Either U.S. Customary, SI, or any local customary units may be used to demonstrate compliance with all requirements of this edition (e.g., materials, design, fabrication, examination, inspection, testing, certification, and overpressure protection).
In general, it is expected that a single system of units shall be used for all aspects of design except where unfeasible or impractical. When components are manufactured at different locations where local customary units are different than those used for the general design, the local units may be used for the design and documentation of that component. Similarly, for proprietary components or those uniquely associated with a system of units different than that used for the general design, the alternate units may be used for the design and documentation of that component.
For any single equation, all variables shall be expressed in a single system of units. When separate equations are provided for U.S. Customary and SI units, those equations must be executed using variables in the units associated with the specific equation. Data expressed in other units shall be converted to U.S. Customary or SI units for use in these equations. The result obtained from execution of these equations may be converted to other units.
Production, measurement and test equipment, drawings, welding procedure specifications, welding procedure and performance qualifications, and other fabrication documents may be in U.S. Customary, SI, or local customary units in accordance with the fabricator's practice. When values shown in calculations and analysis, fabrication documents, or measurement and test equipment are in different units, any conversions necessary for verification of Code compliance and to ensure that dimensional consistency is maintained shall be in accordance with the following:
(a) Conversion factors shall be accurate to at least four significant figures.
(b) The results of conversions of units shall be expressed to a minimum of three significant figures.
Conversion of units, using the precision specified above shall be performed to assure that dimensional consistency is maintained. Conversion factors between U.S. Customary and SI units may be found in the Nonmandatory Appendix M, Guidance for the Use of U.S. Customary and SI Units in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Whenever local customary units are used the Manufacturer shall provide the source of the conversion factors, which shall be subject to verification and acceptance by the Authorized Inspector.
Material that has been manufactured and certified to either the U.S. Customary or SI material specification (e.g., SA-516M) may be used regardless of the unit system used in design. Standard fittings (e.g., flanges, elbows, etc.) that have been certified to either U.S. Customary units or SI units may be used regardless of the unit system used in design.
All entries on a Manufacturer's Data Report and data for Code required nameplate marking shall be in units consistent with the fabrication drawings for the component using U.S. Customary, SI, or local customary units. It is acceptable to show alternate units parenthetically. Users of this Code are cautioned that the receiving Jurisdiction should be contacted to ensure the units are acceptable.
ARTICLE 2
MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS
HG-200 GENERAL MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS
HG-200.1 Materials Subject to Pressure Stress. Material subject to stress due to pressure shall conform to one of the specifications given in Section II and shall be limited to those that are permitted in HF-200 for boilers of wrought materials and HC-200 for cast iron boilers.
HG-200.2 Internal Parts Subject to Deterioration. Materials shall not be used for internal parts that are liable to fail due to deterioration when subjected to saturated steam temperatures at or below the maximum allowable working pressure.
HG-200.3 Materials Not Found in Section II. Material not covered by specifications in Section II shall not be used unless authorization to use the material is granted by the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee on the basis of data submitted to the Committee in accordance with Appendix A.
HG-200.4 Materials Use Not Limited by Specification Title. The title or scope paragraph of a material specification in Section II with respect to product form or service shall not limit the use of a material, provided the material is suitable for the application and its use is permitted by the rules of this Section.
HG-200.5 Materials Use Not Limited by Method of Production. Materials covered by specifications in Section II are not restricted as to the method of production unless so stated in the Specification, and as long as the product complies with the requirements of the Specification.
HG-200.6 Materials With Thicknesses Exceeding Specification Limits. Materials having thicknesses outside of the limits given in the title or scope clause of a specification in Section II may be used in construction, provided they comply with the other requirements of the Specification and with all thickness requirements of this Code.
HG-200.7 Nonpressure Part Materials. Material for nonpressure parts, such as skirts, supports, baffles, lugs, clips, and extended heat-transfer surfaces, need not conform to the specifications for the material to which they are attached or to a material specification permitted in HF-200 or HC-200; but, if welded, they shall be of weldable quality. The allowable stress value shall not exceed 80% of the maximum allowable stress permitted for similar material in Tables HF-300.1 and HF-300.2. Satisfactory performance of a specimen in such service shall not make the material acceptable for use in pressure parts of a vessel.
