HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
Scope and definitions
| 1. |
This Directive applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment
of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure
PS greater than 0,5 bar.
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| 2. |
For the purposes of this Directive:
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| 2.1. |
'Pressure equipment' means vessels, piping, safety accessories and
pressure accessories.
Where applicable, pressure equipment includes elements attached to
pressurized parts, such as flanges, nozzles, couplings, supports, lifting
lugs, etc.
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| 2.1.1. |
'Vessel` means a housing designed and built to contain fluids under
pressure including its direct attachments up to the coupling point connecting
it to other equipment. A vessel may be composed of more than one chamber.
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| 2.1.2. |
'Piping` means piping components intended for the transport of fluids,
when connected together for integration into a pressure system. Piping
includes in particular a pipe or system of pipes, tubing, fittings, expansion
joints, hoses, or other pressure-bearing components as appropriate. Heat
exchangers consisting of pipes for the purpose of cooling or heating air
shall be considered as piping.
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| 2.1.3. |
'Safety accessories` means devices designed to protect pressure equipment
against the allowable limits being exceeded. Such devices include:
- devices for direct pressure limitation, such as safety valves, bursting
disc safety devices, buckling rods, controlled safety pressure relief systems
(CSPRS), and
- limiting devices, which either activate the means for correction
or provide for shutdown or shutdown and lockout, such as pressure switches
or temperature switches or fluid level switches and 'safety related measurement
control and regulation (SRMCR)` devices.
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| 2.1.4. |
'Pressure accessories` means devices with an operational function and
having pressure-bearing housings.
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| 2.1.5. |
'Assemblies` means several pieces of pressure equipment assembled by
a manufacturer to constitute an integrated and functional whole. |
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| 2.2. |
'Pressure' means pressure relative to atmospheric pressure, i.e. gauge
pressure. As a consequence, vacuum is designated by a negative value.
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| 2.3. |
'Maximum allowable pressure PS` means the maximum pressure
for which the equipment is designed, as specified by the manufacturer.
It is defined at a location specified by the manufacturer. This must
be the location of connection of protective and/or limiting devices or
the top of equipment or if not appropriate any point specified.
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| 2.4. |
'Maximum/minimum allowable temperature TS` means the maximum/minimum
temperatures for which the equipment is designed, as specified by the manufacturer.
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| 2.5. |
'Volume (V)` means the internal volume of a chamber, including
the volume of nozzles to the first connection or weld and excluding the
volume of permanent internal parts.
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| 2.6. |
'Nominal size (DN)` means a numerical designation of size which is
common to all components in a piping system other than components indicated
by outside diameters or by thread size. It is a convenient round number
for reference purposes and is only loosely related to manufacturing dimensions.
The nominal size is designated by DN followed by a number.
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| 2.7. |
'Fluids` means gases, liquids and vapours in pure phase
as well as mixtures thereof. A fluid may contain a suspension of solids.
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| 2.8. |
'Permanent joints` means joints which cannot be disconnected
except by destructive methods.
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| 2.9. |
'European approval for materials` means a technical document
defining the characteristics of materials intended for repeated use in
the manufacture of pressure equipment which are not covered by any harmonized
standard.
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| 3. |
The following are excluded from the scope
of this Directive:
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| 3.1. |
pipelines comprising piping or a system of piping designed
for the conveyance of any fluid or substance to or from an installation
(onshore or offshore) starting from and including the last isolation device
located within the confines of the installation, including all the annexed
equipment designed specifically for pipelines. This exclusion does not
apply to standard pressure equipment such as may be found in pressure reduction
stations or compression stations; |
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