Transportable Pressure Vessels: The Importance of Inspection and Safety Checks

December 11, 2017

Pressure vessels are punished on a daily basis after they're installed. Fastened to a static metal frame or welded onto a toughened mounting platform, the exactingly engineered vessels are then exposed to great pressures. Tortuous temperatures also persist in many processing environments. What about transportable pressure vessels? Built to safely convey pressurized gasses and combustible fluids, special conveyance solutions are imperative here so that the vessels can function as intended.

Addressing Transportable Pressure Vessels

Before a question can be properly solved, we need to know what we're dealing with when a new label pops into view. Essentially, these pressure containment products serve their purpose while in motion. Simple fuel gas or welding gas cylinders are pressurized, so they're covered by the procedures imparted by these inspections and safety checks. Road tankers or compressed gas carriers, the pressure equipment must be capable of containing its load, no matter the transport-related application.

Deconstructing the Transportation Infrastructure

In an ideal world, a fuel or chemical medium would arrive magically at its final destination, where it would then be processed by a boiler, stored for later use, or further processed. We can't just construct pipelines everywhere, not when they're expensive to construct. Pipes can also leak, as we've seen in many news reports. No, the best solution is a transportable pressure vessel. Carried on a highway or a railway track, the potentially dangerous fluid medium is escorted to its usage area. What about safety, about the possibility of a road accident or leak while the pressurized gas is en route to that usage area?

Safety Factor: On the Road Again

There are literally chapters of material covering this subject. The TPED (Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive) requires periodic inspections and safety checks. Reinforced walls are advised here, as are the graduated internal neck transitions that add an important feature to these specialized pressure vessels. Even the inclusion of a rupture disc, plus a robust pressure valve, can ensure TPED compliance. However, the proprietary vessel designs and added components do represent a more complex equipment configuration, which is why these safety checks must be followed.

Classed as a competent person, the operative responsible for these transportable pressure vessels is tasked with many obligations. Proper filling and transferring procedures must be observed when the container is hooked to another system. If the work does involve road coverage, all highway laws must be absolutely honoured. In other words, this load has to be treated with care, has to be provided with inbuilt safety equipment, and must be periodically inspected and subjected to safety checks. By adhering to these guidelines, roads, railways and ordinary citizens are protected from a potential rupture during the transportation operation.

Contact Details

Fusion - Weld Engineering Pty Ltd
ABN 98 068 987619

1865 Frankston Flinders Road,
Hastings, VIC 3915

Ph: (03) 5909 8218

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