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API 572
Inspection Practices for Pressure Vessels

1 Scope

1) This recommended practice (RP) covers the …….. of pressure vessels

2) It includes a description of the various types of pressure vessels (including pressure vessels with a design
pressure below …. psig) and the standards for their ….. and ……..
3) This RP also includes reasons for inspection, causes of ….., …… and ……. of inspection, methods of …..,
and preparation of …. and …….
4) ….. …… is emphasized within this RP.
5) API 572 emphasize on ………. ……

3 Terms and Definitions

3.1 Definitions
The following are definition of …..

1) A physical change in any component that has design implications that affect the pressure-containing capability of a
pressure vessel beyond the scope described in existing data reports. The following should not be considered
alterations: any comparable or duplicate replacement, the addition of any reinforced nozzle less than or equal to the
size of existing reinforced nozzles, and the addition of nozzles not requiring reinforcement.

2) A metal integrally bonded onto another metal under high pressure and temperature whose properties are better
suited to resist damage from the process than the substrate material.

3) Designated areas on pressure vessels where periodic inspections and thickness measurements are conducted.
Previously, they were normally referred to as “thickness monitoring locations (TMLs).”

4) A person, acceptable to the owner/user, who has knowledge and experience in corrosion damage mechanisms,
metallurgy, materials selection, and corrosion monitoring techniques.

5) Corrosion that occurs under insulation, including stress corrosion cracking under insulation.

6) A process that induces deleterious micro and/or macro material changes over time that is harmful to the material
condition or mechanical properties. Damage mechanisms are usually incremental, cumulative, and unrecoverable.
Common damage mechanisms include corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, creep, erosion, fatigue, fracture, and
thermal aging.

7) An imperfection, whose type or size, exceeds the applicable acceptance criteria.

8) The temperature used in the design of the pressure vessel per the applicable construction code.

9) An area defined by a circle having a diameter not greater than 2 in. Thickness readings may be averaged within this
area. A CML may contain examination points.

10) A visual inspection performed from the outside of a pressure vessel to find conditions that could impact the vessel’s
ability to maintain pressure integrity or conditions that compromise the integrity of the supporting structures, e.g.
ladders, platforms, etc. This inspection may be done either while the vessel is operating or while the vessel is out of
service.
11) Flaws or other discontinuities noted during inspection that may or may not exceed the applicable acceptance
criteria.

12) Designates vessels that have been placed in operation as opposed to new construction prior to being placed in
service. A vessel not in operation due to an outage is still considered an in-service vessel.

13) A strategy defining how and when a pressure vessel will be inspected, repaired, and/or maintained.

14) A shortened title for an authorized pressure vessel inspector.

15) Established limits for process variables that can affect the integrity of the equipment if the process operation
deviates from the established limits for a predetermined amount of time.

16) A legally constituted government administration that may adopt rules relating to pressure vessels.

17) A nonmetallic or metallic material installed on the interior of a vessel whose properties are better suited to resist
damage from the process than the substrate material

18) The maximum gauge pressure permitted at the top of a pressure vessel in its operating position for a designated
temperature. This pressure is based on calculations using the minimum (or average pitted) thickness for all critical
vessel elements, (exclusive of thickness designated for corrosion) and adjusted for applicable static head pressure
and nonpressure loads (e.g. wind, earthquake, etc.).

19) The lowest temperature at which a significant load can be applied to a pressure vessel as defined in the applicable
construction code [e.g. ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division 1, Paragraph UG-20(b)].

20) A condition whereby a pressure vessel has not been prepared for internal inspection and may be in service.

21) An owner or user of pressure vessels who exercises control over the operation, engineering, inspection, repair,
alteration, testing, and rerating of those pressure vessels.

22) Minimum wall thickness needed to hold design pressure at the design temperature as determined using the rating
code formula. It does not include thickness for structural loads, corrosion allowance or mill tolerances.

23) A container designed to withstand internal or external pressure. This pressure may be imposed by an external
source, by the application of heat from a direct or indirect source, or by any combination thereof. This definition
includes heat exchangers, air-coolers, unfired steam generators and other vapor-generating vessels which use heat
from the operation of a processing system or other indirect heat source.

24) One or more persons or organizations acceptable to the owner-user that are knowledgeable and experienced in the
engineering disciplines associated with evaluating mechanical and material characteristics that affect the integrity
and reliability of pressure vessels. The pressure vessel engineer, by consulting with appropriate specialists, should
be regarded as a composite of all entities necessary to properly address a technical requirement.

