(@Ee Pant insites a Water testing is more complex than air testing Use Water to Check Vessel Integrity Hydrostatic testing offers advantages but requires care PRESSURE TESTING is a vital step in equipment maintenance and modification, When everything goes wel, we have confidence in equipment integ- rity, However, a filed pressure tes creates salery concerns, We must design our equipment, develop «esting procedures and implemenc saecy steps that assume failure can occur. Afterall if we knew equipment would pass every time — there wasn’ any possibility of failure — we wouldn't have to pressure rescarall, “The most important decision in pressure testing is what to select asthe test fluid. Most vessels are tested ‘with either air or water Sometimes ather gases (6g. nitrogen) of liquids are used but these cases are rare Airand water have overwhelming benefits in being cheap, readily available and safe to handle “The major safer issue in selecting berween air and waters what happens if che vessel fils. Pneumatic energy release is much greater than hydrostatic energy release because air expands much more than water when pressure containment fil Even so, some plants use ar for pressure testing Water contaminates specific processes. Ifyou put ‘water in a sensitive process and can’t get tou again, water may not be a choice. ‘Water testing is more complex than air esting. ‘You must configure the equipment and piping 0 allow for correctly filling, holding and draining che wate. In spite ofthe added complexity, I prefer the safer approach of using water whenever possible ere are some of my guidelines and design criteria for using water for pressure testing, Many of these points are especially important in dealing with tll vessels, such asthe 130+ call istillaion column depicted in Figure 1. There, che water height adds 56 psi of static pressure on the bottom * Confirm chat water deivery pressure is sufficient to get o the rop ofthe vessel or equipment lop. + Have the capability to vent from all enclosed spaces and loops in the process when filling, + Ensure the system is designed for Full vacuum or has means of Figure Ta ail3e00 flu poser avoiding pulling to low a pres- sure when draining the water, + Allow for hydrostatic head along the height of the vessel in seating design maximum allow- able working pressure (MAWP) and test pressures wenng * Check thatthe foundations can beat the load when cesting. Depending upon location, this may include verification that the water-filled load. is acceptable even during an earthquake. You usually don’t need to consider waterAilled load at maximum wind speed. You have plenty of ‘warning of coming hurricanes and would’ be pressure testing during them, + Filland deain che system ata controlled rate, Be = © —— - - aa ac Hess @aware chat internal restitions inside the equip- ‘ment may sec maximum fill or dean rates, For instance, bubble-cap or valve trays inside towers may limie draining rates. + Assess water quality agains che vessel’ material ‘of construction, The prime example of what 0 watch for is chloride contene of the water if you are dealing wich stainless steel equipment of piping. + Make sure thae connected piping systems chat aren isolated during pressure testing can deal with the test pressue, + Thoroughly go over cesting procedures in suit able management of change, process safety man- agement, and hazard and operability reviews. + Keep personnel away from areas where pressure testing is taking place, “The rower in Figure 1 poses five potential erouble spots fora hydrostatic pressure test: two sections oF valve crays, rwo sections with incernal partitions crea PLANT INSITES OO) ing potential dead spots, as well as che extra 56 psi of static pressure on the bottom. Restricting fill and drain rates to appropriate values will prevent damage to che valve trays. The dead spots requite ether internal venting or external venting through nozzles to prevent the relatively weak internals from bearing excessive load (wen fling) or hhaving a partial vacuum pulled (when draining). les crucial to account forthe static head from the vessel height in secing MAW and test pressures. The vessel was successfully pressure tested with all incernals in place by aking all factors ino account and allowing for them, Water is safe, reliable medium for pressure test- ing, However, ike al other plant work, such esting takes planning and though to correctly design che equipment and piping. @ BY ANDREW SLOLEY, contributing editor ASloley@purman net ‘quatty counts..choose O: tho nedusty has Wened ion contol solutions. The Rangor QC" ISaunivorsal contol valve ILofiors varsailiy, daplapiity anc ease of martenarce in almost Sy appoaton. 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