Pressure Vessel Handbook

The Pressure Vessel Handbook article provides you information about handbook application
in pressure vessel design and pressure vessel inspection.

When there is ASME Code Section VIII, why we need Handbook? What are the
applications?

All design formulas and calculations methods have not been addressed in ASME Code and
also there are no fabrication tolerances in ASME Code.

So handbook assists us to cover all these requirements.

The Pressure Vessel handbook supports pressure vessel

designers, pressure vessel manufacturer quality control
technicians and engineers, third party inspectors and any
other dealing persons with pressure vessels.

What is the Application of Pressure Vessel

Handbook?

1. Non-Covered ASME Code Section VIII Design

Formula and Methods

You may review ASME Code Section VIII Div. 1 in U2 (g)

clauses, you will see following statement:

“This Division of Section VIII does not contain rules to

cover all details of design and construction. Where
complete details are not given, it is intended that the
Manufacturer, subject to the acceptance of the Inspector, shall provide details of design and
construction which will be as safe as those provided by the rules of this Division.”

So the manufacture is responsible for non-covered item in design process, but what
reference manufactures need to use for these kinds of cases.

Here is the place manufactures use handbook for design formulas and calculations.

The lists of non-covered design details have been addressed in UG-22 clauses; the code
says the manufacturer need to consider following loading in his design:

 Weight of the vessel

 Superimposed static reactions from weight of attached equipment

 Cyclic and dynamic reactions

 Wind, snow, and seismic reactions

 etc.
Above items are examples, for design calculation manufactures need to use Pressure
Vessel Handbook.

2. Non-Covered Construction Tolerances

You may review ASME Code Forward, you will see following statement:

“The Code does not fully address tolerances. When dimensions, sizes, or other parameters
are not specified with tolerances, the values of these parameters are considered nominal
and allowable tolerances or local variances may be considered acceptable when based on
engineering judgment and standard practices as determined by the designer.”

So what is the reference book for these tolerances, here is another application of pressure
vessel handbook.

Some of these construction tolerances are :

 Nozzles and attachment deflection tolerances

 Nozzles and attachment orientation tolerances

 Nozzles and attachment elevation tolerances

 Nozzles and attachment projection tolerances

 Overall length, measured between the tangents lines tolerances

 etc.

3. Facilitate Design Calculation

You may review following statements in ASME Code Forward:

“It is not intended that this Section be used as a design handbook”

And in other place says:

“The Code is not a handbook and cannot replace education, experience, and the use of
engineering judgment.”

So the code book is like law book, we need take care about specific prohibitions and
mandatory requirement but for design we need handbook to facilitate our design process.

The aim of your handbook is to be easily handled and consulted. Some tables and charts
eliminate the necessity for calculations.