1 General Provisions
1.1 Purpose
This Regulation is formulated according to the "Special Equipment Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Regulations on Safety Supervision of Special Equipment" with a view to ensuring the safe use of stationary pressure vessels, preventing and reducing accidents, protecting the safety of human life and property and promoting economic and social development.
1.2 Stationary pressure vessels
Stationary pressure vessels refer to the pressure vessels installed and used at fixed locations (hereinafter referred to as "pressure vessels", Note 1-1).
Note 1-1: The pressure vessels to be moved and/or used only in the device or plant field for a particular purpose as well as the air tanks of portable air compressors, etc. are supervised and managed according to stationary pressure vessels; the heat recovery boilers designed and manufactured according to pressure vessels and used as process equipment in process devices are supervised and managed according to this Regulation.
1.3 Applicable scope
This Regulation is applicable to the pressure vessels defined in the Catalogue of Special Equipment and in conformity with all of the following conditions:
(1) The working pressure is larger than or equal to 0.1MPa (Note 1-2);
(2) The volume is larger than or equal to 0.03m3, and the inner diameter (the maximum geometric dimension of the inner boundary of non-circular cross section) is larger than or equal to 150mm (Note 1-3);
(3) The medium contained in the vessel is gas, liquefied gas, or liquid with the maximum working temperature higher than or equal to its normal boiling point (Note 1-4).
Note 1-2: Working pressure refers to the maximum pressure (gauge pressure) possibly occurred on the top of the pressure vessel at normal working conditions.
Note 1-3: Volume refers to the geometric volume of the pressure vessel, namely the volume calculated based on the dimensions (manufacturing tolerance is not considered) noted on the design drawings and after roundness. In general, the volume of the internals permanently amounted inside the pressure vessel is deducted.
Note 1-4: This Regulation is also applicable to the vessel when the medium contained is liquid with maximum operating temperature lower than normal boiling point, meanwhile, the volume of gas-phase space is larger than or equal to 0.03m3.
1.4 Special provisions for applicable scope
The users of pressure vessels shall be responsible for the safety management of their pressure vessels subject to this article according to the relevant requirements stated in Chapter 7-"Service Management".
1.4.1 Pressure vessels only meeting the general provisions, materials, design and manufacture requirements specified in this Regulation
The following pressure vessels within applicable scope of this Regulation are only required to meet the provisions of Chapters 1~4:
(1) The non-independent pressure vessel in cryogenic unit, pressure vessel in direct-fired absorption refrigeration equipment, aluminum plate-fin heat exchanger, pressure vessel in cold box of process device;
(2) Double-tube heat exchanger without shell and containing the medium of Group 2 (Note 1-5);
(3) Ultrahigh pressure tubular reactor.
Note 1-5: Grouping of media in pressure vessels is given in Appendix A of this Regulation.
1.4.2 Pressure vessels only meeting the general provisions, design and manufacture requirements specified in this Regulation
The following pressure vessels within applicable scope of this Regulation are only required to meet the provisions of Chapters 1, 3 and 4:
(1) Air tank of portable air compressor;
(2) Air pressure tank in hydraulic auto-air supply pressurization pneumatic water feeding device (water feeding without tower), and gas pressure tank or pneumatic water supply (foam) pressure tank in fire control unit;
(3) Pressure vessels used for ion exchange or filtration process in water treatment equipment, and expansion tanks used for hot-water boilers;
(4) Pressure-bearing shell of energy accumulator.
1.5 Inapplicable scope
This Regulation is not applicable to the following vessels:
(1) Transportable pressure vessels, gas cylinders and oxygen chambers;
(2) The pressure vessels used for military equipment, nuclear facilities, aerospace vehicles, railway locomotives, offshore facilities and ships as well as those used in mines;
(3) The vessels with normal working pressure less than 0.1MPa (including the vessels that is connected with the air and will bear instantaneous pressure larger than or equal to 0.1MPa during feeding or discharging process);
(4) The pressure chambers (e.g., pump case, compressor shell, turbine casing, hydraulic cylinder, paper roller, etc.) that form an entirety or are as components in the rotating or reciprocating mechanical equipment;
(5) Plate heat exchangers, spiral plate heat exchangers, air cooled heat exchangers and cooling grids;
(6) Steam heating coils of normal pressure vessels, and tube heating furnaces in process devices;
(7) Dedicated fully-enclosed composite apparatuses (e.g., capacitance pressure vessels) for power industry;
(8) Tyre vulcanizers and pressure-bearing rubber moulds used in rubber industry;
(9) Nonreinforced plastic pressure vessels.
1.6 Definition of the scope of pressure vessels
The scope of pressure vessels to which this Regulation is applicable includes the body, safety accessories and instruments of pressure vessels.
1.6.1 Body of pressure vessel
The body of a pressure vessel is defined as followings:
(1) The groove face of the first girth joint of welded (bonded) connection between pressure vessel and external pipelines or devices, the end face of the first threaded joint of threaded connection, the first flange sealing surface of flanged connection, the first sealing surface of connection with special connecting pieces or pipe fittings;
(2) The pressure cap and its fasteners at the opening of pressure vessel;
(3) Attachment welds between non-pressure parts and pressure parts.