25) The work necessary to restore a vessel to a condition suitable for safe operation at the design conditions. If any of
the restorative work results in a change to the design temperature, MDMT, or MAWP, the work shall be considered
an alteration and the requirements for rerating shall be satisfied. Any welding, cutting, or grinding operation on a
pressure-containing component not specifically considered an alteration is considered a repair.

26) A change in either the design temperature rating, the MDMT, or the MAWP rating of a vessel. The design
temperature and MAWP of a vessel may be increased or decreased because of a rerating. Derating below original
design conditions is a permissible way to provide for additional corrosion allowance.

27) A risk assessment and management process that is focused on inspection planning for loss of containment of
pressurized equipment in processing facilities, due to material deterioration. These risks are managed primarily
through inspection in order to influence the probability of failure.

28) Strips of metal plates or sheets that are welded to the inside of a vessel wall. Normally, the strips are of a more
corrosion-resistant or erosion-resistant alloy than the vessel wall and provide additional corrosion/erosion
resistance.

29) The reduction in toughness due to a metallurgical change that can occur in some low alloy steels, e.g. 2 1/4Cr-1Mo,
as a result of long term exposure in the temperature range of about 650 °F to 1100 °F (345 °C to 595 °C).
 30) Within this document, testing generally refers to either pressure testing whether performed hydrostatically,
pneumatically or a combination hydrostatic/pneumatic, or mechanical testing to determine such data as material
hardness, strength, and notch toughness. Testing, however, does not refer to NDE techniques such as PT, MT, etc

31) RT, PT, UT and MT are types of testing of pressure vessel – true or false

32) A lining applied by welding of a metal to the surface. The filler metal typically has better corrosion and/or erosion
resistance to the environment than the underlying metal.

4 Introduction to Pressure Vessels

4.1 General

1) A pressure vessel is a container designed to withstand ….. or …….. pressure

2) These codes typically limit design basis to an external or internal operating pressure no less than … lbf/in. 2 (103
kPa).
3) External pressure on a vessel can be caused by an internal …… or by fluid pressure between an outer jacket and
the vessel …...
4) Vessels subject to external pressure are usually inspected in the same manner as those subject to internal
pressure. – true or false
5) Columns, towers, drums, reactors, heat ….., condensers, ….coolers, bullets, ….., and accumulators are common
types of industry pressure vessels.
6) Give examples of pressure vessel types
7) Storage vessels subject to internal pressures up to 15 lbf /in. 2 (103 kPa) are covered in API …
8) Pressure vessels are designed in various shapes:
1- cylindrical (ex. …….)
2- spherical
3- ………
4- Boxed
5- Lo…..
9) Cylindrical vessels, including exchangers and condensers, may be either vertical or horizontal and may be
supported by steel …., cylindrical plate ….., or plate lugs attached to the shell.
10) Spherical vessels are usually supported by steel ….. attached to the shell or by ……
11) Spheroidal vessels are partially or completely supported by resting on ……..
12) Jacketed vessels are those built with a …… or outer ….. that forms a space between itself and the main shell.

4.2 Methods of Construction

1) Prior to the development of welding, …….. was the most common method of construction
2) Today, several different methods are used to construct pressure vessels. Most pressure vessels are constructed
with …… joints
3) Shell rings are usually made by rolling plate at
a) High temperature
b) Low temperature
c) Ambient temperature
d) Either a or c above
4) heavy-wall vessels such as those used for hydrotreater or hydrocracker reactors to withstand high pressure are
constructed by
a) hot forging
b) hot rolling and welding
c) multi layer method , the cylindrical section is made up of a number of thin concentric cylinders fabricated
together
d) a and c above

