07-12-2024, 04:52 PM
A true story. Just before I started my life long career in the design and construction of pressure vessels the company had a major failure of an ammonia converter on test for a new Ammonia plant for ICI.
The vessel was 66” diameter and 6” thick and was in the process of being hydrostatically pressure tested to a test pressure of 7000 psi. This pressure was never reached as the vessel catastrophically failed at only half the test pressure.
Whilst hydro testing was and still is less of an issue than air testing, a 2 tonne piece of steel flew some 46 meters through a wall and parked itself neatly alongside a mini in the car park.
The company allowed the Welding Institute to carry out extensive testing and so much was learned from this incident.
Miraculously no one injured
The vessel was 66” diameter and 6” thick and was in the process of being hydrostatically pressure tested to a test pressure of 7000 psi. This pressure was never reached as the vessel catastrophically failed at only half the test pressure.
Whilst hydro testing was and still is less of an issue than air testing, a 2 tonne piece of steel flew some 46 meters through a wall and parked itself neatly alongside a mini in the car park.
The company allowed the Welding Institute to carry out extensive testing and so much was learned from this incident.
Miraculously no one injured