Prevention of Excessive Pressure During Filling of Cryogenic Vessels
- Publisher
- European Industrial Gases Association
- Document
- Doc 151/23
- Edition
- Revision of Doc 151/08 (2023)
- Document language
- English
EIGA Doc 151/23 deals with one specific failure mode: over pressurising a cryogenic tank while filling it. It is written for the filler and the owner of either transportable or static tanks, and it sets out the systems and procedures that prevent a catastrophic failure caused by excessive pressure.
The document frames the problem with two values. If the upper pressure limit of the vessel cannot be exceeded by the maximum allowable pump feed pressure, no additional protection is needed. Where it can be exceeded, protection is required.
What the document covers
- Written for the filler and owner of transportable and static cryogenic tanks.
- Centres on the relationship between the vessel upper pressure limit (UPL) and the maximum allowable pump feed pressure (MAPFP).
- Vessels where the UPL cannot be exceeded by the MAPFP need no additional protection.
- Details the systems and procedures available where additional protection is required.
- Revises the 2008 edition, which also exists in a French translation by AFGC.
What it means for equipment
This is the clearest example of why filling arrangements belong in an equipment specification. The pump at the delivery end and the vessel at the receiving end form one system, and the protection depends on the pair, not on either item alone.
When you order a tank or evaluate a used one, the question to carry from this document is simple: what is the upper pressure limit of this vessel, and what is the feed pressure it will see in service?