Why You Should Be Discerning When Choosing a Pressure Vessel Manufacturer

Posted by Jason Norman on January 26th, 2021

Let’s talk a little bit about pressure vessels, and why you should be very discerning when selecting a manufacturer for these. This goes especially for reactors, given how dangerous a poorly-managed reactor of a nuclear nature can be. I want to point out, first, just to assuage common fears, that nuclear reactors and nuclear power are actually very safe, clean and efficient ways to generate electricity. They are only a general danger when they are woefully mismanaged, or their components are ridiculously poorly-created.

A pressure vessel manufacturer should always comply with ASME standards, which provide a concise, yet very detailed set of standards for various materials for pressure vessel manufacturing, pressure tolerances, substance natures, and so forth.

That out of the way, let’s talk about how dangerous a pressure vessel can be, and what some common dangers are with these vessels over long periods of use.

Consider Climate

Pressure vessel manufacturers often designed their vessels with climates in mind, and certain models or types of vessels the same similar most other ways are probably designed with different climates in mind.

When a pressure vessel is outdoors, which certainly will be the case with the reactor, they have to stand up to extreme sun, extreme cold, precipitation and the various other things that can come from nature.

Another issue is that substances within pressure vessels, which themselves are compressed to various severe degrees, must face thermal expansion and contraction from fluctuating temperatures, as well as the vessel itself expanding and contracting on an at least microscopic level.

Pressure vessels used in reactors are, of course, housed so that they are not exposed to the elements. However, internal will fluctuate tremendously as hot gases or liquids are put through them, while the area around them will often be cooled to prevent them from getting too hot. Only certain materials can handle this.

Failsafes and Durability

You have to consider durability and failsafes when you’re using a pressure vessel for a reactor. If something goes wrong with this pressure vessel, it can violently explode, and all manner of things can go wrong with the reactor that you don’t want happening. Trust me, if you’re pressure vessels fail, you’re going to have a very bad time.

Thus, you want to make sure that you choose vessel manufacturers that produce vessels with failsafes, and long-term durability. You don’t want leaks, because that will compromise the containment ability of the vessel, which can also cause it to suddenly explode, or for various parts of the reactor to go out of balance.

So, choose your pressure vessel manufacturer wisely, and take the time to be discerning and very picky. When it comes to safety, not just of the reactor itself, but of people working with it, there’s nothing wrong with being persnickety in choosing who produces your components.

Also, on top of being choosy, don’t be cheap. A long-lived pressure vessel isn’t just safer, it’s more financially wise in the long run, as you will have to take the reactor off-line to change vessels nearly as often, meaning more runtime, and more profitability.