Overview of Revisions to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII Division 3 for the 2015 Edition and Near Future

Abstract

This paper is to give an overview of the major revisions pending in the upcoming 2015 edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) Section VIII Division 3, Alternative Rules for Construction of High Pressure Vessels, and potential changes being considered by the Subgroup on High Pressure Vessels (SG-HPV) for future editions. This will include an overview of significant actions which will be included in the upcoming edition. This includes action relative to test locations in large and complex forgings, in response to a report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) report of a failed vessel in Illinois. This will also include discussion of a long term issue recently completed on certification of rupture disk devices. Also included will be a discussion of a slight shift in philosophy which has resulted in the linear-elastic stress analysis section being moved to a Non-Mandatory Appendix and discussion of potential future of linear-elastic stress analysis in high pressure vessel design.