API-510 PRESSURE VESSEL INSPECTOR

CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

REFERENCE PUBLICATIONS:
A. API Publications:
API 510, Pressure Vessel Inspection Code
API RP 571, Damage Mechanisms Affecting Equipment in Refining Industry
API RP 572, Inspection of Pressure Vessels including Annex B, (all other Annexes are excluded)
API RP 576, Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices
API RP 577, Welding Inspection and Metallurgy
B. ASME Publications:
Section V, Nondestructive Examination
Section VIII, Division 1, Rules for Constructing Pressure Vessels
Section IX, Qualification Standard for Welding, Brazing and Fusion Procedures; Welders; Brazers; and Welding,
Brazing and Fusing Operators

INTERPRETATIONS

Interpretations are issued in real time in ASME’s Interpretations Database at http://go.asme.org/Interpretations.

Historical
BPVC interpretations may also be found in the Database.

CODE CASES

The Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code committees meet regularly to consider proposed additions and revisions to the
Code and to formulate Cases to clarify the intent of existing requirements or provide, when the need is urgent, rules
for
materials or constructions not covered by existing Code rules. Those Cases that have been adopted will appear in the
appropriate 2017 Code Cases book: “Boilers and Pressure Vessels” or “Nuclear Components.” Supplements will be
sent
or made available automatically to the purchasers of the Code Cases books up to the publication of the 2019 Code.

This Code contains mandatory requirements, specific prohibitions, and nonmandatory guidance for
construction ac
tivities
and inservice inspection and testing activities. The Code does not address all aspects of these activities and
those
aspects that are not specifically addressed should not be considered prohibited. The Code is not a handbook
and cannot
replace education, experience, and the use of engineering judgment. The phrase engineering judgment refers
to technical
judgments made by knowledgeable engineers experienced in the application of the Code. Engineering
judgments must
be consistent with Code philosophy, and such judgments must never be used to overrule mandatory
requirements or
specific prohibitions of the Code.

SCOPE

(3) This Division contains mandatory requirements,

specific prohibitions, and nonmandatory guidance for

pressure vessel materials, design, fabrication, examination,

inspection, testing, certification, and pressure relief.

The Code does not address all aspects of these activities,

and those aspects which are not specifically addressed

should not be considered prohibited. Engineering judg

ment
must be consistent with the philosophy of this Divi

sion,
and such judgments must never be used to overrule

mandatory requirements or specific prohibitions of this

Division. See also informative and nonmandatory gui

dance
regarding metallurgical phenomena in Section II,

Part D, Nonmandatory Appendix A

Committee’s

(2) Based on the

consideration, the fol

lowing
classes of vessels are not included in the scope

of this Division; however, any pressure vessel which

meets all the applicable requirements of this Division

may be stamped with the Certification Mark with the U

Designator:

(-a) those within the scope of other Sections;

(-b) fired process tubular heaters;

(-c) pressure containers which are integral parts

or components of rotating or reciprocating mechanical

devices, such as pumps, compressors, turbines, genera

tors,
engines, and hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders where

the primary design considerations and/or stresses are de

rived
from the functional requirements of the device;

(-d) structures whose primary function is the

transport of fluids from one location to another within a

system of which it is an integral part, that is, piping

systems;

(-e) piping components, such as pipe, flanges, bolt

ing,
gaskets, valves, expansion joints, and fittings, and the

(-g) a hot water supply storage tank heated by

steam or any other indirect means when none of the fol

lowing
limitations is exceeded:

JOINT EFFICIENCIES

UG-27

THICKNESS OF SHELLS UNDER INTERNAL

PRESSURE

(a) The minimum required thickness of shells under in

ternal
pressure shall not be less than that computed by

,18

the following formulas,

except as permitted by Manda

tory
Appendix 1 or Mandatory Appendix 32.I n addition,

provision shall be made for any of the loadings listed in

UG-22, when such loadings are expected.The provided

thickness of the shells shall also meet the requirements

of UG-16, except as permitted in Mandatory Appendix 32.

(b) The symbols defined beloware used in the formulas

of this paragraph.

E = joint efficiency for, or the efficiency of, appropriate

joint in cylindrical or spherical shells, or the effi

ciency
of ligaments between openings, whichever

is less.
For welded vessels, use the efficiency specified in

UW-12.

For ligaments between openings, use the efficiency

calculated by the rules given in UG-53.

P = internal design pressure (see UG-21)

R = i n s i d e r a d i u s o f th e s h e l l c o u r s e u n d e r

,19

consideration,

S = maximum allowable stress value (see UG-23 and the

stress limitations specified in UG-24)

t = minimum required thickness of shell

(1 ) Circumferential Stress (Longitudinal Joints) .

one-

When the thickness does not exceed

half of the inside

radius, or P does not exceed 0.385SE, the following for

mulas
shall apply:

Longitudinal Stress (Circumferential Joints

(d) Spherical Shells. When the thickness of the shell of a

wholly spherical vessel does not exceed 0.356R, or P does

not exceed 0.665SE, the following formulas shall apply

UG-32
FORMED HEADS, AND SECTIONS,

PRESSURE ON CONCAVE SIDE

D = inside diameter of the head skirt; or inside length of

the major axis of an ell ipsoidal head; or inside

diameter of a conical head at the point under con

sideration,
measured perpendicular to the longitu

dinal
axis

Di

= inside diameter of the conical portion of a toriconi

cal
head at its point of tangency to the knuckle, mea

sured
perpendicular to the axis of the cone

=D

2r(1

cos a)

E = lowest efficiency of any joint in the head; for hemi

head-to

spherical
heads this includes

shell joint; for

welded vessels , use the efficiency specified in

UW-12

L = inside spherical or crown radius. The value of L for

el l ipsoidal heads shal l be obtained from Table

UG-37.

P = internal design pressure (see UG-21)

r = inside knuckle radius

S = maximum allowable stress value in tension as given

in the tables referenced in UG-23, except as limited

in UG-24 and (d) below.

t = minimum required thickness of head after forming

ts

= minimum specified thickness of head after forming,

in. (mm).

ts

shall be

one-

a=

half of the included (apex) angle of the cone at

the centerline of the head (see Figure 1-4)

(c) Ellipsoidal Heads With

ts

/L

0.002. The required

thickness of a dished head of semiellipsoidal form, in

which half the minor axis (inside depth of the head minus

one

the skirt) equals

fourth of the inside diameter of the

head skirt, shall be determined by

(d) Torispherical Heads With ts/L ≥ 0.002

(e) Hemispherical Heads. When the thickness of a hemi

spherical
head does not exceed 0.356L, or P does not ex

ceed
0.665SE, the following formulas shall apply:

Conical Heads and Sections (Without Transition

Knuckle). The required thickness of conical heads or conical
shell sections that have a half apex‐angle α not greater
than 30 deg shall be determined by
IMPACT TESTING
a) The inspector should understand impact testing requirements and impact testing procedure (UG-84)

b) The inspector should be able to determine the minimum metal temperature of a material which is
exempt from impact testing (UG-20 (f), UCS-66, UCS-68(c).)

PRESSURE TESTING
The inspector should be able to:
 a) Calculate a test pressure compensating for temperature. (UG-99 & UG-100)
b) Be familiar with the precautions associated with hydrostatic and pneumatic testing, such as
minimum test temperatures, protection against overpressure etc.
c) Be familiar with all steps in a hydrotest procedure (UG99 and UG100)
d) Be familiar with all steps in a pneumatic test procedure (UG-100 and UG-102)