The main pressure parts in the body of pressure vessels include shell sections (including reducer section), spherical shell plates, shell plates (of noncircular vessels), heads, flat covers, expansion joints, vessel flanges; tube sheets and heat exchange tubes of heat exchangers; studs above M36 (including M36); and connection pipes and pipe flanges with nominal diameter larger than or equal to 250mm.
1.6.2 Safety accessories and instruments
The safety accessories of pressure vessels include the safety valve, rupture disk device, fusible plug, emergency shutoff device and safety interlock which are directly connected onto the pressure vessels.
The instruments of pressure vessels include pressure gauge, thermometer, liquid level meter and other measuring instruments.
1.7 Classification of pressure vessels
According to the risk extent, the pressure vessels within the applicable scope of this Regulation are classified into Categories I, II and III (Note 1-6). See Appendix A for the classification methods of pressure vessels.
Note 1-6: The Categories I, II and III pressure vessels classified in this Regulation are identical with the Categories 1, 2 and 3 pressure vessels given in the Catalogue of Special Equipment, and the super-high pressure vessels in this Regulation are classified as Category III pressure vessels.
1.8 Relationship with technical standards and management systems
(1) This Regulation specifies the basic safety requirements of pressure vessels. The involved technical standards and management systems, etc. of pressure vessels shall not be inferior to the requirements of this Regulation;
(2) The design, manufacture, installation, transformation and repair of pressure vessels shall meet the requirements of both this Regulation and the corresponding product standards of pressure vessels (hereinafter referred to as "product standards").
1.9 Provisions for special treatment of inconformity to this Regulation
As for the pressure vessels manufactured with new material, new technology or new process or with special service requirements, the pressure vessels inconsistent with the requirements of this Regulation, or the pressure vessels which are not specified in this Regulation but may have significant impact on safety performance, the relevant organizations shall submit such technical data as basis, data, results and inspection & test reports relevant to design, research and test to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as "AQSIQ"), AQSIQ will entrust the safety technology consulting agency or relevant professional organization to perform technical evaluation, and such pressure vessels shall not be put into production and service until the technical evaluation result is approved by AQSIQ.
1.10 Coordinative standards and quoted standards (Note 1-7)
The standards meeting the basic safety requirements of this Regulation are referred to as the coordinative standards of this Regulation. The main coordinative standards of this Regulation are as follows:
(1) GB 150 "Pressure Vessels";
(2) GB/T 151 "Heat Exchangers";
(3) GB 12337 "Steel Spherical Tanks";
(4) NB/T 47011 "Zirconium Pressure Vessels";
(5) NB/T 47041 "Vertical Vessels Supported by Skirt";
(6) NB/T 47042 "Horizontal Vessels";
(7) JB 4732 "Steel Pressure Vessels - Design by Analysis";
(8) JB/T 4734 "Aluminum Welded Vessels";
(9) JB/T 4745 "Titanium Welded Vessels";
(10) JB/T 4755 "Copper Pressure Vessels";
(11) JB/T 4756 "Nickel and Nickel Alloy Pressure Vessels".
The fundamental standards to be quoted as designated in this Regulation are referred to as the quoted standards of this Regulation, such as the medium standards, material standards, method standards, part and component standards, etc.
Note 1-7: Among the coordinative standards or quoted standards of this Regulation, for dated standards, all the subsequent amendments to (excluding correction contents) or revisions do not apply to this Regulation. For undated standards, the latest edition applies to this Regulation.
1.11 Supervision and management
The units in charge of the design, manufacture, installation, transformation, repair, use, inspection and testing, etc. of pressure vessels shall strictly enforce this Regulation and accept the supervision and management of the special equipment supervision and management departments of the people's governments at all levels (hereinafter referred to as “special equipment safety supervision and management departments”), and they shall also timely input the data required into the special equipment information management system according to the requirements of special equipment information management.
2 Materials
2.1 General requirements of materials
2.1.1 Basic requirements
(1) The mechanical properties, physical properties, processing properties, and compatibility with medium of the materials shall be considered when selecting the materials of pressure vessels;
(2) The properties, quality, specification and identification of materials used for pressure vessels shall conform to the requirements of national or professional standards for corresponding materials;
(3) The material manufacturers of pressure vessels shall make clear and firm end-of-manufacturing steel seal mark or other retroactive marks on obvious position of the materials;
1 General Provisions
2 Materials
3 Design
4 Manufacturing
5 Installation, Transformation and Repair
6 Supervision and Inspection
7 Service Management
8 Periodical Inspection
9 Safety Accessories and Instruments
10 Supplementary Provisions
Appendix A Classification of Stationary Pressure Vessels
Appendix B Quality Certificate for Pressure Vessel
Attached Sheet b Product Data Sheet for Stationary Pressure Vessel
Appendix C Product Nameplate of Pressure Vessel
Appendix D Numbering Method for Special Equipment Code
Appendix E Contact List for Supervision and Inspection of Special Equipment
Appendix F Notice for Supervision and Inspection Opinions on Special Equipment
Appendix G Supervision and Inspection Certificate for Special Equipment (Sample)
Appendix H Annual Inspection Report for Pressure Vessels
Appendix J Periodical Inspection Report for Pressure Vessels
Appendix K Notice for Periodical Inspection Opinions on Special Equipment (1)
Development (Revision) of Relevant Regulations and Specifications
