5 Types of Pressure Vessels and What They Are Used for

The pressure vessel is a staple in many plants and facilities across several industries. It’s a container generally designed to store and transport fluids or gases at a controlled pressure level. High Quality pressure vessel fabrication is needed to ensure that the vessel can carry out its function for a long time while being exposed to different elements. 

This article rounds up the five most common types of pressure vessels and their purposes. 

Storage Vessels. As their name indicates, storage vessels are high pressure vessels used to hold liquids or gasses for an extended period of time. They come in various shapes, sizes, and orientations and can be made from different materials (the most popular of which is carbon steel). Storage vessels are used for various applications, including oil and gas production, chemical processing, and food and beverage production. They are also used in a variety of other industries, including automotive manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and power generation. 

Heat Exchangers. A heat exchanger is a type of pressure vessel that transfers heat between at least two fluids. Also commonly made of carbon steel, they perform the critical role of removing or reusing heat, a component that often negatively impacts several industrial processes. The way this vessel operates depends on the fluids’ thermal and flow properties. Heat exchangers are usually used in food and the bioprocessing industries as well as water processing facilities. 

Boilers. These high pressure vessels are utilized to create steam using fuel, nuclear, or electrical power. Inside a boiler, the transformation of liquid to vapor takes place, and the steam generated in the process is used for various heating applications. You can commonly find boilers in power generation facilities. 

Process Vessels. These containers are constructed to facilitate a wide range of processes such as mixing of fluids, agitation, distillation, separation, and decantation. Process vessels are further categorized into different types, depending on the process that they provide a secure place for it to occur. For instance, distillation columns are made to separate liquids from each other. Decanters can separate a mixture of liquids or liquids and solids. Industrial mixers, on the other hand, can combine liquids or solids. 

Chemical Reactors. These types of pressure vessels process vessels specially built to hold reactants and catalysts required in certain chemical reactions. These reactants can emit or absorb, depending on the heat of the particular chemical reaction that’s taking place. As these reactants transform into another product, the internal pressure in these tanks also increases. Find the right reactor vessel manufacturer to fabricate what you require. Not all fabricators are qualified to make this piece of equipment.

Adhering to Pressure Vessel Fabrication Standards

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides hundreds of codes and standards to promote quality mechanical engineering when fabricating devices such as pressure vessels. 

Ordering your pressure vessels from an ASME pressure vessel manufacturer — no matter what type of vessel you need — will assure you that your containers are designed and constructed to the highest standards of quality. Adhering to ASME codes also helps minimize your vessels’ environmental impact by reducing the risk of leakage and accidents.

Read more ...

Compressing Hydrogen Gas for Fuel Cell Manufacturing

In the US, greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 6% from 2020 - 2021. In an effort to help reduce the dangerous levels of harmful gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, several industries are using more environmentally friendly alternatives like solar, wind and hydrogen fuel cells. Typical hydrogen fuel cells are completely carbon free with the only byproducts being electricity, heat and water.

The use of hydrogen fuel cells is not only known for reducing carbon emissions. They also help reduce the demand for foreign oil, are more flexible in terms of installation, help reduce operational expenses, and are recognized as highly reliable. 

How A Hydrogen Fuel Cell Operates

For hydrogen fuel cells to have peak performance, the purest form of hydrogen gas is required to feed the fuel cell device. A network of anodes and cathodes are designed to strip hydrogen electrons via an electrochemical reaction within the device. Therefore, we need a sustainable source of hydrogen fuel and a way to capture and store that fuel. 

Natural gas is the main methane source for hydrogen gas production and landfill Bio-gas runs a close second source. Industrial producers and landfill operations are now being equipped with hydrogen compressor systems to capture hydrogen gas and other byproducts during combustion process. This effort to reduce carbon emissions and recover valuable gases is a winning combination for our environment. The hydrogen gases are then purified and reused in the production of fuel cells.

To understand this better, you need to have an idea of how these fuel cells operate. 

These hydrogen compressor systems are often made by ASME pressure vessel fabrication experts that follow well engineered designs for high pressure compressors. A typical hydrogen fuel cell has two electrodes (anode and cathode), an electrolyte, a fuel source (in this case, hydrogen), and a power supply. Hydrogen fuel passes through the anodes creating positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. The electrons then convert to electricity through this chemical reaction.