HG-201 SPECIFIC MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS
Specific material requirements for assemblies constructed of wrought materials are given in Part HF, Article 2 and for assemblies constructed of cast iron in Part HC, Article 2.
ARTICLE 4
PRESSURE RELIEVING DEVICES
HG-400.1 Safety Valve Requirements for Steam
Boilers
(a) Each steam boiler shall have one or more officially rated safety valves that are identified with the V or HV Symbol of the spring pop type adjusted and sealed to discharge at a pressure not to exceed 15 psi (100 kPa).
(b) No safety valve for a steam boiler shall be smaller than NPS ½ (DN 15) or larger than NPS 4 (DN 100). The inlet opening shall have an inside diameter equal to, or greater than, the seat diameter.
(c) The minimum relieving capacity of valve or valves shall be governed by the capacity marking on the boiler called for in HG-530.
(d) The minimum valve capacity in pounds per hour shall be the greater of that determined by dividing the maximum Btu output at the boiler nozzle obtained by the firing of any fuel for which the unit is installed by 1,000, or shall be determined on the basis of the pounds (kg) of steam generated per hour per square foot (m2) of boiler heating surface as given in Table HG-400.1. For cast iron boilers constructed to the requirements of Part HC, the minimum valve capacity shall be determined by the maximum output method. In many cases a greater relieving capacity of valves will have to be provided than the minimum specified by these rules. In every case, the requirement of HG-400.l(e) shall be met.
(e) The safety valve capacity for each steam boiler shall be such that with the fuel burning equipment installed, and operated at maximum capacity, the pressure cannot rise more than 5 psi (35 Kpa) above the maximum allowable working pressure.
(f) When operating conditions are changed, or additional boiler heating surface is installed, the valve capacity shall be increased, if necessary, to meet the new conditions and be in accordance with HG-400.l (e). The additional valves required, on account of changed conditions, may be installed on the outlet piping provided there is no intervening valve.
HG-400.2 Safety Relief Valve Requirements for Hot Water Boilers
(a) Each hot water heating or supply boiler shall have at least one officially rated safety relief valve, of the automatic reseating type, identified with the V or HV Symbol, and set to relieve at or below the maximum allowable working pressure of the boiler.
(b) Hot water heating or supply boilers limited to a water temperature not in excess of 210°F (99°C) may have, in lieu of the valve(s) specified in (a) above, one or more officially rated temperature and pressure safety relief valves of the automatic reseating type identified with the HV symbol, and set to relieve at or below the maximum allowable working pressure of the boiler.
(c) When more than one safety relief valve is used on either hot water heating or hot water supply boilers, the additional valves shall be officially rated and may have a set pressure within a range not to exceed 6 psi (40 kPa) above the maximum allowable working pressure of the boiler up to and including 60 psi (400 kPa), and 5% for those having a maximum allowable working pressure exceeding 60 psi (400 kPa).
(d) No safety relief valve shall be smaller than NPS ¾ (DN 20) nor larger than NPS 4 (DN 100) except that boilers having a heat input not greater than 15,000 Btu/hr (4.4 kW) may be equipped with a rated safety relief valve of NPS ½ (DN 15).
(e) The required steam relieving capacity, in pounds per hour (kg/h), of the pressure relieving device or devices on a boiler shall be the greater of that determined by dividing the maximum output in Btu at the boiler nozzle obtained by the firing of any fuel for which the unit is installed by 1,000, or shall be determined on the basis of pounds (kg) of steam generated per hour per square foot (m2) of boiler heating surface as given in Table HG-400.1. For cast iron boilers constructed to the requirements of Part HC, the minimum valve capacity shall be determined by the maximum output method. In many cases a greater relieving capacity of valves will have to be provided than the minimum specified by these rules. In every case, the requirements of HG-400.2 (g) shall be met.
(f) When operating conditions are changed, or additional boiler heating surface is installed, the valve capacity shall be increased, if necessary, to meet the new conditions and shall be in accordance with HG-400,2(g). The additional valves required, on account of changed conditions, may be installed on the outlet piping provided there is no intervening valve.
(g) Safety relief valve capacity for each boiler with a single safety relief valve shall be such that, with the fuel burning equipment installed and operated at maximum capacity, the pressure cannot rise more than 10% above the maximum allowable working pressure. When more than one safety relief valve is used, the overpressure shall be limited to 10% above the set pressure of the highest set valve allowed by HG-400.2 (c).
