic test instead of the Hydro-Static Test
is not allowed, and it can be replaced only when it is not possible due to the
design and process.
Vessel pressure testing requirements have been addressed in UG-99 and UG-
100 in ASME Code Section VIII Div. 1.

These are important points, which you need to take care of in vessel pressure
testing:

Activities before pressure vessel hydro-static testing, which need to be

checked by the manufacturer quality control team and a third party
inspector:

1. Checking all welding already finished and fully accepted by the NDT
examination per the project Inspection and test plan.

2. Making sure the inner part of the vessel is clean and free of remaining slag
or other elements.

Making sure the external surface is dry for the correct execution of the visual
inspection during the vessel pressure testing.

3. Checking the pressure gauges' calibration tag and certificate and the range
of the lower limit and upper limit of the gauges. It needs to be between 1.5 and
4 of the pressure test value.

4. Controlling testing equipment such as the test pump and housing for
soundness and tightness.

5. Making sure the test temperature will not violate the following values:

Min. Test temperature= MDMT + 30F

Max. Test temperature = 120F

MDMT is the pressure vessel minimum design metal temperature, and it is

stated in the pressure vessel design document.
This reduces the risk of a brittle fracture during the test.

6. Making sure which reinforcement pads are already soap tested.

7. Controlling the testing water quality and using corrosion inhibitor if it is

necessary or when the vessel metal is sensitive material

8. Checking of vents. It is required to be placed at high points of the vessel in a

position where it is possible to purge air pockets while the vessel is filling.

Activities during the pressure vessel hydro-static testing that need to be

checked by the manufacturer quality control team and a third party
inspector:

1. Making sure the filling and pressurizing are done from the lowest point and
venting from the highest point.

2. Witnessing water overflow through the venting in order to assure that no air
bubbles remain in the vessel.

3. Controlling and witnessing which pressurizing is done in three stages as

follow:

First Stage: Raise the pressure to 40% of the final pressure, stop pressurizing,
keep it for 5 minutes, and then make a fast visual inspection of the external
surface.

Second Stage: Restart pressurizing up to 70% of final pressure, stop the

operation, keep for 5 minutes and make a fast visual inspection on external
surface.

Third Stage: Restart pressurizing up to 100% of the final pressure, stop the
operation, and keep for 45 minutes.
4. When 45 minutes elapse, making sure the de-pressurizing is started and the
pressure is dropped to the Inspection Pressure.

This inspection pressure can be calculated as following:

Inspection Pressure = Hydrostatic Test Pressure / 1.3

Making sure a detail and a comprehensive inspection is carried out over the
whole body of the vessel and in the welding joints and attachments.

5. Making sure the pressure vessel hydro-static testing pressure calculated

correctly as following:

Hydrostatic Test Pressure = 1.3 x MAWP X Stress ratio

Stress Ratio = (Allowable Stress at Test Temperature)/(Allowable Stress at

Design Temperature)

6. Making sure the vessel is immediately and carefully drained after the test and
dried by air.

Activities after the pressure vessel hydro-static testing that need to be

checked by the manufacturer quality control team and a third party
inspector:

1. The pressure vessel hydro-static testing report needs to be prepared by the

manufacturer quality control team and signed by the third party or authorized
inspector.

2. If the test failed by leaking from weld joints or any other kind of defect, it is
necessary that the vessel is drained and dried and repaired based on approved
repair procedure. pressure vessel hydro-static testing needs to be repeated.

PWHT:

If we focus only in ASME Code Section 8 Div 1, there are lots of conditions which cause the
PWHT to be mandatory. Some of them are:

a) Based the requirement of UW-2(a) when our service is lethal and our material is carbon
steel or low alloy steel.

b) Based the requirement of UW-2(c) when our pressure vessel is unfired steam boiler and
our material is carbon steel or low alloy steel.
c) Based the requirement of UW-2(d) when our pressure vessel is subjected to direct firing
and our material is carbon steel or low alloy steel.

d) Based the requirement of UCS-56 when our nominal thickness exceeds a specific value,
for instance 38 mm for P No.1 material or 0 mm for P No.3 material.

UCS-56 also gives min. PWHT temperature and min. holding time (soaking period) based on
P-Nos. and thickness respectively.

e) Similarly to the UCS-56, the same apply for other martial groups i.e. UNF-56, UHA-32,
UHT-56 and etc.

f) Based the requirement of UCS-68(b) when our MDMT (Minimum Design Metal
Temperature) is below -55 Degree F.

When one of above requirement applies to us, then we must do PHWT based the
requirement of UW-40 which detail to us the PHWT procedure.

Some important requirements in this clause are:

a) For Furnace PWHT, Loading Temperature shall not exceed 800F, heating rate 400 deg
F/hr/inch of thickness, cooling rate 500F /hr/inch of thickness.

Still air cooling permitted below 800F. During soaking period, temp difference between
hottest and coldest part shall not exceed 150F.

b) Minimum overlap for PWHT in multiple heats is 5 ft