The hydrogen molecules in the anode side are broken down into protons and electrons with the use of a catalyst. In most fuel cells, platinum is used as the catalyst. While the protons go to the cathode side through the electrolyte, the negatively charged electrons pass through an external circuit. It is in this section where the electrons generate electricity. 

After the electricity is produces, the electrons then combine and mix with oxygen to generate water and heat. 

As previously stated, the performance of hydrogen fuel cells will be better if there’s a higher purity level of hydrogen. This can be accomplished by contracting with a manufacturer of electrochemical hydrogen compressors that understands the process and is skilled at fabricating pressure vessels that operate at extremely high pressures. 

These advanced gas recovery systems are designed to prevent leakage or contamination. This preserves the quality of the hydrogen gas being used to produce the fuel cell. They’re an essential component of the whole fuel system that plays a vital role in the clean and efficient production of electricity. 

Why Choose Hydrogen Fuel Cells

When you think of hydrogen fuel cells, you may typically associate it with electric vehicles, which are a great alternative to the petroleum reliant cars that emit harmful emissions. However, there are many other fuel cell applications apart from transportation. Fuel cells can also be used for material handling and emergency backup power systems. It can also be used to fuel jets and power homes. 

There are several advantages to using hydrogen fuel cells. First off, hydrogen is an abundant resource. Because it’s non-toxic, it also won’t produce dangerous carbon emissions When industries are equipped with high quality hydrogen compressor systems, we can capture many of the harmful hydrocarbons being expelled into our environment. 

Fluitron is an ASME pressure vessel manufacturer with the skills and experience required for Bio-Gas compressor manufacturing.

Read more ...

Types of Pressure Vessels: What You Need To Know

Useful in various applications, pressure vessels are enclosed containers designed to hold liquids and gases at a pressure level that's significantly different from that of its immediate environment. Quality pressure vessel fabrication is a must to ensure that these product containers can prevent product loss under extreme pressures without damage to product or system. 

In this article, you'll learn about the different types of pressure vessels.

Industrial applications for pressure vessels exist in the oil, fuel, pharmaceuticals & food and beverage industries. Depending on its use, a pressure vessel manufacturer makes different types of containers. Here are three main categories of pressure vessels according to their purpose: 

Process vessels. Found in high pressure compressors and other manufacturing facilities, the process vessel is a vital component tasked in handling gases and liquids at extreme pressure and temperatures. Each process vessel can feature different controls and fittings, depending on which part of the manufacturing process they're playing and system design. They're also commonly used along with other types of pressure vessels. Fluitron is a process tank manufacturer for laboratories. 

Storage vessels. As its name implies, this vessel is used to store gases and liquids for a period of time. These vessels come in different sizes and orientations (some are vertical cylinders while others are in horizontal positions). Depending on what needs to be stored, this container can have a closed top and open bottom, a coned bottom, or a flat bottom, among other configurations. They typically have a different inner lining material to safeguard the quality of the product they contain. 

Heat exchangers. Several industrial processes can't be completed safely and effectively because of the presence of heat. Heat exchangers are a type of pressure vessel used to transfer heat between fluids. They're used in various heating and cooling processes, and are commonly utilized by power generation stations, sewage facilities, and petroleum refineries. 

By Shape

Pressure vessels can also be grouped by shape. Most commonly, a pressure vessel can either be spherical or cylindrical. 

Spherical pressure vessels. If a vessel is being used for storing high-pressure liquids, the end-product of the pressure vessel fabrication process should be spherical in shape. Because of its shape, these spherical containers can facilitate the even distribution of stress on its surface, eliminating weak points that can cause leakage, contamination, or both. Compared to its cylindrical counterpart, a spherical pressure vessel is typically more costly to manufacture. 

Cylindrical pressure vessels. This type of pressure vessel is commonly used for storage purposes. However, unlike a sphere-shaped container, it has more weak points because of the uneven distribution of stress. To address this issue, manufacturers choose thicker metal materials for the final product to withstand the pressure. Another option is to make the end parts of the container hemispherical. 

Keep in mind that not just everyone can manufacture these vessels. First, the company should have valid accreditation and a qualified staff. They should manufacture according to the ASME standards for high quality pressure vessels. A custom reactor vessel for example is used to contain explosions and therefore needs to maintain its integrity during these explosions.

Read more ...