HG-400.3 Safety and Safety Relief Valves for Tanks and Heat Exchangers
(a) Steam to Hot Water Supply. When a hot water supply is heated indirectly by steam in a coil or pipe within the service limitations set forth in HG-101, the pressure of the steam used shall not exceed the safe working pressure of the hot water tank, and a safety relief valve at least NPS 1 (DN 25), set to relieve at or below the maximum allowable working pressure of the tank, shall be applied on the tank.
(b) High Temperature Water to Water Heat Exchanger.
1 When high temperature water is circulated through the coils or tubes of a heat exchanger to warm water for space heating or hot water supply, within the service limitations set forth in HG-101, the heat exchanger shall be equipped with one or more officially rated safety relief valves that are identified with the V or HV Symbol, set to relieve at or below the maximum allowable working pressure of the heat exchanger, and of sufficient rated capacity to prevent the heat exchanger pressure from rising more than 10% above the maximum allowable working pressure of the vessel.
(c)
High Temperature Water to Steam Heat Exchanger.
1 When high temperature water is circulated through the coils or tubes of a heat exchanger to generate low pressure steam, within the service limitations set forth in HG-101, the heat exchanger shall be equipped with one or more officially rated safety valves that are identified with the V or HV Symbol, set to relieve at a pressure not to exceed 15 psi (100 kPa), and of sufficient rated capacity to prevent the heat exchanger pressure from rising more than 5 psi (35 kPa) above the maximum allowable working pressure of the vessel. For heat exchangers requiring steam pressures greater than 15 psi (100 kPa), refer to Section I or Section VIII, Division 1.
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HG-401 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFETY AND SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
HG-401.1 Mechanical Requirements
(a) The inlet opening shall have an inside diameter approximately equal to, or greater than, the seat diameter. In no case shall the maximum opening through any part of the valve be less than ¼ in. (6 mm) in diameter or its equivalent area.
(b) Safety relief valves officially rated as to capacity shall have pop action when tested by steam.
(c) O-rings or other packing devices when used on the stems of safety relief valves shall be so arranged as not to affect their operation or capacity.
(d) The design shall incorporate guiding arrangements necessary to insure consistent operation and tightness. Excessive lengths of guiding surfaces should be avoided. Bottom guided designs are not permitted on safety relief valves.
(e) Safety valves shall have a controlled blowdown of 2 psi to 4 psi (15 kPa to 30 kPa) and this blowdown need not be adjustable.
(f) Safety valves shall be spring loaded. The spring shall be designed so that the full lift spring compression shall be no greater than 80% of the nominal solid deflection. The permanent set of the spring (defined as the difference between the free height and height measured 10 min after the spring has been compressed solid three additional times after presetting at room temperature) shall not exceed 0.5% of the free height.
(g) There shall be a lifting device and a mechanical connection between the lifting device and the disk capable of lifting the disk from the seat a distance of at least 1/16 in. (1.5 mm) with no pressure on the boiler.
(h) A body drain below seat level shall be provided by the Manufacturer for all safety valves and safety relief valves, except that the body drain may be omitted when the valve seat is above the bottom of the inside diameter of the discharge piping. For valves exceeding NPS 2½ (DN 65) the drain hole or holes shall be tapped not less than NPS 3/8 (DN 10). For valves NPS 2½ (DN 65) or smaller, the drain hole shall not be less than ¼ in. (6 mm) in diameter. Body drain connections shall not be plugged during or after field installation. In safety relief valves of the diaphragm type, the space above the diaphragm shall be vented to prevent a buildup of pressure above the diaphragm. Safety relief valves of the diaphragm type shall be so designed that failure or deterioration of the diaphragm material will not impair the ability of the valve to relieve at the rated capacity.
(i) In the design of the body of the valve consideration shall be given to minimizing the effects of water deposits.
(j) Valves shall be provided with wrenching surfaces to allow for normal installation without damaging operating parts.
(k) The set pressure tolerances, plus or minus, of safety valves shall not exceed 2 psi (15 kPa), and for safety relief valves shall not exceed 3 psi (20 kPa) for pressures up to and including 60 psig (400 kPa) and 5% for pressures above 60 psig (400 kPa).
(l) Safety valves shall be arranged so that they cannot be reset to relieve at a higher pressure than the maximum allowable working pressure of the boiler.
