Preventive Measures for Avoiding Damage to Pressure Vessels

Regular inspection and preventive measures for pressure vessels in chemical equipment are crucial to timely identify existing and potential equipment defects and hidden risks. This ensures a thorough assessment of vessel safety, enabling the elimination and monitoring of various hazardous factors. These practices not only reduce the likelihood of accidents involving pressure vessels in chemical equipment but also enhance their safe operation.

1. Mitigating Fatigue Damage

Fatigue damage represents a common occurrence in pressure vessels. To prevent such damage, it is crucial to steer clear of prolonged overload operation for industrial equipment pressure vessels. Due to the constraints on the force endured by these vessels, it becomes necessary to appropriately reduce the pressurization, thus effectively managing the risk of pressure vessel damage.

2. Averting Ductile Deformation and Brittle Failure

The choice of strength materials for the container should align with the actual operating conditions to prevent ductile deformation and brittle failure. Instances of deformation in industrial pressure vessels, except for minor local depressions, warrant discontinuation of vessel use. Deformation leads to a reduction in vessel thickness, diminishing the corrosion resistance and toughness of the material. For equipment and pressure vessels with slight bulging in localized areas and good weldability of container materials, a corrective measure involves excavating the bulging sections and performing repair welding with materials matching the original specifications. Simultaneously, the weld quality can be assessed.

3. Warding Off Corrosive Damage

During the fabrication of industrial equipment pressure vessels, it is advisable to opt for high-quality metal materials to minimize impurity content, ensuring that the vessels meet corrosion resistance standards. Before deploying pressure vessels, chemical enterprises recommend incorporating barrier materials in the vessel wall to prevent direct exposure to corrosive chemicals. Timely cleanup and thorough inspection and maintenance of industrial equipment and pressure vessels are essential. Prompt identification and replacement of cracked pressure vessels contribute to effective corrosion control. Surface anti-corrosion involves two primary methods: surface sandblasting and surface spraying. Prior to anti-corrosion procedures, preparatory steps like rust and oxide removal using a sandblasting machine are necessary to ensure a clean and foreign matter-free surface. The subsequent blending of preservatives should adhere to strict control over the blending ratio, and anti-corrosion operations must follow national standards meticulously.

4. Thwarting Creep

Creep in pressure vessels is primarily influenced by high-temperature environments and stress. To effectively address creep rupture, it is imperative to eliminate stress and high-temperature conditions within the container. Regular inspection and maintenance are prerequisites to mitigate the factors influencing creep. Timely replacement of damaged industrial equipment and pressure vessels helps prevent the gradual exacerbation of creep issues. Strengthening the quality control of industrial equipment pressure vessels, developing comprehensive procurement plans, and introducing high-quality vessels collectively reduce the occurrence of safety incidents and extend the service life of these vessels.
 
Quality Control of Pressure Vessel Damage

1. Quality Inspection before Manufacturing

Initial emphasis should be placed on a thorough examination of construction drawings, which serve as crucial technical references for the production of pressure vessels. Rigorous scrutiny of design drawings for industrial equipment and pressure vessels is essential to ensure compliance with current specifications, manufacturing standards, and production conditions. Attention must also be directed towards the rational preparation of processing technology, adhering strictly to corresponding technological processes during the production and manufacturing of pressure vessels. Batch production of pressure vessels should follow a unified processing technology to enhance production efficiency and ensure orderly processing flows. Additionally, stringent quality inspections of raw materials are necessary, demanding that materials conform to standards and meet processing technology and production conditions. Establishing an effective supervision system for overseeing the quality of chemical equipment, pressure vessels, and materials is imperative.

2. Welding Quality Control

Effective control of welding quality begins with a focus on welding materials. Management and control of welding materials involve multiple stages, including procurement, acceptance, reinspection, drying, and distribution. Welding materials should be selected strictly in accordance with pressure vessel material requirements, meeting industry standards and national regulations. Further attention should be given to the analysis of welding process control, with qualified welders employing welding procedure books or cards during the welding process. Prior to welding, a comprehensive welding process plan should be developed, addressing groove form, welding methods, welding materials, nondestructive testing, and more. Responsible engineers must supervise the implementation of the process, ensuring quality weld seams through strict control of welding sequence, preheating, and material selection. Enhanced weld inspection, encompassing nondestructive flaw detection and appearance checks, should be carried out using advanced flaw detection methods and technical equipment.

3. Strengthening Equipment Quality Control

The potential safety issues of pressure vessels during production and utilization cannot be underestimated. Strengthening the quality control of vessels is crucial, and this concept should permeate every stage of vessel use. Before implementing a quality control system, gather input from staff members to align quality control with the practicalities of chemical equipment and pressure vessel application. To enhance the effectiveness of quality control, establish a thorough self-inspection process and mutual inspection procedures, incorporating modern management methods like refinement and process management. Timely identification and resolution of damage factors, such as cracks in chemical equipment and pressure vessels, are essential. Chemical enterprises should instill a preventative mindset regarding pressure vessel accidents, establishing a comprehensive monitoring and usage system for pressure vessels in chemical equipment to minimize accident possibilities. Address quality issues discovered during monitoring promptly, taking targeted measures for maintenance and treatment to integrate, optimize, and efficiently utilize resources.

4. Talent Provision

Chemical enterprises must enhance and refine personnel training and assessment mechanisms, requiring staff to possess a deep understanding of the operating principles, structural systems, and technical parameters of chemical equipment and pressure vessels. Encourage a departure from traditional working modes, attitudes, and concepts, prioritizing the safe operation of chemical equipment and pressure vessels. Staff should assist in monitoring the use of pressure vessels in chemical equipment, promptly identifying and addressing various quality issues, and offering suggestions to improve the management of pressure vessel damage. Inspectors and testers of pressure vessel safety status must familiarize themselves with regulations such as the Regulations on Safety and Technical Supervision of Pressure Vessels, regularly inspecting pressure vessels and mastering hydrostatic test methods, internal and external inspection techniques, and external inspection procedures.

5. Systematic Monitoring of Risk Factors

Improving the information literacy of staff members and fostering their flexible operation of the inspection system is crucial. Establishing a database to categorize forms and causes of destruction, dangerous factors, and treatments of operational pressure vessels lays the foundation for intelligent and automated monitoring of quality problems. Focus on identifying risk factors such as fatigue cracks caused by thermal stress and alternating temperature, cracks or plastic deformation due to high-temperature creep, low cycle fatigue damage, and low cycle fatigue cracks caused by pressure fluctuation or frequent pressure relief. Long-term high temperatures leading to steel structure deterioration should also be considered. Sorting these risk factors into a database provides a valuable reference for subsequent damage prevention efforts in chemical equipment and pressure vessels. This approach promotes more targeted, effective, and feasible quality control and prevention schemes, placing higher demands on the professional quality and abilities of staff members.
 
In the chemical industry, the potential harm and impact of severe accidents involving industrial equipment and pressure vessels cannot be underestimated. It is imperative for workers to heighten their awareness regarding the usage of pressure vessels, adhere rigorously to specified requirements, enhance control over sealing quality, and mitigate risk factors associated with vessel rupture. Simultaneously, advancements in production technology and elevations in vessel management levels are essential to guarantee safety performance and proactively prevent instances of pressure vessel rupture.