Course Overview
This intensive training program provides comprehensive knowledge of pressure vessel engineering, covering design principles, fabrication standards, inspection methodologies, and integrity management according to ASME, API, and international codes. Participants will gain practical skills for safe design, failure analysis, and fitness-for-service assessments through a combination of theoretical instruction and hands-on exercises.
Course Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Apply ASME BPVC Section VIII design requirements for pressure vessels
- Select appropriate materials for various service conditions
- Implement API 510-compliant inspection programs
- Conduct fitness-for-service evaluations per API 579/ASME FFS-1
- Analyze common failure mechanisms in pressure equipment
- Develop and execute integrity management programs
- Comply with international pressure equipment regulations
Who Should Attend
This course is essential for:
- Pressure vessel design engineers
- Mechanical engineers
- API 510 certified inspectors
- QA/QC professionals
- Maintenance and reliability engineers
- Plant integrity managers
- Fabrication supervisors
- Engineering consultants
Course Modules
Module 1: Design Fundamentals
- ASME BPVC Section VIII (Divisions 1, 2, and 3)
- European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED)
- Component design: shells, heads, and nozzles
- Stress analysis fundamentals
- Design-by-rule vs design-by-analysis approaches
- Pressure vessel supports and attachments
Module 2: Materials Technology
- Material selection criteria
- Carbon steels, low alloy steels, and stainless steels
- Non-metallic and composite vessels
- Corrosion mechanisms and prevention
- High temperature considerations
- Impact testing requirements
Module 3: Fabrication & Welding
- ASME Section IX welding requirements
- WPS/PQR development
- Post-weld heat treatment
- Forming processes and tolerances
- NDE during fabrication
- Quality control documentation
Module 4: Inspection & Testing
- API 510 inspection code
- Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) methodology
- Thickness measurement strategies
- Advanced NDE techniques (PAUT, TOFD, digital radiography)
- Pressure testing procedures
- Documentation and reporting
Module 5: Integrity Assessment & Failure Analysis
- API 579 fitness-for-service assessments
- Local thin area evaluation
- Crack assessment methods
- Creep and fatigue analysis
- Common failure mechanisms (brittle fracture, SCC, hydrogen damage)
- Case studies of pressure vessel failures
Module 6: Special Applications
- High pressure vessel design
- Cryogenic service considerations
- Reactor design specifics
- Heat exchanger requirements
- Modular vessel systems
- Emerging technologies in pressure equipment
Module 7: Practical Workshops
- Design calculation exercises
- Weld evaluation and NDE practicals
- Inspection planning scenarios
- FFS assessment case studies
- Software demonstrations (PV Elite, COMPRESS)
- Failure investigation simulations
Module 8: Regulatory Compliance & Best Practices
- Jurisdictional requirements
- Quality management systems
- Repair and alteration procedures
- Integrity management programs
- Industry best practices
- Final assessment and certification