HG-401.2 Material Selection
(a) Cast iron seats and disks are not permitted.
(b) Adjacent sliding surfaces such as guides and disks shall both be of corrosion resistant material.
(c) Springs of corrosion resistant material or having a corrosion resistant coating are required.
(d) Material for seats and disks should be such as to provide a reasonable degree of resistance to steam cutting.
(e) Material for valve bodies and bonnets or their corresponding metallic pressure containing parts shall be listed in Section II, except that in cases where a manufacturer desires to make use of materials other than those listed in Section II, he shall establish and maintain specifications requiring equivalent control of chemical and physical properties and quality.
(f) Synthetic disk inserts of O-ring or other types if used shall be compatible with the maximum design temperature established for the valve.
(g) No materials liable to fail due to deterioration or vulcanization when subjected to saturated steam temperature corresponding to capacity test pressure shall be used.
HG-401.3 Manufacture and Inspection
(a) A Manufacturer shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of an ASME designee that his manufacturing, production, and testing facilities and quality control procedures will insure close agreement between the performance of random production samples and the performance of those valves submitted for capacity certification.
(b) Manufacturing, inspection, and test operations including capacity are subject to inspections at any time by an ASME designee.
(c) A Manufacturer may be granted permission to apply, the HV Code Symbol to production pressure relief valves capacity certified in accordance with HG-402.3 provided the following tests are successfully completed. This permission shall expire on the sixth anniversary of the date it is initially granted. The permission may be extended for 6 year periods if the following tests are successfully repeated within the 6 month period before expiration.
(1) Two sample production pressure relief valves of a size and capacity within the capability of an ASME accepted laboratory shall be selected by an ASME designee.
(2) Operational and capacity tests shall be conducted in the presence of an ASME designee at an ASME accepted laboratory. The valve Manufacturer shall be notified of the time of the test and may have representatives present to witness the test.
(3) Should any valve fail to relieve at or above its certified capacity or should it fail to meet performance requirements of this Section, the test shall be repeated at the rate of two replacement valves, selected in accordance with HG-401.3(c)(1), for each valve that failed.
(4) Failure of any of the replacement valves to meet the capacity or the performance requirements of this Section shall be cause for revocation within 60 days of the authorization to use the Code Symbol on that particular type of valve. During this period, the Manufacturer shall demonstrate the cause of such deficiency and the action taken to guard against future occurrence, and the requirements of HG-401.3(c) above shall apply.
(d) Safety valves shall be sealed in a manner to prevent the valve from being taken apart without breaking the seal. Safety relief valves shall be set and sealed so that they cannot be reset without breaking the seal.
HG-401.4 Manufacturer's Testing
(a) Every safety valve shall be tested to demonstrate its popping point, blowdown, and tightness. Every safety relief valve shall be tested to demonstrate its opening point and tightness. Safety valves shall be tested on steam or air and safety relief valves on water, steam, or air. When the blowdown is nonadjustable, the blowdown test may be performed on a sampling basis.
(b) A Manufacturer shall have a well-established program for the application, calibration, and maintenance of test gages.
(c) Testing time on safety valves shall be sufficient, depending on size and design, to insure that test results are repeatable and representative of field performance.
(d) Test fixtures and test drums shall be of adequate size and capacity to assure representative pop action and accuracy of blowdown adjustment.
(e) A tightness test shall be conducted at maximum expected operating pressure, but not at a pressure exceeding the reseating pressure of the valve.
HG-401.5 Design Requirements. At the time of the submission of valves for capacity certification, or testing in accordance with this Section, the ASME Designee has the authority to review the design for conformity with the requirements of this Section, and to reject or require modification of designs that do not conform, prior to capacity testing.
HG-402 DISCHARGE CAPACITIES OF SAFETY AND SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
HG-402.1 Valve Markings. Each safety or safety-relief valve shall be plainly marked with the required data by the Manufacturer in such a way that the markings will not be obliterated in service. The markings shall be stamped, etched, impressed, or cast on the valve or on a nameplate, which shall be securely fastened to the valve.
(a) The markings shall include the following:
(1) the name or an acceptable abbreviation of the Manufacturer
(2) Manufacturer's design or type number
(3) NPS size _____ in. (DN) (the nominal pipe size of the valve inlet)
(4) set pressure _____ psi