4.3 Materials of Construction

1) …….. steel is the most common material used to construct pressure vessels.
2) Copper and copper alloys (except Alloy 400) are ….. used in refinery vessels but are common with heat exchanger
tubes and may be found in petrochemical plant vessels.
3) Exchanger shells are usually made of …. steel but may be made of a corrosion-resistant alloy or clad with a
corrosion-resistant material. Exchanger channels and baffles are made of ….. steel or a suitable corrosion
resistant alloy material, usually similar to the material of the tubes.
 4) Tubes for exchanger bundles may be a variety of materials. Where water is used as a cooling or condensing
medium they are generally made of ….. based alloys or steel
5) In water applications where copper alloys or steels will not provide sufficient corrosion protection, higher alloy
materials may be used such as … …… steel or the tube ID may be ….. (baked epoxy or similar).
6) …….. may be used in seawater applications.
7) to resist two different corrosive mediums, tubes consisting of an inner layer of one material and an outer layer of a
…… material (bimetallic) may be used
8) Tubesheets for exchanger bundles are made of a variety of materials. Where water is the cooling or condensing
medium, they are usually made of ….. ……. or steel, …… may be used in seawater applications.
9) vessels lined with other metals or nonmetals and vessels constructed of solid corrosion-resistant material which
are more economical ?
10) Metallic liners are installed in various ways.
1- They may be an integral part of the plate material …….
2- separate sheets of metal fastened to the vessel by …..
3- Corrosion-resistant metal can also be applied to the vessel surfaces by various …. …… processes.
11) Nonmetallic liners may be used to :
1- to resist ….. and …..
2- to reduce …….
3- To reduce ……

12) The most common nonmetallic lining materials are ….., ….., ….., ….., ……, ……, …., ……, ….., ……, …..
13) Pressure vessels constructed out of nonmetallic materials are usually made from fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) and
can be more resistant to some …….services

4.4 Internal Components and Equipment

4.5 Uses of Pressure Vessels

4.6 Design and Construction Standards

1) Division 1, provides requirements applicable to the design, fabrication, inspection, testing, and certification of
pressure vessels operating at either internal or external pressures exceeding …. psig.
2) Section VIII, Division 2, provides alternative and more stringent rules for the design, fabrication, and inspection of
vessels than those found in Division ….
3) Section VIII, Division 3 provides alternative rules for construction of high-pressure vessels with design pressure
generally above …. ksi (70 MPa).
4) Both Divisions 1 and 2 of Section VIII of the ASME BPVC do not require the manufacturer of a vessel to have a
quality control system.- True or False
5) A refinery or petrochemical facility inspector should be familiar with
a) the latest editions of construction codes
b) the previous editions of the construction codes
c) both a and b above
d) none of the above

5 Reasons for Inspection

5.1 General

1) The basic reasons for inspection are to determine the physical condition of the vessel and to determine
the type, rate, and causes of damage mechanisms and associated deterioration
2) This information should be carefully documented
a) after each inspection
b) after construction
c) when required
d) not required to be documented since it is included in the construction manual

5.2 Safety
5.3 Reliability and Efficient Operation
5.4 Regulatory Requirements
6 Inspection Plans
6.1 General

1) factors should be considered during the establishment of an inspection plan.

1- Known or anticipated degradation mode

2- Primary areas of ……..
3- ……………………….. rate/susceptibility.
4- Remaining . ……………….
5- Inspection ………… that can effectively target the degradation modes identified
6- Safe accessibility of …………………………………….
7- Potential negative impacts of inspection to ……………………… such as ………
8- Possible risks to ……………..
9- Will equipment be inspected externally in lieu of …………………
10- On-stream monitoring requirements for known ………………………

2) Complete inspection plans for pressure vessels should include

a) ……………….
b) ……………….
c) …………….

6.2 Inspection for Specific Types of Damage

1) Active damage mechanisms and rates of degradation will vary markedly depending on
a) the process stream and its contaminants or corrodent levels
b) temperature of exposure
c) materials of construction
d) all of the above

6.3 Developing Inspection Plans

1) If Equipment is susceptible to uniform deterioration then

a) the whole equipment body shall be inspected internally and externally
b) it may be necessary to inspect larger areas or employ multiple techniques to ensure localized
damage is detected
c) only small portion is required to be inspected
d) not required to be inspected since the degradation is uniform

2) Visual checks of the external parts of a vessel should be made

a) periodically
b) randomly
c) regularly
d) rarely

3) Visual checks of the external parts of a vessel will be conducted

a) by removing the vessel from service during shutdowns and turnovers
b) without removing the vessel from service (on-stream)
c) may be made at comparatively short intervals
d) both b and c above

6.4 RBI

1) RBI should not be used to determine inspection intervals and the type and extent of future
inspection/examinations – true or false

2) An RBI assessment determines risk by

a) evaluating the probability of equipment failure
b) evaluating the consequence of equipment failure
c) combining the probability and the consequence of equipment failure
d) none of the above
7 Frequency and Extent of Inspection

7.1 General

1) The frequency with which a pressure vessel should be inspected depends on several factors The most
important factors are
a) the rate of deterioration and the corresponding remaining useful life
b) material of construction and operating condition
c) the opinion of the corrosion specialist
d) capability of NDE techniques to identify the anticipated degradation modes