Help on identification on 30000 gallon pressure vessel

[sodbustr]

Hello
I have been a lurker on this forum for a while. I am in a situation where I moved a 30K gallon NH3 pressure vessel and cannot locate the correct information for a U1A to replace the missing data plate. Tank was usable in old location, but once moved must be correctly identified and up to code.

I have attached a few pictures of various stampings on tank. Tank measures 107.5 dia and roughly 67ft long

Thanks for any help!!

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...00b31&file=30000_gallon_tank,_group_2_002.JPG

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...9db9b&file=30000_gallon_tank,_group_2_001.JPG

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...ef43f51339&file=30000_gallon_NH3_tank_010.JPG

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...c8184320ce&file=30000_gallon_NH3_tank_004.JPG

 

[racookpe1978]

As I understand it, you "have" the old label plate, but it is now going to be in a place where it can no longer be read. is that right?
Or do you need to re-create a completely missing plate, but have photo's of the old plate?

 

[sodbustr]

I need to re-create a completely missing plate. There is no photo of the old plate. As I understand it I can re-create a plate if I have the U1A and can prove that it is for the tank I have.

 

[Duwe6]

1st tough item: Figure out the tank's mfr

2nd tough item: figure out which tank this is, of all the ones that this mfr has made.

I really don't see you being able to achieve these two items. The stampings you have photographed do not appear to have any repeated numbers, i.e. mfr's Job#. So even if you figure out the mfr, determining WHICH tank will be impossible. Further, the two items sticking out of the manway cover appear to be 'hillbilly' engineering*. Tells me a fair ammount about the previous history of this tank. This tank would make an excellent tornado shelter, and not much else.

*IF you get past items 1 & 2, throw that M/W cover away. Welds on NH3 tanks require PWHT 'for process', in addition to welds on an ASME item that thick.

 

[sodbustr]

The number 3440 is stamped on the tank in 8-10 spots. Seems to be on each sheet of steel making up the barrel of the tank.

 

[marty007]

This all comes down to positively identifying the tank. To do this, you must be able to trace stamping numbers to the original equipment.

As you've been doing, you need to dig up any/all stamping on the vessel, and hope you can somehow trace these back to some paper documentation.

I couldn't open the first two linked files, but if this is a very old tank, all I can say is good luck...

 

[SnTMan]

Likely what you are looking at are steel heat numbers. Tells you nothing about the tank. Why do you suppose the code nameplate is missing? Decomissioned?

Regards,

Mike

 

[Duwe6]

Maybe not actually decomissioned -- moronity abounds. Two different locations I've worked have had Maint. Engineers/Mgrs that had Code Data plates chiseled off. Our best guess is that the morons thought that without a Data Plate, they were not 'real' pressure vessels and they could get away without registering them with the state board.

 

[StoneCold]

Another way to go about this might be from the accounting side.
Is the tank a listed depreciated asset?
When did you buy it?
From who?
If the from who answer is the fabricator you might really have a chance.
If you buy a lot of tanks from the same place over the same period you probably have an unsolvable problem. Maybe not.


Regards
SToneCold

 

[SnTMan]

had Code Data plates chiseled off

Scary

 

[EdStainless]

Someone thinks that they are saving money by reusing this?
Maybe you just need to let the person responsible for your liability insurance in on this process.
That might bring a full dose of reality to what they are asking.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Plymouth Tube

 

[Duwe6]

". . .need to let the person responsible for your liability insurance. . "

Be sure and mention the 'hillbilly' nozzle additions into the manway, where they didn't bother to PWHT the welds, leaving a probable cracking issue.

 

[chicopee]

By the stampings, it appears to be a sheffiel tank with a national board number 3440 eventho the initials NB are not showing in front of that number. Contact the NB with that number and see if they can match it with the manufacter's data sheet data bank and if it's a match, for a nominal fee you can have a copy. The 70000 is the tensile strength of the steel in psi.